The Orchard Underground
A monster. A mystery. An explosive secret …
‘Then there is the answer to your question. Who would make an ordinary thing if you could make a magical one?’
Not-quite twelve year-old Pri Kohli knows the town of Dunn’s Orchard better than anyone. After all, he was the first kid ever to live there. He knows its mysteries (none), its secrets (also none) and the best ways to have fun in it (climb a big tree and sit there).
So why can’t he answer newcomer Attica Stone’s simple question: if the town’s called Dunn’s Orchard, where’s the orchard?
As Pri and Attica go in search of forbidden fruit, they uncover stranger mysteries: a robot caterpillar, a mayor with a murky past, a Possibly Real Actual Boogeyman and a house made of doors in a haunted wood.
And behind them all, deep underground, they find the biggest mystery of all — a secret so precious Pri will consider demolishing his own town to protect it.
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2019 READINGS CHILDREN’S BOOK PRIZE. YAY!
“Smart, mysterious and funny. This book will make you think, make you laugh, and keep you guessing”
“A brilliant mystery that will keep you guessing — fast-paced, utterly surprising in its plot, lush in its descriptions and packed with characters so real they step off the page”
“Fresh and funny, bursting with interesting characters”
“I loved every big weirdo in this magical, unpredictable and wondrous adventure!”
“Funny and intriguing … clever yet subtle … Larkin’s rich use of language will reward intelligent readers, but flows so smoothly it will also be accessible for those less confident”
The Orchard Underground was edited by Marisa Pintado and Luna Soo.
Design by Pooja Desai, cover illustration by Marco Guadalupi.