The Creakers

Product Information

At night, this mischievous bunch peeks out from under your bed. When you hear that creak . . . creak . . . THE CREAKERS are there! Discover a hilarious and eerie middle-grade story by a UK star.

Stonkingly good . . . a compelling adventure and a nuanced celebration of friendship and family love Guardian The Creakers’ tells the story of Lucy Dungston – a child who wakes up to discover that all of the grown-ups in her town have disappeared. While the rest of the children in Whiffington Town are running wild, Lucy is formulating a plan to find out what has happened. But, late one night, Lucy spots four mysterious creatures creeping around her bedroom; they are The Creakers and they know exactly what is going on. These notes include reading comprehension questions to support and elevate understanding of the text and to improve reading inference, retrieval and predictive skills, as well as suggestions for classroom activities to enjoy the book across different areas of the curriculum – from creating new, magical worlds made of waste, to carrying out research into the effects of waste disposal across the world, to creating campaign posters to advocate the importance of recycling! Hello Yellow - 80 Books to Help Children Nurture Good Mental Health and Support With Anxiety and Wellbeing - Lucy wakes up one morning to discover something very strange indeed. All the grown-ups in her town have disappeared.Last Christmas, I read Tom Fletcher’s first novel, The Christmasaurus. I absolutely fell in love with it and I can’t wait until December comes around so I can read it again! I think I’ll make it a Christmas staple, like an advent calendar or The Polar Express. Anyway, I digress. The fact that I loved The Christmasaurus so much meant that I had such high expectations for The Creakers. I wasn’t left disappointed! After writing songs with his band McFly for several years, Tom Fletcher turned his hand to writing stories. He is one half of the duo behind the bestselling Dinosaur That Pooped series. The Christmasaurus is Tom's first novel for young readers, and combines his love of Christmas and dinosaurs.

If you (or your children) love a book full of funny silliness, magical worlds, and (not-so-scary) monsters under your bed, then you’ll love The Creakers. It’s perfect for a Halloween read, or also great for any time of the year if you’re in the mood for something spooky! If you were registered for the newsletter, you will now receive the Puffin Schools newsletter, which is filled with all the latest information about accompanying resources and upcoming shows. Puffin started out as a non-fiction publisher, with its first title appearing in 1940. As the most iconic and well-known children’s book brand in the UK today, we are always on the lookout for innovative ways to tell the world’s favourite stories and for brilliant new debut talent and brands that connect with today’s young readers, from newborn up to twelve years old. Armistice Day: A Collection of Remembrance - Spark Interest and Educate Children about Historical MomentsThe adventure element is so much fun. Lucy is the perfect main character: she’s strong, feisty and confident, but not annoyingly so. She’s still unsure of her abilities, but she learns by the end just how much she’s really capable of. Just a warning to some younger children who might want to read The Creakers – there are some scary bits. But don’t worry – Lucy is here to save the day!

You’ll get four lesson plans with literacy and geography learning objectives looking in particular at the effects of waste disposal on our planet and how this theme is explored in the story; they can be taught as whole units or as individual activities to be dipped in and out of.Just like The Christmasaurus, this book is so full of silly magic and moments that made me laugh out loud. One of my favourite things about Tom’s books is the humourous way he describes things. If it made almost-23-year-old me laugh out loud, I can imagine it’d make its target audience – older children and pre-teens, I’d say – howl with laughter (especially if their parents read it to them). There are even some jokes that maybe only adults will understand (for example, there’s a horribly rude TV show presenter called Piers Snoregan. You probably know who that’s a parody of). 😀 In a nice twist on the Pied Piper story, the children of Whiffington wake up one morning to discover that all the grown-ups have disappeared, stolen away in the night by – what? Amidst the chaos of unmade beds, unbrushed teeth and unwashed dishes, Lucy Dungston is determined to rescue her mum, even when she realises that the revolting Creakers are the kidnappers. There isn’t a child in the land who hasn’t imagined something lurking under the bed, and the idea of the bumbling, muttering, smelly Creakers will give them a delicious thrill. It’s a fun adventure with a great set of lively young characters and some very exciting scenes. Remember how I took part in a Halloween Readathon last month? Yeah, well… I didn’t do very well. To be honest, I didn’t have very high hopes for myself anyway. I’m so rubbish at reading things within a specific time frame! However, I did manage to read two books from my list: Daughter of the Burning City by Sarah Foody, and The Creakers by Tom Fletcher. That’s what I’m going to be reviewing today! A magical, mischievous adventure into an incredible new world, from Tom Fletcher, number-one-bestselling author of The Danger Gang and The Christmasaurus.

All the other kids in Whiffington are so excited! No more grown-ups means no more school! No more bedtime! No more rules!The Christmasaurus is currently being developed by The Greatest Showman director Michael Gracey into an animated, feature-length movie with original songs written by Tom. Ladybird, Puffin and Penguin are imprints of Penguin Random House UK. Across their extensive list, we believe there is a story for every child, everywhere. The Story-Makers Show was known as Puffin Virtually Live up until March 2019. The content and ambition of the show remains the same: to give every pupil the opportunity to engage with authors and illustrators in their own classroom using the power of the internet. Until, one morning, Lucy discovers that all the grown-ups have disappeared – as if into thin air. Chaos descends as the children in Lucy’s town run riot. It’s mayhem. It’s madness. To most kids, it’s amazing! Do you ever hear strange, creaking noises at night? Ever wonder what makes those noises? Lucy Dungston always did.