Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase

Best known for his sarcastic djinni creation Bartimaeus, Stroud returns with an equally engaging new series, this time following a young set of ghost hunters. In the world of Lockwood & Co., only children can see the ghostly spectres that haunt the modern world and so it’s down to them to hunt them out. Adults lose their ability to see, yet not to feel the violent effects of a haunting.  Young hero Lockwood combines an impulsive nature with a genius brain, which make him rather a clever ghost sleuth - if somewhat unlucky in business. Choosing to operate without an adult supervisor, he works instead with ever-hungry assistant George, who is never far from a sugary doughnut, and new employee Lucy.

As always, Stroud's writing is brimming with sumptuous description and the action is pulse-racing. Beware the faint of heart, for the ghostly encounters may send you cowering behind the sofa - but young readers looking for a spooky story are certain to be entertained by this enjoyable adventure.

Lockwood and Co teaching resources