The Monstrous Child

by Francesca Simon

  Francesca Simon is universally known for the staggeringly popular Horrid Henry series. These books and CDs have sold over 20 million copies in the UK alone and are published in 27 countries. Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman won the Children’s Book of the the Year award in 2008. She has also published two middle-grade novels: The Lost Gods and The Sleeping Army. Francesca lives in London with her family. This is her first teen novel.

  Olivia Lomenech Gill lives and works in Northumberland. Originally trained in theatre, Olivia has worked as a professional artist for over a decade. As a printmaker Olivia has won several awards and her work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy. She was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal for her work on Where My Wellies Take Me by Michael Morpurgo, which was her first book illustration project.

  The Lost Gods

  The Sleeping Army

  THE HORRID HENRY SERIES

  Higgledy Piggledy the Hen Who Loved to Dance

  Helping Hercules

  Papa Forgot

  Do You Speak English, Moon?

  Hugo and the Bullyfrogs

  Three Cheers for Ostrich

  What’s That Noise?

  Don’t Wake the Baby

  Spider School

  The Topsy Turvies

  The Haunted House of Buffin Street

  Moo Baa Baa Quack

  Don’t Cook Cinderella

  First published in this edition in 2016

  by Faber & Faber Limited

  Bloomsbury House,

  74–77 Great Russell Street,

  London WC1B 3DA

  and

  Profile Books

  3 Holford Yard, Bevin Way,

  London WC1X 9HD

  This ebook edition first published in 2016

  All rights reserved

  Text © Francesca Simon, 2016

  Design by Faber

  Illustrations © Olivia Lomenech Gill, 2016

  Fire and Ice on p.284 from The Poetry of Robert Frost © Robert Frost

  Published by Jonathan Cape

  Reprinted by permission of The Random House Group Limited

  The right of Francesca Simon to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly

  978–0–571–33028–7