HOUSE
of BOOKS - A & C Black
A & C Black were Terry's first publishers back in 1977 and he is still writing for them 30 years later.
The
A & C Black books
Great
news for Terry's fans. Most of his funny fiction is being re-released
in paperback - up to twenty years after it was written. The "Black
Cats" series is aimed at seven to eleven year olds - or older readers
with a daft sense of humour. Terry is also writing new fiction for
A & C Black. The other titles are listed below .
A & C Black
In Spring 2003 a new fiction series
was published - "Tudor Tales". Thrilling short stories,
set in Tudor times, for younger readers.
The titles are .
THE PRINCE, THE COOK AND THE CUNNING
KING A & C Black - Tudors 2003
THE THIEF, THE FOOL AND THE BIG
FAT KING A & C Black - Tudors 2003
THE MAID, THE WITCH AND THE CRUEL
QUEEN A & C Black - Tudors 2003
THE ACTOR, THE REBEL AND THE WRINKLED
QUEEN A & C Black - Tudors 2003
In October 2004 look out for a new
series of "Egyptian tales", fictional stories with a factual
background, set in Ancient Egypt.
The titles are .
THE GOLD IN THE GRAVE
A tale of grave robbers after the
treasure of Tutankhamen
THE PLOT ON THE PYRAMID
A tale about the pyramid builders
and their cruel boss
THE MAGIC AND THE MUMMY
A tale about a young worker given
the task of mummifying the dead king's cat
THE PHANTOM AND THE FISHERMAN
A tale of a young scribe, his evil
teacher and a haunted house
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Super sample .
From: THE GOLD IN THE GRAVE
The water clock dripped. It
was the second hour of the afternoon and time to go. Time
to carry out the greatest robbery in the history of the world.
At least that was the idea.
If we could rob the tomb of King Tutankhamen then we would
be rich as kings. If we failed then our punishment would be
horrible - so horrible it gave me nightmares.
I remembered big Kerpes telling
me. "If they catch you they'll cut off your nose."
He rubbed his own broken, flat nose. "If you are lucky."
"And if I am unlucky?"
I asked.
"Then the new king Ay
will have you crucified - nailed to the walls of Thebes city.
He will show the world what happens to grave-robbers."
"I don't want to be nailed
to the wall, Kerpes," I whispered.
"Then don't get caught,"
he grunted.
There were four of us in the
room. Four grave robbers. And we had the perfect plot.
They had been burying kings
in Egypt for thousands of years. Burying them with gold and
jewels to spend in the afterlife. And people had been robbing
those kings for thousands of years, to spend the fortunes
in this life. Kings were buried in pyramids to guard
their gold. It didn't work.
No one used pyramids any more.
They were too easy to rob. Now the kings were buried in tombs.
Deep in the rocky cliffs near Thebes. There was only one way
in - and that was guarded.
But Old Antef was the master-thief,
the greatest tomb robber in the world. "I have saved
a lot of money," he said. "Now I am going to risk
it all to win the biggest prize of all. And you are going
to help me." He chuckled and showed his black and yellow
stumps of teeth. We had the perfect plot and now it was time
to begin.
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2007 Update
Terry's latest series, "Greek Tales", is now in the shops and libraries. Look out for these exciting historical tales fro 7 to 11 year olds ...
   
THE BOY WHO CRIED HORSE 2007
THE TORTOISE AND THE DARE 2007
THE TOWN MOUSE AND THE SPARTAN HOUSE 2007
THE LION’S SLAVE 2007
2008 update
Terry will be publishing four "Roman Tales" - see the webside for details.
THE LOST LEGION OF ROME 2008
THE CAPTIVE CELT IN ROME 2008
THE FATAL FIRE OF ROME 2008
THE GRUESOME GHOST OF ROME 2008
 THE
CUSTARD KID
A & C Black - Crackers 1978
A & C Black - Black Cats
re-issued as £4.99 paperback October 2001
Book
1 in the "Custard Kid and Calamity Kate" series
"A
cowboy limped into Deadwood Town. He was as thin as rain water
and the soles of his boots were even thinner ." When the Custard
Kid hits town, all manner of mayhem follows, especially when
he meets the hurricane with red hair and a blue-and-white
checked dress known as Calamity Kate. Both are waiting for
the stagecoach bound for Hollywood, but will either of them
ever get on it? This light-hearted western is full of action
and humour.
Terry
says .
When
I wrote "Custard Kid" I had no idea I'd go on to publish
another 120 books in the UK and 250 worldwide in 29 countries.
"Custard Kid" will always have a warm place in my heart
because it was my first children's book. It is amazing to
think it is still being read 23 years after I wrote it -
and 25 years after I brought Custard to life as a character
in a play.
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 CALAMITY
KATE
A & C Black - Crackers 1980
A & C Black - Black Cats
re-issued as £4.99 paperback October 2001
Book 2 in the "Custard Kid and Calamity Kate" series
"Today's scene," began the director, "begins
when the villain of the story, played by Abel Sourgrape here,
pushes poor Daphne, played by you, into a fast-flowing, crocodile-infested
river …"
Calamity Kate is at large on the set of a Hollywood movie
where she, her friend the Custaerd Kid, Otto Premiere and
the Warmer Sisters all tangle with a series of strange accidents
and corny jokes. Who let a crocodile loose in the swimming
pool? Who wrecked the brakes on the circular saw and who is
the man with the bushy beard?
Terry says …
"Calamity Kate" was NOT the second book I wrote
for children. It was the third. The second was called "The
King of Tarantulus". I sent it to the "Custard
Kid" publisher and they turned it down. I sent it to
other publishers and it was turned down time and again …
and again … and again. When it was rejected for the
73rd time I suddenly realised … This book is rubbish!
I stopped trying to get it published and wrote "Calamity
Kate" as a follow-up to "Custard Kid". It
was accepted first time. And somewhere, buried in my attic,
the "King of Tarantulus" is gathering 20 years
of dust and spiders.
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£4.99
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 GHOST
TOWN
A & C Black - Crackers 1992
A & C Black - Black Cats
re-issued as £4.99 paperback October 2001
Book 3 in the "Custard Kid and Calamity Kate" series
"Ghost Town?" the shabby cowboy gasped. "Nobody
in their right mind would live in Ghost Town." Kate shrugged.
"Sid the Kid does. Nice man. He lets me have the room
in the old saloon for next to nothing."
Sid the Kid is NOT a nice man. He is also dead. Calamity Kate
is singing her way round the bars of the old Wild West, followed
not far behind by the fearsome Big Bart. When Sid the Kid
and Big Bart join forces to rob the mail train Kate's life
is in danger …"
Terry says …
After publishing about twenty books I went back to Custard
and Kate and wrote a book about what happened to them BEFORE
they met in "Custard Kid" - so this could be the
third in the series - or it could be the first! The plot
is one of the trickiest I've ever tried but I think it works
and the tension builds to a wacky climax … I hope!
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£4.99
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 THE
TREASURE OF CRAZY HORSE
A & C Black - Crackers 1990
A & C Black - Black Cats
re-issued as £4.99 paperback October 2001
No one ever bothered the Cactus Kid. Not until I met that
pesky girl. Let me tell you about her. As I recall, it all
began around high noon in the bar-room of the Dirty Shame
Saloon …
That "pesky girl" is Sally Starr. The Cactus Kid
boasts that he is the toughest cowboy in the whole Wild West.
But when he and Sally Starr set out on a treasure hunt across
the Parch desert, it's often Sally's brains that save the
day.
Terry says …
You can tell this book came a long time after the "Custard
Kid books. The characters are much harder and the jokes
a bit nastier - after all, this was written just two years
before I started writing the really nasty Horrible Histories
series. It also gave me a chance to create a really strong
girl character, Sally. She's one of my favourites - but
she'd scare the hell out of me if I met her in real life.
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£4.99
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 THE
JOKE FACTORY
A & C Black - Crackers 1991
A & C Black - Black Cats
re-issued as £4.99 paperback May 2002
Step inside the ring and you will have your every wish!
When Sharon's dad doers as the genie says and steps inside
the ring, he disappears in a dazzling flash. Sharon and her
mum want him back, but first they have to find him.
Terry says …
Writers have almost no control over where their books are
sold, It's always great to have foreign translations of
your books - even though you don't understand a word. But
writers don't usually have much contact with foreign sales.
So imagine the shock I got when I discovered "The Joke
Factory" sold 40,000 copies in Italy. Even a best-selling
Horrible Histories title only sells 50,000 a year in the
UK. Why is "Joke Factory" such a hit in Italy?
I haven't a clue.
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£4.99
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 THE
WISHING WELL GHOST
A & C Black - Crackers 1983
A & C Black - Black Cats
re-issued as £4.99 paperback May 2002
Billy swung round. The sound had come from behind him - from
the opposite corner of the garden. But it couldn't have done
… there was nothing there!
When Billy decides to investigate the well in the garden he
makes a new friend with extraordinary powers. But will she
be able to outwit the evil Quintus Quigley?
Terry says …
I was teaching Drama when I wrote this book. The only time
I had for writing was during school holidays. So I wrote
very quickly. I remember this book took me about two days
to write. I've met writers who say they've taken 12 years
to write a book. I usually take a month to do a Horrible
Histories title. But "Wishing Well Ghost" is close
to my favourite. And I wrote it with very little idea how
it would finish. I thought it was a great title … but
hadn't a clue what the story was about. I just started writing
it one morning and finished it the next day. I wish everything
in life were that easy.
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£4.99
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 A
WITCH IN TIME
A & C Black - Comets 1986
A & C Black - Black Cats
re-issued as £4.99 paperback May 2002
Ellie sank onto the altar steps. She wrapped her thin arms
around the black book. "Perhaps they're right, then,"
she whispered. "Perhaps I really am a witch!"
Ellie and Sharon meet in the old church. Sharon is hiding
the school bullies, but Ellie is hiding from a witchcraft
trial - a trial from hundreds of years ago …
Terry says …
Fans always ask, "What's your favourite book that you
wrote?" And I used to say "A Witch in Time."
But then the book went out of print for a long time so there
was no point in telling people "Witch" was my
favourite book - but they couldn't read it! Now it's back
in print I am thrilled. Of course, back in 1986 I knew very
little about history because I am not an historian. So I
made a glaring error in this story. Ellie who lives in an
English village is threatened with being burned as a witch.
What I NOW know is that the English did NOT burn witches,
they hanged them. They only burned them in Scotland and
in Europe. Never mind - I still love the book to bits.
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£4.99
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THE
GHOSTS OF BATWING CASTLE
A
& C Black - Crackers 1988
A & C Black - Black Cats
re-issued as £4.99 paperback May 2002
"This is it! Batwing Castle. And the treasure can only
be found once every ten years or so, when the full moon falls
on Friday the thirteenth," he said softly. "That's
tonight."
Molly and Wilkin T Wilkins are both after the treasure, but
can they escape being caught forever in the time trap?
Terry says …
I knew I wanted to write a ghost story about a cowardly
ghost. And I knew one of the ghost hunters would be a really
rich, posh, snobbish evil kid (cos I hate rich, posh snobbish
kids!) But I didn't have a name for the castle. I asked
my daughter what the castle should be called and she said,
"Batwing". Not bad, considering she was just three
years old at the time! Of course she is now over twenty
and at university. She's forgotten that she gave me that
great title. Please don't remind her or she'll want paying!!!
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£4.99
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THE
LAMBTON WORM
A & C Black - Crackers 1981
Out of print - try your local library for an old copy.
A Humorous re-telling of old Durham legend.
Terry says …
My third book, but not my best book so I'm not too unhappy
that it's out of print. Sometimes writers get too clever
for their own good. In "Lambton Worm I was trying to
paint wonderful pictures with words (pause while I vomit
at the thought) and as a result the plot dragged a bit.
Still, it sold in the USA. Goodness knows what they made
of it.
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Out
of print
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THE
WINDMILL OF NOWHERE
A & C Black - Crackers 1984
Out of print - try your local library for an old copy.
A comedy adventure for junior children
Terry says …
After 17 years I can still remember the "poetic"
opening lines. "Nobody lived in Nowhere. There was
no place left to live. Only the empty Nowhere Inn. Deserted,
nobody in." Definitely over the top. After a couple
of pages the story settles down to a funny adventure but
the editors should never have let me get away with that
opening page.
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Out
of print
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THE
DREAM SELLER
A & C Black - Comets 1988
Out of print - try your local library for an old copy.
An adventure for Junior children
Terry says …
A very clever book. It's an adventure story but with a strong
"theme" about how people can become addicted to
a pleasure; the people who control the pleasure can then
control the lives of the addicts. In this case the characters
become addicted to television - do you know anyone like
that??? Interesting idea. Maybe I'll offer it for publication
somewhere else.
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Out
of print
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The
story behind the books
These
were Terry Deary's first books. In 1975 he became a professional
actor, and part of his job was performing plays in schools.
The plays the theatre company had to perform were pretty poor
- well, rubbish really! So they started writing their own.
terry seemed to have a knack for scripting them so the other
actors let him get on with it.
But, after a successful tour of "The Custard Kid"
the costumes were packed away and the stories disappeared.
Terry wanted Custard to "live on" a bit longer so
he turned the play into a book and sent it off to publishers.
Publishers sadly failed to see his talent and 23 turned it
down. The 24th accepted and "The Custard Kid" became
his first book!
These hardback books sold slowly in schools and libraries
over the years. But the great news is they are being released
again in paperback after more than 20 years! But the age doesn't
matter - - the jokes were already a thousand years old when
Terry wrote the books! The stories are as much fun as ever.
Aged 7 - 11? Give them a go.
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Super
sample:
From "The Treasure of Crazy Horse"
| Chapter
1 - The Cactus kid
My
name is Cactus … the cactus Kid, they call me round
these parts. And I'm the toughest cowboy in the wild,
wild west.
Just like my old Dad. Why, he was so tough, he used
to chew the heads off rattlesnakes, just for fun. Then
one day he chewed the wrong end; the angry snake turned
round and bit him.
Poor old Dad!
So, Ma was left to bring me up. She worked sixteen hours
a day as the town blacksmith. In her spare time she
made a few extra dollars in "The Dirty Shame saloon".
She would wrestle grizzly bears to entertain the customers.
One night she was beating the hide off an old grizzly
when the bear cheated; it drew a gun and shot her.
Poor old Ma.
So I became an orphan at the tender age of ten. I grew
up tough and I grew up angry. I had the prickliest temper
in town: that's why they used to call me cactus. And
the name sort of stuck … like one of Ma's flapjacks
in the pan. She never could cook. Poor old Ma!
I learned to draw a gun faster than the beat of a bluebird's
wing, to shoot straighter than a sunbeam and to stick
to the back of a horse tighter than a flea with teeth.
By the time I was thirteen, I was feared in sad Gulch
Town more than a black-widow spider.
No one ever bothered the Cactus Kid. Not until I met
that pesky girl. Let me tell you about her.
As I recall, it all began around high noon in the bar-room
of The Dirty Shame Saloon …
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Did
you know …
When Terry's theatre company performed "Custard Kid"
in a small Welsh village school there were infants as young
as 5 in the audience - even though it was written for 7+.
The children sat on the brightly polished floor of the school
hall to watch.
One little 5 year-old girl was really excited by the play.
Soon a large puddle appeared on the floor under the girl.
She was so excited she'd wet herself!
Terry and the actors just carried on … and acted around
the pool of pee.
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Hot
Off The Press
Terry's first new children's fiction for A & C Black in
almost 10 years! Using his knowledge of history that he got
from writing non-fiction, he has created a new and scary look
at the story of the Christians who were thrown to the lions
in Rome.
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 THE
LION'S DEN
A & C Black - Black Cats
Hardback
May 2002 £8.99
Paperback October 2002 £4.99
"Dear Uncle Paul, Today I'm going to be eaten by a lion.
They tell me it will be quick …"
Agnes and her fellow Christians sit in their cell, waiting
to be thrown to the lions. Cass, the young trainee lion-keeper
is in charge today. Little does he know what a complicated
day it is going to be …
Terry says …
Thanks to Horrible Histories I am known as a non-fiction
author. In fact it's far more enjoyable writing fiction.
So "The Lion's den" is a chance for me to keep
my history fans happy and, at the same time, keep myself
happy by writing it in story form. The background to the
story, Christians eaten by lions in the Colosseum, was very
carefully researched and some of the characters are based
on real people. Hopefully readers will get the best of both
worlds - fascinating facts and a terrific tale. And, hopefully,
it could lead to a new career for me writing historical
fiction for juniors.
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£8.99
Hardback
£4.99
Paperback
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Super
sample:
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Miriam
sat in the corner of the cell. She was old enough to
be Agnes's mother. Her waving hair was long and tangled
and wild as a thorn bush.
She sat next to old Balbus (who was old enough to be
Agnes's grandfather), a man with eyes as pale as water
and white-feather hair. Miriam took a scrap of paper
from the old man's trembling hands and her eager eyes
raced across the words.
"What is it?" Agnes asked.
"It's a miracle! It's the work of brother Balbus
here!" Miriam told her.
"But what is it?" Miriam asked. "An escape
plan?"
"No! It's a hymn!"
"Him? Who's him?"
"Brother Balbus's hymn, a hymn of praise! Brother
Balbus wants us to learn it and sing it when we go out
to face the lions. We will march out, heads held high
and happy! Show the people we aren't afraid to die!"
the woman went on excitedly.
"But I am afraid to die!" Agnes said quietly.
"This will give you courage," Miriam told
her, waving the paper. "Look. Let's practise together."
Miriam's strong but tuneless voice rang out like a bell
struck against the cool, damp walls of the cell. Agnes
joined in with a softer, trembling tone while Balbus
warbled to a different tune altogether …
All
things bright and wonderful,
All creatures like the lion.
All things cruel and terrible
We ain't afraid of dyin'
But
if you're listening, lion,
We have a nice suggestion,
Don't you eat us Christians
Or you'll get indigestion!
All
things bright and wonderful,
We are your daily bread.
But if you eat us Christians
You won't get into Heaven when you're dead.
By
Balbus the Brave
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Miriam
sighed. "Oh, brother Balbus, what a great Christian,
you are."
"A great Christian," Agnes echoed.
Miriam went on, "Oh, brother Balbus, what a great
man you are!"
"A great man!"
"Oh, brother Balbus, what a great scholar you are!"
"A great scholar … but a rotten poet,"
Agnes shrugged.
Miriam glared at her, "That's unkind, sister Agnes.
You should not be preparing yourself for Heaven by being
so unkind."
Miriam shook her head. "I just meant, it sounds
to me as if brother Balbus doesn't want to die! You
want the lion to eat us, sister Miriam … Balbus's
hymn says he doesn't. Who am I supposed to believe?"
Miriam turned to the old man and shook the paper under
his nose, "You … want … the … lion
… to… eat … us?" she shouted.
Balbus showed pink gums in a toothless smile. "I'm
not lying?"
"Not lying … lion!" Miriam shouted.
"Dying? Yes lion dying to eat us!" Balbus
nodded.
Miriam sighed. "Deaf as a duck's toe-nail!"
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Did
You Know?
