In the reign of Lady Gall (Provisional Monarch of Fontania), the word magic is forbidden...When 12 year old Jasper Ludlow's parents flee the city, he gets left behind. He finds refuge on The Travelling Restaurant, a sailing ship captained by old Dr Rocket and crewed by feisty Polly. Where is Jasper's baby sister? He journeys across seas and rivers, and faces whirlpools, storms and hungry pirates to find her. Who should he trust - his unreliable uncle, the mysterious journalist in black, or the gutsy, flute-playing orphan? Why did his parents abandon him? Who is the true monarch? Why is Lady Gall hunting him?

"Barbara Else has created a rich world, peopled with slightly flawed but lovable characters. The plot crackles, underwritten with a quiet humour." Julia Marshall, Publisher

About the Author
Barbara Else is the author of numerous bestselling adult novels and books for children, and has edited a number of collections of stories for children, as well as an anthology in which top New Zealand writers talk about grandparenthood. With her husband, writer Chris Else, Barbara runs TFS, a Wellington-based literary agency and assessment service. See more at www.elseware.co.nz or follow her blog at www.TalesofFontania.com. The New Zealand Herald reviewer, commenting on the 'quieter, deeper' humour in Barbra's writing, said it is 'found in her dark, sardonic point of skew, in her quirky, wry vignettes that are a fond satire of modern middle class life and those who live it ...' Her first novel, The Warrior Queen, was shortlisted for the Montana New Zealand Book Awards. Her children's fiction has won a host of awards, including a 2012 White Raven Award and the 2012 NZ IBBY for The Travelling Restaurant. She was the Victoria University of Wellington Writer in Residence for 1999, received a Creative New Zealand Scholarship in Letters in 2004, and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to literature in 2005.

Reviews

"Just an enchantment...this is one of the best fantasy books I've read in several years and certainly the best New Zealand fantasy book in a long time..."

-- National Radio New Zealand

"The Traveling Restaurant was both exciting and funny. This mid-grade reacher is sure to be a favourite at any family's read-aloud story time."

-- Netgalley

"Blending humor, suspense, and poignancy, this absorbing fantasy-adventure features an engaging, everyday protagonist who discovers courage, resourcefulness, and confidence in the face of familiar and fantastical events."

-- Booklist (US)


Awards
Winner of New Zealand Honour Award for Writing 2012 (Switzerland) and White Raven Award 2012 (Germany) and Honour Award 2012 (New Zealand) and Esther Glen Junior Fiction Award 2012 (New Zealand). Joint winner of Notable Junior Fiction 2012 (New Zealand).



Book Information
ISBN 9781877467776
Author Barbara Else
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Gecko Press
Publisher Gecko Press