Malamander (An Eerie-on-Sea Mystery)

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A man has a “large iron boat hook, ending in a long gleaming spike” for a hand. He is called “Boat Hook Man.” Violet discusses the legend of the malamander, including its annual move “near the town to hunt” and lay its egg, which it then “devours.” Full of unforgettable characters and brimming with maritime mystery, Malamander is a masterclass in original story-telling. Taylor's magical touch makes you believe in the impossible. - Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island After his encounter with the malamander, the captain is described as becoming “a ruin of a man, ranting and raving.” Mrs. Fossil explains that the town doctor has prevented her from “languishing in a hospital bed somewhere, pumped full of goodness-knows-what.”

Always look out for surprising things to say, or ways to say ordinary things in a surprising manner. This is important for keeping the reader engaged. Herbie thinks he has drowned aboard the Leviathan. He thinks, “It’s not cold, though, so I guess being as dead as driftwood has an upside.” However, Herbie is warm because he was rescued. He feels the effects of nearly drowning, his “chest and throat feel as if they’re on fire”. The hotel’s owner, Lady Kraken, says, “I have no doubt [Violet’s dad] wanted the egg, too, and no doubt that the malamander devoured him for his trouble.” Violet thinks Eels looks “booky” and he gives her the creeps. Herbie calls him “a bit full of himself.” Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy - especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl.Captain K, also known as Boat Hook Man, wished to “live forever” and the egg granted that wish. The egg responds, “But if you lose [the egg], your wish shall become your curse.” Captain K’s “wounds closed up as soon as they opened, and his injuries healed.” Boat Hook Man corners Herbie and Violet in the fish shed. They try to escape using a rope, by jumping from the window to a suspended fishing net. Herbie misses the first opportunity for release and is left “dangling, four stories up.” He thinks, “At this point, I can let go of the rope and probably break both my legs, or I can stay dangling where I am and be filleted like a small lemon-flavored herring in a Lost-and-Foundery’s cap.”

Eels calls the behavior of the malamander “pathetic” and asks, “doesn’t it just make you want to puke?” He also adds, “But also, how very unsurprising that a softy like Peter Parma would be the one to discover such a ridiculous fact.” Boat Hook Man tells Eels about his pursuit of the egg. He says, “I lost everything — my ship, my fine men, even my family, in the end.” Herbie often internally describes the museum owner as having a “Julius Caesar nose” or a “beaky nose.”

More books for age 9+

Boat Hook Man exists today as half-man, half-water. He arrives in the form of a “cloud of mist” which gathers into a shape. Herbie explains that the rumor is that the diner owner “came here as a young man and saw a mermaid from the end of the pier. Heard her sing. No one ever recovers from that.” I love the fact that in the Eerie Book Dispensary, books are chosen for the reader, depending on what you need. What books do you think might be chosen for you at this moment in time? The characters occasionally “swear” to show honesty. Jenny says Violet’s father “swore blind that he saw things” that were supposed to be only legend, not real. Write so that the reader feels like they are inside in the story. You do this by showing the reader what’s happening, not simply telling them what’s going on.