Billie Templar desperately wants her dad to come home. He's a soldier and has been away for seven weeks, fighting for 'Queen and country' - but how can the two of them possibly defend their four-year record of winning the three-legged race at the school carnival if he's thousands of miles away?

Then, when one of the other soldiers in Dad's regiment is seriously hurt, the stakes get even higher. Billie needs her dad home, sharpish. There's only one person who can help - Her Majesty. She's in charge of the army, right? She can send Dad home! Billie tries to get inside Buckingham Palace to sort it out, but it's not that easy. So, with the help of shy Sarah and allergy-prone Jake, the school brass band and a motley team of enthusiastic old-age pensioners, Billie hatches a fool-proof plan to get the Queen to her little village instead...

Both laugh-out-loud funny and utterly heart-wrenching, and featuring an unforgettable cast of sweet, crazy characters, Billie's journey will have you laughing and crying in equal measure.

The laugh-out-loud funny, sweet and often sad story of a girl's fight to bring her dad home from the war - with the help of a cast of crazy characters.

About the Author

Ellie was born in Bristol, but raised in a hamlet on the outskirts of Southend-on-Sea by a family of avid readers. So avid, in fact, her mum enrolled her in the local library before she'd even emerged from the womb, which was awkward for all concerned. Ellie's passion for writing stories flourished aged seven, when her parents bought her a Petite Super International typewriter for Christmas, and there was no stopping her.
After studying for a Broadcasting Degree at the University of Leeds, Ellie realised there were too few home makeover shows in the world, and worked on a number of DIY and Garden programmes for UK Style. She then returned to studying and completed an MA in Screenwriting in 2008.
She lives in London.

Awards
Short-listed for Catalyst Book Award 2014 (UK) and Sheffield Children's Book Award 2015 (UK). Long-listed for UKLA Book Award 2015 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9780552563604
Author Ellie Irving
Format Paperback
Page Count 368
Imprint Corgi Childrens
Publisher Penguin Random House Children's UK
Weight(grams) 255g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 22mm