E For Excellent for ALEX AND THE OTHER!

"This fourth book in the Weird Stories Gone Wrong Series by Philippa Dowding will not disappoint. 

From the book’s first sentence readers will feel like they’ve entered into a ‘conversation’ with the author. The conversation that unfolds about a mysterious green fog, missing piglets and a frightened farmer reads like a cross between delicious gossip and a campfire tale so absurd and intriguing you can’t help but want more. 

With each chapter Dowding develops tension and a strong sense of Alex’s isolation and despair. Readers will no doubt relate to Alex and root for him as he tries to reclaim his life...

... Shawna Daigle’s creepy illustrations punctuate the text and add to the mystery.

RATING: E"

What a fantastic review from Resource Links Magazine (Canadian) for ALEX AND THE OTHER, book 4 in my award-winning middle grade horror series, Weird Stories Gone Wrong! 

The editors at Resource Links have selected the book for their Summer Tween Reads list as well, so the review is free and open to all: REVIEW, Alex and The Other

Thank you, Resource Links! Happy summer reading, everyone!

FREE Teacher's Resource Guide for ALEX AND THE OTHER (Dundurn Press)
Alex and The Other, BOOK TRAILER featuring illustrations by Shawna Daigle
CM Magazine Review
More about Alex and The Other on this BLOG

Kids predict what happens in Alex and The Other!

Last week I got this great letter in the mail:

"Dear Philippa!

A grade 4/5 class in my school has been completely taken over by “Alex and The Other” in your latest installment of the series Weird Stories Gone Wrong!

I showed them the cover and read them “This part is mostly true” and “Chapter 1” and stopped … many groans erupted so I threw them a challenge: to predict with from the cover or from what they heard, what this “Weird Story” could be about.

Enclosed are their eager responses. The Teacher was amazed at their enthusiasm ... I am tickled they are this anxious to write their thoughts to you!

Thank you for taking time to read them!"

Thank you to the wonderful teacher-librarian for sharing this, and thanks to the kids for sending their thoughts! I absolutely loved reading their responses. Some of them got pretty close to what happens next, like this one ...

"I’m wondering if the two figures in the background have to do something with the fog. The cat has green eyes, maybe because it might have looked at the two figure’s eyes."

This student has the right idea too: "I think the guy in the mirror is Alex because it winked at him."

And this student: "I think when he looks in the mirror that’s gonna be his double-ganger (sic)!"

Here are some more wildly inventive possibilities:

The Optimist: "I think that Alex is going to go to school but everyone is going to like him because the Alex in the mirror is going to go at night and make everyone be his friend."

The Pessimist: "My guess is that he will get sucked into the mirror because the mirror is doing weird things."

The Realist: "I think that Alex lives in the house because why else will she add that in the story? I also think that the two figures have something to do with the mirror."

Predicting is fun! They're going to be pretty surprised when they read a little further ...

Alex and The Other is NOW AVAILABLE
CM Magazine Review  
Goodreads Reviews
Recently Read Teacher-Librarian REVIEW
Well Worth A Read REVIEW
Geekreads Kids REVIEW
See the BOOK TRAILER 
More About ALEX AND THE OTHER on this BLOG

Introducing Alex and The Other

Coming March 31/2018

CREEPY aliens, a lost cat, an evil twin ....

... HERE IT IS! The gorgeous cover for my next book, Alex and The Other!

It's so creepy, and so deliciously weird. This is book 4 in the award-winning Weird Stories Gone Wrong series, horror stories for kids 8-12. This one is a classic doppelganger/evil twin story, a bit darker than the other books in the series.

Beware The Other!

Thanks once again to illustrator Shawna Daigle for her amazing talents, and thanks to publisher Dundurn Press for letting us tell this next weird story. This is now my favourite cover of all time.

Here's more about the book on Amazon: Alex and The Other.

Here's the blurb:

"Beware The Other...

Alex is the loneliest boy at school. Not only are his parents away (again), but his beloved cat is missing. Plus, one morning his reflection in the haunted bathroom mirror at school starts talking to him. Then two mysterious strangers in overcoats and sunglasses appear, whispering the same message, over and over: Beware The Other …

But, worse than all that, is the girl with the braid. She looks just like Alex. She’s better than him at everything, and they even share the same name. Soon, she’s the only Alex anyone can see, at school, at work, even at home. In no time, it’s almost as though the real Alex never existed at all.

Can the real Alex outsmart his evil twin and get his life back before she replaces him for good? And more importantly, who is the REAL Alex, anyway?"

TO Request an ARC from Publisher: Dundurn Publicity
Click to find out more about Weird Stories Gone Wrong.
More blog posts about Weird Stories.
Book Trailer for Myles and the Monster Outside, Winner of the OLA Silver Birch Express Honour Book Award.