Von Gobstopper's Arcade (22 page)
Rosie looked from the toys to her daughter
and smiled. ‘That’s lovely, sweetheart,’ she said.
‘How do you do, Mrs Klompet,’ said Theo, speaking slowly in order to make a good impression. When Rosie made no reply, a perplexed Theo tried again. Again, there was no response.
‘Don’t be rude, Mum!’ Milli scolded. ‘Theo’s talking to you.’
Rosie smiled at her daughter indulgently, glad that her imagination hadn’t been diminished despite the horrors she’d recently witnessed.
‘I’m sorry, I didn’t hear him,’ she said. ‘What was it he said?’
Rosie made a pretence of listening intently, but was distracted by a group of other parents asking her a question.
Milli tugged on her mother’s sleeve impatiently. ‘Theo’s waiting for an answer!’
Rosie frowned for a moment, then leaned towards the bear. Theo repeated his greeting, more forcefully this time, and directed it at all the adults. In fact, he repeated it many times before the truth became apparent. As hard as the adults listened, they couldn’t hear a thing.
Writing
Von Gobstopper’s Arcade,
the last book in the series, has been a different experience not only because it has required a superhuman juggling of time between study and writing, but also because I am bidding farewell to Milli and Ernest, who have been my faithful companions over the last few years.
I would like to extend my thanks to all the young readers who have taken the time to write to me expressing their enthusiasm for the series. Your letters have provided the inspiration to keep writing even in difficult times.
Thanks to bffls—Miffy, Liva and Nat for supporting me all the way. Your friendship is invaluable. Particular thanks to Jenny Church for being there to remind me that I am an author and therefore must act like one.
As always, thanks must go to the committed team at Harper Collins for their encouragement and understanding and a special thanks to Lisa Berryman for her wisdom, level-headedness and for always giving the impression that she has all the time in the world to chat.
Thanks to all my teachers for being so accommodating and for those extensions of deadlines. Much appreciated!
Lastly, a huge thank you must go to my mother whose patience and love never seems to run out.
A
lexandra Emily Adornetto lives in Melbourne and is an only child.
She has loved stories for as long as she can remember. Her family includes a three-legged cat called Rosie-Mittens, and a spaniel, Muffy-Boo.
The Shadow Thief
, the first book in
The Strangest Adventures
series, was written when she was thirteen years old and inspired by J.M. Barrie’s
Peter Pan.
Alexandra is currently completing Year 12 at school where she is focusing on subjects such as Literature, History and Religion and Society. She is also a keen debater and performer. Whatever career Alexandra pursues in the future, she hopes to continue writing books for children.
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The Shadow Thief
‘Clearly [Adornetto] is already an Australian literary phenomenon…to read
The Shadow Thief
is to be thrust into a fast-moving plot full of menace and thrills, amply seeded with a magnificently precocious vocabulary.’
The Courier-Mail
‘…an impressive debut…a wonderful fantasy story, full of adventure and scary, dark shadows.’
The Australian Women’s Weekly
‘…a fantastic achievement…’
The Sunday Age
‘…a comic fantasy full of magic.’
The Sydney Morning Herald
‘You will be hooked by Alex’s sparkling dialogue and witty perceptive insights…’
The Toowoomba Chronicle
The Lampo Circus
‘Adornetto’s time message is packaged in an entertaining and enthralling story.’
Good Reading magazine
‘The Lampo Circus has great charm. It works because the author…assumes the reader has a similar love of words and inventiveness as herself.’
The Age
‘You have to be impressed by this book: the style is clever and the narrative is pure untamed imagination. Nine to 12 year olds will adore it.’
Out & About with Kids
‘…wonderfully bonkers tale for young readers. In a word: imaginative.’
Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin
‘…the storyline is absolutely exquisite…would be enjoyed by anyone who has their mind wide open to childhood fantasies and adventure’
Gold Coast Bulletin
Angus & Robertson
An imprint of
HarperCollins Publishers,
Australia
First published in Australia in 2009
This edition published in 2010
by
HarperCollinsPublishers
Australia Pty Ltd
ABN 36 009 913 517
www.harpercollins.com.au
Copyright © Alexandra Adornetto 2009
The right of Alexandra Adornetto to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the
Copyright Amendment (Moral Rights) Act 2000.
This work is copyright.
Apart from any use as permitted under the
Copyright Act 1968
, no part may be reproduced, copies scanned, stored in a retrieval system, recorded, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
HarperCollins Publishers
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National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
Adornetto, Alexandra.
Vongobstopper’s arcade / author, Alexandra Adornetto.
ISBN: 978 0 7322 8663 7 (hbk.)
ISBN: 978 0 7304 0002 8 (Epub)
Adornetto, Alexandra. Strangest adventures ; bk. 3.
For primary school age.
A823.4
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