Pinch Perkins and the Nightmare Tree

Pinch’s magic has finally arrived … and it’s causing a whole lot of trouble! Pinch Perkins is very excited that her Spark magic is finally here – she has been having so much fun bringing things to life (although Sir Furalot, her beloved teddy bear, is not happy about it!). But with magic comes responsibility – and when Pinch is told off one too many times by her mum and dad for causing chaos, she starts to wonder if being magical is all it’s cracked up to be. Then Pinch starts to have strange dreams, feeling like someone – something – is watching her. Surely it can’t be the strange tree, the one with bewitching red leaves, that has appeared on Tricky Dragon Lane? When Pinch awakens one night deep in the forest – an enchanted place full of dangerous and mysterious creatures – unicorns, highway men, ghosts! – she realises that she has been trapped by an evil, ancient spirit bound to the heart of a tree. The only way Pinch can defeat this spirit is by embracing her Spark magic. The future of the magical world depends on it!

Reviews for Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse ‘Brimming with adventure, enchantment and fun! A must-must-must-read!’ Ben Miller 'Tremendous fun: an exciting story and a magical new world for young readers to explore!' Lucy Strange, award-winning author ‘…Fast-moving and lively with a large and very memorable cast of characters, and a strong sense that we are there with Pinch and Henry in the race to lift the curse. The tone is mostly light though there are some genuinely scary moments and real tension when it seems as though Pinch might be too late to save her mum. Cathy Fitzgerald’s world building is very good, her imagination huge, and readers will be looking forward to Pinch’s next adventure!' Book of the Week / Books for Keeps, week of 17/6/2024 'I really enjoyed the action, the humour and the themes of friendship and love throughout the story and was gripped by the magical world that Cathy FitzGerald had created. A sparkling debut, I hope for many more in this series pretty please because it’s a big, fat five stars from us.’ Summer Reading round-up on the Mini Travellers blog

Cathy FitzGerald is a writer and documentary-maker. She’s a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4, 3 and the World Service as presenter and producer, making programmes on subjects including magic carpets, love letter ghost-writing and why we like looking at blue sky. Her documentaries have won many prizes, including Arias, Third Coast Festival and Whicker's World. Radio Times called her ‘one of radio’s most original' creators. She has a DPhil in the work of Charles Dickens. Pinch Perkins and the Midsummer Curse is her first novel.