McCombie, Karen – The Bell Bookshop

The Accidental Vikings

Emma — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Alfie and Kat’s school trip takes an unexpected turn when they’re whisked back to a Viking village in this exciting time-slip adventure from bestselling author Karen McCombie.

Things take a weird turn for Alfie and Kat when they get separated from the rest of their group on a school trip to the Viking Museum. The models around them start to come to life, and at first Kat is sure they’re being pranked for a TV game show.

She urges Alfie to play along, and they take part in Viking village life – cooking, weaving and even digging a toilet pit. But will they ever be able to find their way back home?

Particularly suitable for readers aged 7+ with a reading age of 7.

The boy who stole the pharaoh’s lunch

Emma — Thu, 18 May 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Seth learns some important life lessons when he’s transported back to Ancient Egypt in this absorbing time-slip adventure from bestselling author Karen McCombie.

While awaiting punishment in his headmaster’s office for his latest piece of mischief, prankster Seth picks up an Egyptian amulet from the desk and is whisked back in time to Ancient Egypt. In a village by the Nile, Seth finds a place for himself, working for the local tradesmen and playing with the local children. One of his new friends, Mery, has a pet hyena that Seth grows to love, so when he hears that the hyena is going to be roasted as part of a feast for the visiting pharaoh, Seth decides to save him. But what consequences will Seth have to face for stealing the pharaoh’s lunch?

An absorbing time-travel adventure from bestselling author Karen McCombie.

Fagin’s Girl

Emma — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Orphan Ettie Shaw is penniless and homeless on the streets of London when she is spotted by her older brother Joe.

Joe has fallen in with a notorious pickpocket gang run by a man called Fagin, and Ettie has to disguise herself as a boy so she can come back with him to Fagin’s lair.

At first Ettie is able to help out with mending and other domestic jobs, but when one of the other boys falls ill, Fagin demands that Ettie go out pickpocketing with Joe and everything goes horribly wrong ?

Fagin’s infamous gang comes to life once more in this exciting Oliver Twist-inspired adventure from bestselling author Karen McCombie.

Granny’s Little Monsters

Emma — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Granny’s hunt for the perfect pet brings some unexpected results in this goofy adventure of family, mudlarking and mayhem.

Zac and Essie have been helping their Granny Mo in her search for the perfect pet. She’s tried everything from cats to axolotls and just can’t find the right one. But when the trio go mudlarking in the river bank they find a creature unlike anything else … Granny Mo might have set out looking for a pet but now she’s got a monster on her hands, and it’s about to get up to some mischief!

The girl with her head in the clouds

Emma — Thu, 04 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

When sixteen-year-old Dolly Shepherd is offered the chance to take to the sky in a hot-air balloon, there’s no way she’s going to turn it down. Even though the pilot actually plans for her to jump out of the balloon and plummet back to earth using just a flimsy parachute.

For Dolly, it’s the start of a sensational career. But the life of an aeronaut is as dangerous as it is daring, and there will be many narrow escapes along the way …

Pioneering aviatrix Dolly Shepherd comes alive in this thrilling reimagining of her death-defying exploits from bestselling author Karen McCombie.