Marnie Midnight and the Great Critter Contest

The second in a magical illustrated new young fiction series for children aged 7-9 from best-selling author and illustrator, Laura Ellen Anderson! Marnie Midnight is a little moth with BIG dreams! Marnie is having so much fun at Minibeast Academy, a school for bugs tucked into a giant tree at the bottom of the museum gardens. And this term it's time for something really exciting – the Great Critter Contest! The contest sees minibug students set off to explore the school in teams, searching for clues. The winners get an incredible prize and Marnie and her team – best friends Floyd the bee (who is really an A) and Star the super-strong princess ant – are determined to be first to cross the finish line. But when Veronica gets into trouble and needs rescuing, Marnie and her team have to decide whether winning really is the most important thing …

Reviews for the Marnie Midnight series: "The miniature characters have enormous personalities, while the setting is brought to life with delightful, quirky details and masses of humour." BookTrust “A hugely imaginative world with stunning illustrations” – Harriet Muncaster "This book is an utter delight, a magnificent fantasy creation which brings the smallest inhabitants of our planet to the fore, delivering a subtle ecological message in a package of glorious illustrations and charming storytelling.” View from Vs Bookshelf “Marnie Midnight and the Moon Mystery is the sweetest adventure filled with magic, mystery and loveable minibeasts. Laura Ellen Anderson’s stunning illustrations, clever puns & creative world building shines even brighter than the moon!” – Mel Taylor-Bessent "Marnie Midnight & the Moon Mystery is a funny, twisty, gorgeous warm hug of a book. Laura Ellen Anderson creates extraordinary worlds and characters like no one else.” – Jack Meggitt-Phillips “Bursting with friendship, environmental themes, self-belief, magic and wonder!” – minitravellers.co.uk Reviews for Rainbow Grey: “Sparkling new series with a rip-roaring, colour-infused tale of bravery, storm-filled action, kindness and warm-hearted friendships.” Lancashire Post “Rainbow Grey is funny and smart” Books for Topics “A true delight" Irish Sunday Independent “Ray is a glorious combination of confidence, determination and colour that children will admire” Bonkers About Books “A lively story with a fully imagined alternative world, an entertaining collection of characters and a brave heroine.” Books for Keeps “A fabulously fun read for newly independent readers.” Miss Cleveland is Reading, school librarian and book blogger “Packed full of action and excitement from the first page all the way through to the last.” The Teacher Bookworm, teacher and book blogger

Laura is a star of the children’s book world – she is the author and illustrator of Rainbow Grey and the much loved, bestselling Amelia Fang series, whose characters have captured the hearts of children everywhere and whose adventures are published worldwide. Born in Essex, Laura now lives in Brighton and when she’s not working she enjoys doodling for fun, making 3D models, creating fan art and collecting stamps.