The Bookshop at the Back of Beyond

Adventurous, magical and brilliantly funny next book in the House at the Edge of Magic series.

Nine and her friends have cured the house's hiccups and are off to the strange and utterly unpredictable Back of Beyond in search of Professor Dish – Spoon's best friend and partner in all things alchemy.

When they find Dish trapped by the greedy witch Ophidia in the basement of a particularly marvellous shop, it soon becomes clear they're going to need something more than Flabberghast's dicey magic and Nine's quick thinking to triumph this time. What they really need is a rather clever witch – one particularly good at curses...

A new instalment in the brilliantly funny, magical and commercial series for readers age 8+.

Review

A fabulously funny book - I loved it! Prepare to be whisked away on an adventure bursting with magical surprises, dark secrets and strawberry tea... -- Lucy Strange ― author of Our Castle by the Sea

Magically mischievous and sparkling with wit and charm, The Bookshop at the Back of the Beyond is an enchanting and delightful read. I absolutely adored it! -- Jo Clarke ― author of Libby and the Parisian Puzzle

Featured in the Bookseller children's previews for January 2023 ― The Bookseller

Like Terry Pratchett or Diana Wynne Jones, Amy Sparkes has a powerfully wicked imagination; the story infused with wit, sarcasm, playfulness and characters that are threatening and shambolic while also being strangely endearing. ― Chris Soul

Amy Sparkes writes with such humour and warmth, she creates the most brilliant characters. ― Armadillo Magazine

About the Author

Amy Sparkes studied English Literature and Theology at the University of Kent, and began writing after moving to Devon with her husband, six young children and an overactive imagination. Her books have appeared on CBeebies storytime and been shortlisted for several book awards, including the Roald Dahl Funny Prize and the BookTrust Best Books Awards for Do Not Enter the Monster Zoo. She runs author events for children, writing workshops for aspiring children’s writers, produces the Writing for Children pages for bestselling Writing Magazine, and writes short stories for Aquila magazine. She co-founded the Writing Magazine Picture Book Prize for aspiring picture book authors.