The Trouble with the Two-Headed Hydra

Miss Mary-Kate Martin might be anxious, but she's not scared of monsters. Travelling the globe with her famous archaeologist mother, Mary-Kate helps solve legendary problems in this fun fantasy adventure suitable for fans of the Travelling Bookshop or the Magnolia Moon series.

Mary-Kate and her mother are visiting Galinios, an idyllic Greek Island filled with history and surrounded by the shimmering Aegean Sea. An ancient mosaic has been unearthed at the local sardine processing plant and Professor Martin must investigate, leaving Mary-Kate to enjoy a few days of sunshine and antiquity.

But a message asking for help changes everything. A wrecked boat and smashed jetty have recently disrupted life on this tranquil island and point to a monster-sized mystery. Could the local legend of the Two-Headed Hydra be more than a story? If so, what could make this historically serene sea creature so angry?

Armed with her glitter pens and strawberry-scented notebook, Miss Mary-Kate Martin is determined to find answers. She might be scared of heights, but there is no problem too big for her to solve.

The second mystery story in this delightful fantasy-adventure series from the award-winning and bestselling author of Lenny's Book of Everything and Dragon Skin, with lively line illustrations by Freda Chiu.

About the Author

Karen Foxlee is an Australian author who writes for both kids and young adults. She grew up in the Australia outback mining town Mount Isa and still frequently dreams she is walking barefoot along the dry Leichhardt River.

Ophelia and the Marvellous Boy, Karen's first novel for children, was published internationally to much acclaim while her second novel for younger readers, A Most Magical Girl, won the Readings Children's Fiction Prize and was short-listed for the CBCA Awards. Her next book Lenny's Book of Everything won multiple awards including the NSW Premier's Literary Award, the Queensland Literary Award, the Indies Book Award, was a CBCA Honour Book and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Her latest middle-grade novel, Dragon Skin, was short-listed for the CBCA Awards, the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, the Aurealis Awards and the Indie Book Awards.

About the Illustrator

Freda Chiu is an author and illustrator from Sydney, Australia. As well as illustrating children's books, her work spans comics, editorial and retail graphics. Outside her art practice, Freda lectures in Illustration at the University of Technology Sydney. Her debut picture book, A Trip to the Hospital, was short-listed for the CBCA Award for New Illustrator and the IBBY Australia Ena Noël Award.