Books and other works
Operation Eiffel Tower
Lauren, Jack, Ruby and Billy live by the seaside with their mum and dad. But their parents are always arguing, and one day their dad moves out. Lauren and Jack are desperate to get their mum and dad back together and hatch a plan to do just that. Let Operation Eiffel Tower commence!
Read a sample chapter.
Marilyn Brocklehurst, The Bookseller Magazine:
Operation Eiffel Tower is so humorous, touching and well-written that it deserves special praise...Perfect for Jacqueline Wilson fans.
Jane Sandell, The Scotsman:
Elen Caldecott has written a light and funny story without trivialising or sensationalising a difficult subject. She avoids merely tackling an issue and instead has produced a very readable and warm story.
Extras...
How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini
How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini is a funny and moving story about three children making friends and working out their problems, while solving a mysterious case of missing mammals.
Ali Ferguson has just moved into Lever Tower with his mum. It’s not long before he meets Caitlin and the Alsatian dog she looks after, Falcon, who doesn’t take too kindly to being walked on a lead. Caitlin introduces Ali to her best friend, Gez, and together the three set out to discover, firstly, why the foxes have disappeared from the area, secondly, why the owls have appeared and, thirdly, why Miss Osborne has, it seems, vanished . . . And how exactly her disappearance is related to the previous two.
How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini was shortlisted for the Leeds Book Awards and the Galaxy Bedfordshire Book of the Year.
The audio book is available from W F Howes.
Bookseller Magazine:
A funny, quirky adventure. Caldecott's characters are really engaging and she has a great ear for believable dialogue.
Financial Times
Kid-sleuth adventure set unflinchingly in contemporary Britain. The book manages to be fun and serious at the same time.
Extras...
When you write a story, the first version you write is not going to be the final version that makes it into the book. Lots of sentences get re-written to make them as good as they can be. Sometimes, even whole scenes or chapters get cut to make the story flow better. That’s exactly what happened with How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini. But, I quite like some of the scenes that got cut, so I’m sharing them with you here.
Deleted scenes:
As an added extra, here is some fantastic footage of animals close to my heart. I didn't film this, but I wish I had! It was made by Lucy Cooke.
How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant
Kirsty Jenkins adores the allotment her grandfather lovingly tends and, just before he dies, promises that she will look after it for him. Then horrible Mr Thomas from the council insists that it must go to the next person on the waiting-list. Kirsty is determined to keep her promise - whatever it takes. A warm and funny story about marrows, peas, families (aargh!) and one very special elephant.
Read Kirsty's blog at: www.kirstyjenkins.blogspot.com.
How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant was shortlisted for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2009. It was also longlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
The audio book version is available from W F Howes.
Nicolette Jones, Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week:
Its ingenious ideas, humour and clear, unfussy style keep the pages turning speedily to the feel-good conclusion.
Stephanie Merritt, The Observer
This is a funny, lively and touching book, with a very English humour and written in a smart, witty style that will appeal to pre-teens (marrows taste like "dinosaur-skin wrapped around snot"). Caldecott has created a thoroughly modern heroine in Kirsty Jenkins.
Extras...
When you write a story, the first version you write is not going to be the final version that makes it into the book. Lots of sentences get re-written to make them as good as they can be. Sometimes, even whole scenes or chapters get cut to make the story flow better. That’s exactly what happened with How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant. But, I quite like some of the scenes that got cut, so I’m sharing them with you here.
Deleted scenes:
Also check out this FANTASTIC TRAILER for the book, made by pupils as part of the Heart of Hawick Book Prize. What talented young people!