Isla Bousfield-Donohoe – illustratör

Slotting in beside THE MACHINE GUNNERS and WAR HORSE, A CAKE FOR THE GESTAPO tells the story of a fictional gang of kids in Jersey during the German Occupation in WW2, weaving in very real islanders’ own stories of the Occupation at its core – A history that has never before been told in children’s literature June 1940. Jersey. Joe makes light of his father’s unpredictable anger, and Spinner tries to ignore the school bully, Percy, while dealing with her own mounting fears. As for Ginger, her cousin, he’s nervous of the biggest bully of all, Hitler, while her neighbour, farmer’s son Clem, is apparently just keeping his head down. But on the sly, Clem is learning to box, has hidden a gun and he’s going to deal with Percy – and possibly the Germans – all by himself. All the same, none of them believes the Germans will actually invade. Then the island is bombed, Joe is injured and outrage turns to terror as the Germans arrive and their grip on the peaceful island tightens. Initially, the adults avoid direct confrontation, while the gang is determined to go further, aiming to destroy German morale and trip them up in their every move. At first, they simply play tricks on the soldiers, but as the situation worsens, their defiance escalates, leading them all into terrible, mortal danger. As the Occupation wears on, and deprivation turns to starvation, a distinct plan emerges for the kids - the successful elimination from the island of a Gestapo sergeant, the cruel and repugnant Viktor.

‘I bet no other school gives you the chance to chase super villains through hidden tunnels!’That’s what Milly Dillane has to say about life at Blaggard’s, A.K.A Gangster School. Milly and her new friend Charlie have just started at Blaggard’s. But what’s it like to be in a school that teaches lying, kidnapping and stealinginstead of Maths and English? Their parents and teachers are master criminals and want them to follow in their footsteps … but are Milly and Charlie just too … dependable?In this funny and exciting adventure, smart Milly and super-hacker Charlie face some of the worst villains around, including the cold-hearted Pecunia Badpenny and her sidekick: Wolf the evil electronic dog.Can Milly and Charlie beat Badpenny and her demonic plans? And are they criminal enough to keep their place in a school they’ve come to love?Kate Wiseman’s brilliant Blaggard’s is like Hogwarts for criminal kids!

Trouble is brewing at Blaggard’s School for Tomorrow’s Tyrants.Sir Byron’s Brain, a priceless legendary diamond, has gone missing. If it leaves the school grounds, Blaggard’s will be destroyed forever and the head teacher obliterated! Could the evil Brotherhood of Brimstone – an ancient secret society – have anything to do with it? Best friends Milly and Charlie embark on an adventure to find out. They discover a web of evil plots involving Gruffles, Charlie’s stinky dog, and Wolfie, the robot dog turned invisible superhero. On top of this, Blaggard’s is expecting a school inspection from the mysterious Dr X – Chief Inspector of Criminal Schools. He could turn up at any time, and no one know what he looks like.Time is running out for Milly and Charlie. Will Dr X appear? And can our heroes defeat the evil Brotherhood, rescue their canine companions and save the day?The rollicking second instalment in Kate Wisemans’ Gangster School series.

It’s Crimicon – the annual meeting for promising young criminals – and this year it’s being held at Crumley’s, the dreaded School for Career Criminals, who also happen to be Blaggard’s bitterest rivals.It’s not until it’s too late to turn back that Milly and Charlie realise that Gruffles, Charlie’s devoted but stinky dog, has followed them. Can Milly and Charlie keep their school’s reputation as the best school for criminals, steer clear of Dr B L Zeebub, Crumley’s evil Head Teacher as well as keeping Gruffles out of harm’s way? What is the purpose of the mysterious machine that Zeebub has hidden away in the school’s basement? Can Trickery Hackett, an over-friendly Crumleian, really be on their side? Why does the animal-hating Zeebub allow a flock of weirdly large sheep to roam Crumley’s grounds? And since when have sheep been CARNIVOROUS?Milly and Charlie must use all their skills to find their way through the maze of traps and problems awaiting them at Crumley’s, to save Blaggard’s reputation and protect Gruffles from the Killer Sheep.