The Midnight Carnival

Winner of the Waverton Good Read Children's Prize 2014!

A bearded ballerina, a young contortionist and a troupe of creepy clowns ...



It's the end of summer when a weird carnival rolls into town. Grace and her five magic friends make the most of it. But the gaudy lights and colours hide a dark secret. And when the girls are driven apart by doubts – and a wicked enchantment – they start keeping secrets too... As the most powerful evil they've ever encountered closes in, can they still trust each other with their lives?

'McGann's debut is funny, a bit scary and surprisingly realistic... Preteens will enjoy the easy read, identify with the characters and ask for more' Kirkus Reviews on The Demon Notebook

McGann has created a satisfying, entertaining page turner... the castles, dungeons, fairy creatures and magical wizardry match pretty much anything you'd come across in Hogwarts' booksforkeeps.co.uk on The Watching Wood



if you are looking for a quirky, exciting read with six strong female characters at the centre, then look no further



the interplay between the girls is the strength of the story, and the dialogue alternates between panic and hilarity



an amazing book



with loads of twists and turns in it, I just couldn't predict what was going to happen next



this magical fantasy really drew me in, with believable characters and a mystery that I wanted to solve. Well-written and totally engrossing



will have readers … under its spell