THE TROUBLE WITH THE TWO-HEADED HYDRA

Miss Mary-Kate Martin might be anxious, but she's not scared of monsters. Travelling the globe with her famous archaeologist mother, Mary-Kate helps solve legendary problems in this fun fantasy adventure suitable for fans of the Travelling Bookshop or the Magnolia Moon series.

Mary-Kate and her mother are visiting Galinios, an idyllic Greek Island filled with history and surrounded by the shimmering Aegean Sea. An ancient mosaic has been unearthed at the local sardine processing plant and Professor Martin must investigate, leaving Mary-Kate to enjoy a few days of sunshine and antiquity. But a message asking for help changes everything. A wrecked boat and smashed jetty have recently disrupted life on this tranquil island and point to a monster-sized mystery. Could the local legend of the Two-Headed Hydra be more than a story? If so, what could make this historically serene sea creature so angry? Armed with her glitter pens and strawberry-scented notebook, Miss Mary-Kate Martin is determined to find answers. She might be scared of heights, but there is no problem too big for her to solve. With her usual creative coping mechanisms and the help of a young local guide and new (lovable) friend Nicos, Mary-Kate is determined to discover the truth. Karen Foxlee writes for both kids and young adults. Her first novel The Anatomy of Wings won numerous awards including the Dobbie Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Book.Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, Karen's first novel for children, was published internationally to much acclaim. A Most Magical Girl, Karen's second novel for younger readers, won the Readings Children's Fiction Prize in 2017 and was CBCA shortlisted the same year. Lenny's Book of Everything, which was also internationally successful, won multiple awards including the NSW Premier's Literary Award, the Indies Book Award, the Queensland Literary Award, was a CBCA Honour Book and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Dragon Skin was published in October 2021 and is currently short-listed for the Children's Book of the Year, Indie Book Awards. Karen lives in Queensland. Freda Chiu is an author and illustrator from Sydney. As well as illustrating children's books, her work spans comics, editorial and retail graphics. Outside her art practice, Freda lectures in Illustration at the University of Technology Sydney. Her books include A Trip to the Hospital.