Tom Vaughan – författare

'A hilarious adventure with heart for fans of TheWorst Holiday Ever and Gangsta Granny featuringa gorgeous intergenerational relationship between a boy and hisgranddad ... Brought to life with fabulous illustrations throughout- this package will delight readers' LoveReading4KidsOne boy's mission to take down a team of super-villains... with the help of his boring, dishcloth-selling grandad? When Jesse's grandad wins tickets to a retirement cruiseand offers to bring Jesse along, Jesse is not exactlythrilled. A boat load of old age pensioners?! No thanks.Not to mention that he's pretty sure his parents are goingto be talking about a D.I.V.O.R.C.E. while he'ssafely out of the way.But from the moment the pair arrive on the cruise ship, it's adifferent story. Mysterious cat burglars, crime lords andsmugglers all seem to be on board ... and odder than that,Gramps knows them all! When an attempted murderoccurs, Jesse decides it's time to find out what they're hiding,and catch the villain responsible.But Gramps might be hiding the biggest secret of all... can Jesse unravel the mystery, before time runs out? A hilarious adventure with heart for fans of TheWorst Holiday Ever and Gangsta GrannyFeaturing a gorgeous intergenerational relationship betweena boy and his grandad, who is determined to reconnectwith his family before illness intervenesBrought to life with fabulous illustrations throughout - thispackage will delight readers.

Featured in The Sunday Times' best children's booksinspired by Greek myths.Hercules Braver has a secret: he's a real-life demigod!So, why does he seem so... ordinary?Most children of Zeus have some kind of superskill - like bravery,warrior skills or healing powers. Well, thanks to a wild boar(long story), Herc and his friends are off on a school trip toGreece. He's bound to discover his gift there - and even meet moreof the gods!But after ending up neck-deep in horse poo, almost falling downa mountain and facing a fierce flock of ravens, this trip feelsmore like an epic voyage...What's really going on with the mysterious gods, Athena, Apolloand Ares? And will Hercules discover what makes him special? Following up on Hercules: the Diary of a (Sort of)Hero, this is a hilarious, accessible package brilliantlyillustrated by David O'Connell.Ideal for fans of Louie Stowell's Loki, Maz Evans, Marvel'sThor films and Disney's Hercules.Hercules Braver's adventures in this book are looselybased on the next three Labours of Hercules, ideal for all youngfans of Greek mythology!Heartfelt exploration of friendship, secret strugglesand discovering your strengths and talents, even if they're unexpected.Book 1 was a Waterstones Children's Book of the Month  Praise for the first Hercules book"With a generous smattering of Greek mythology, this laugh-out-loudtale explores the nature of friendship, love and loyaltywith a perfect mix of humour and tenderness." BookTrust"A brilliant, accessible and VERY funny book" -Jen Carney, author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G.

Featured in The Sunday Times' best children's booksinspired by Greek myths.If Hercules Braver is going to survive his new secondaryschool, he has to live up to his name, fast. He needs to become strongand tanned and popular, like a Greek hero. Not weak and paleand unpopular, like a Greek yoghurt.But his bid for popularity ends up saddling him with a set ofimpossible tasks ... like cleaning out the monster-riddled schoolpond, facing up to the school bully and finding the headmaster'smissing cat.Then Herc's charming, impressive birth dad turns up after yearsliving in Greece, and Hercules thinks his problems are solved.With God-like strength and awe-inspiring powers, could his dad evenbe ... the real Zeus?!And will Hercules learn what it truly means to be a hero? A hilarious, accessible package brilliantlyillustrated by David O'Connell. Ideal for fans of Louie Stowell'sLoki, Maz Evans, Marvel's Thor films andDisney Hercules.Hercules Braver's are loosely based on the first threeLabours of Hercules, ideal for all young fans of Greek mythology!Warm-hearted representation of blended families and alternatefather figures.    Praise for the first Hercules book"With a generous smattering of Greek mythology, this laugh-out-loudtale explores the nature of friendship, love and loyaltywith a perfect mix of humour and tenderness." BookTrust"A brilliant, accessible and VERY funny book" -Jen Carney, author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G.

Featured in The Sunday Times' best children's booksinspired by Greek myths.Hercules Bravermay seem like a regular kid, but he is (secretly) a Greek hero...His birth dad is Zeus himself! So, Herc's life will no doubt befilled with GLORY. But what about FORTUNE?It's the school holidays and Herc has so many plans... sailinga yacht, going on a cruise, and generally touring the world slayingmonsters. But Mum tells him they're struggling to make ends meet,and the best she can manage is to send him to Young Explorerscamp with his friend Pav. DISASTER!How can Herc make money? Invent something amazing? Win the lottery?Become a tech billionaire? He's on the case with Pav, Hattyand Natthew. But their schemes take them to some unexpected places...especially when vengeful Zeus finds out that Hercules and Mummight reveal his secret existence! Soon, Herc is facing the pranks of trickster god Hermes, raftingdown a treacherous river, and dressing up as a donkey... Can heget his hands on the fortune he craves, or will he find that trueriches lie in unexpected places? And can he and Mum finally getone over on the Greek Gods...? The third instalment in the bestselling series, thisis a hilarious, accessible package brilliantly illustrated by DavidO'Connell. Ideal for fans of Louie Stowell's Loki, MazEvans, Marvel's Thor films and Disney's Hercules.Hercules Braver's adventures in this book are looselybased on the next three Labours of Hercules, ideal for all youngfans of Greek mythology!Heartfelt exploration Herc's relationship with his mum,heroines of Greek mythology, and what true riches might be.  Praise for the first Hercules book"With a generous smattering of Greek mythology, this laugh-out-loudtale explores the nature of friendship, love and loyaltywith a perfect mix of humour and tenderness." BookTrust"A brilliant, accessible and VERY funny book" -Jen Carney, author of The Accidental Diary of B.U.G.

Featured in The Sunday Times' best children's booksinspired by Greek myths.Hercules Braver,modern-day son of Zeus, is about to face his BIGGEST challenge yet...A legendary Greek monster has escaped from the underworld!Hercules is ready to start a new school year as the BEST demigodwhen, to his surprise, his cousin Theseus suddenly comes to stayfrom Greece. Theseus, son of Poseidon, is a young demigod justlike Hercules. But right as Herc was (finally) preparing to be aheroically good role model, infuriating Theseus causes TROUBLE atevery turn! But soon the boys are forced to work together - because Zeus hasbeen so focused on writing a book that he's lost control of thecosmos... and now the universe is in jeopardy. One of the mostterrifying monsters in Greek myth has hatched an escape from theunderworld! With their dads pre-occupied, it's up to Herc and Theoto track down and stop the Minotaur. No doubt about it, this is Herc's most high-stakes adventure yet.Will the boys become monster-slaying heroes like their namesakes?Or will they learn that myths might not have the full story? The fourth epic adventure in the series is bigger and bolderthan ever, with a mega monster and a new demigod - brilliantlyillustrated throughout by David O'ConnellDue to the curriculum, the Minotaur is one of the most familiarGreek characters to kids, and this book wraps up the modern twistson the Twelve Labours of Hercules, featuring another legendarycharacter, CerberusAlongside humour, Tom Vaugham explores themes of bravery, 'goodness',unlikely friendship and blended families

How did life begin? How does it end? What happens to those qualities that make each of us alive as individuals after the bodies they animated die and disappear? Taking inspiration from Sir David Attenborough's maxim 'Nature wastes nothing' and drawing on the wisdom of commentators as varied as NASA astronauts, the Dalai Lama, existential philosophers, a couple of prescient teenagers and even an engagingly 'human' gorilla - Hope . . . and the Hedgehog distils the thinking behind the principal interpretations of creation, before presenting them to the reader in an easily digestible summary. This is not a religious book and nor does it extol religion - rather it offers the same kind of assurance Bear Grylls presents to his readers. In the same way, it helps unpick the enduring puzzle that prompted Steve Jobs, creator and co-founder of Apple, to enigmatically describe death as 'Very likely the single best invention of life.' Which reinforces the importance of hope addressed here.