The Travelling Restaurant (vol. 1)
The Queen and the Nobody Boy (vol. 2)
The Volume of Possible Endings (vol. 3)
The Knot Impossible (vol. 4) 
by Barbara Else
The Travelling Restaurant
In the reign of Lady Gall (Provisional Monarch of Fontania), the word ‘magic’ is forbidden... When 12 year old Jasper Ludlow’s parents flee the city, he gets left behind and finds refuge on The Travelling Restaurant, a sailing ship captained by old Dr Rocket and crewed by feisty Polly. Jasper faces challenges, adventures, storms and hungry pirates. Should he go in search of his parents, or his lost baby sister? Who should he trust? And why is Lady Gall hunting him?
- New Zealand IBBY Honour Book for Writing 2012
- NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2012, Junior finalist
- Storylines Notable Book 2012
- White Raven Award 2012
- LIANZA Esther Glen Award 2012
One of the most enchanting books that I have read for a long time… I just absolutely loved it. – Kate De Goldi
A heaping plateful of adventure, spiced to perfection with dangers, deft humor and silly bits. – Starred Kirkus review
Gecko Press | 304 pp | April 2011 |11 +
Rights sold: Dutch, French
The Queen and the Nobody Boy
Hodie is the unpaid odd-job boy at the Grand Palace in the Kingdom of Fontania. Fed-up, he decides to leave and better himself. The young Queen, 12-year-old Sibilla, is fed-up too, because of gossip about her lack of magical ability. She decides to run away with Hodie, whether he likes it or not. An adventure story about greed, rebellion, and finding allies in the most unlikely places.
- Storylines Notable Book 2013
- Junior Fiction Honour Award, NZ Post Children’s Book Awards 2013
- Junior Fiction Finalist, LIANZA Children’s Book Awards 2013
Else makes the book into something that you just can’t tear yourself away from! – The Guardian
Gecko Press | 326 pp | Sept 2012 | 11+
The Volume of Possible Endings
Dorrity is the only child in magic-free Owl Town. When she finds an enchanted book with dire predictions, she must face her enemies. And who is the strange boy who has appeared in the Beastly Dark?
This stand-alone pre-teen adventure/fantasy novel is third book in the ‘Tale of Fontania’ series of novels. Filled with humour, action, adventure, and magic, this is a truly gripping read featuring a large and memorable cast of characters.