“There are some things that it’s OK to believe in, and others that it’s not.”

11-year-old James Price is an ordinary boy in an ordinary life, stuck in a boring bubble of school, soppy parents and soap operas. But everything changes when James meets the legendary, mischievous Spring-Heeled Jack – a sinister little man with an unnerving smile who can jump rooftops and vanish into the wind – and Emma the school ghost.

James soon finds himself introduced to the Otherworld, where the Invisible Emporium is the centre of activity and supernatural characters are part of everyday life. Begged by Emma to help her ‘cross over’, James begins a series of missions to find the pieces of the mysterious Thurageena Gate – a way to open a portal to the afterlife.

But an evil spectre is out to stop them, James’s parents and teachers are worried about him and a real girl is starting to show an interest. As events unfold, James begins to see that his new spooky friends might not be all they seem...

Spring-Heeled James is part of the ‘Our Weird World’ series of surprising, suspenseful and strange stories for middle grade readers - children aged 8-12. You can read the series in any order. A kind of ‘Stranger Things’ for kids, these books mix real-world problems with paranormal themes and will appeal to fans of Harry Potter, Story Thieves, Keeper Of The Lost Cities and The Dark Is Rising, as well as authors like Ross Wexford, Ross Montgomery and B.B. Alston.

And all books completely A.I. free!

“The ghastly Mrs Springfield slowly wriggled a gnarly dead hand towards Jack’s shirt as he tried to writhe out of the way. ‘For god’s sake!’ Jack breathed through gritted teeth. ‘Get out of here!’ James turned, scampered across the grass and hurdled the rose bushes.”