Jade blinked. It was only for a fraction of a second but she could have sworn the the house had changed shape.

It's quite simple, they poisoned it with smoke, chemicals and pollution from factories and cars, and power stations. Silly humans knew what they were doing, but carried on poisoning the planet anyway.

Two is the beginning of the end.

I don't believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.

Okay, okay, okay … go to your corners, boys. This is a nice Aubusson carpet you’re standing on. You get blood on it and I’ll have Fritz so far up my ass I’ll be coughing on his hankie.

Anything can become a children's book if you give it to a child...Children are actually the best (and worst) audience for literature because they have no patience with pretence.