Just checking under the bed for creakers before I go to sleep...
I was so delighted that Tom Fletcher picked Beetle Boy to be a part of his bookclub, that I immediately set about getting my hands on his newest book The Creakers, and when it arrived I was impressed by what an attractive book it is. As soon as I opened the cover my four-year-old son, Seb, snuggled up next to me, attracted to Shane Devries' wonderful illustrations and he asked me to read it to him.
The story is told in the voice of Tom Fletcher with all of his playfulness, joking and kindness. There are notes from the narrator at the end of each chapter and sometimes in the text, however, despite Tom's warning to the reader about the scary nature of this adventure my little one wanted to hear about Lucy and all the disappeared grown-ups. I have to admit to hiding the book for a week till he forgot about it because I read ahead and realised pretty quickly that this story is a little too scary for a four-year-old. However a six-year-old would love it, and it's a great book to read to kids, because the parent reader becomes the Tom Fletcher narrator, if you see what I mean.
The Creakers is a cross between The Box Trolls and the BFG. It's quirky and funny, with great characters, and a story that races along and causes your heart to beat a little faster. If you have a child who is a fan of scary stories then this would be a good book for them.
Listen to Tom talking about the inspiration for his book in the video below.