Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms

Book excerpt: Enter a wonderful world filled with real magic, mystery … and danger. As if being small for his age and also having S. Horten as his name isnt bad enough, now 10-year-old Stuart is forced to move far away from all his friends.But on his very first day in his new home, Stuarts swept up in an extraordinary adventure: the quest to find his great-uncle Tony--a famous magician who literally disappeared off the face of the earth--and Tonys marvelous, long-lost workshop. Along the way, Stuart reluctantly accepts help from the annoying triplets next door… and encounters trouble from another magician whos also desperate to get hold of Tonys treasures. A quirky, smart, charming page-turner, Hortens Miraculous Mechanisms will enchant young readers--as well as teachers, librarians, and parents. Long-listed for the Carnegie Medal (2012) and the Guardian Childrens Fiction Prize (2011)