The Moonlighters
A magical new story from the bestselling author of The Last Firefox
Published on 7. August 2025
368 pages
978-0-241-49356-4 (ISBN)
Description
Peter Pan meets Oliver Twist in the magical new book by rising star Lee Newbery, author of Waterstones Children's Book of the Month, The Last Firefox.
When ten-year-old Theo runs off from a school trip to London's Natural History Museum and decides to pay his gran a surprise visit, he discovers the surprise is on him - his gran is on holiday and Theo finds himself alone in the big city with nowhere to turn.
Enter Alistair Goodfellow, a mysterious, flamboyant young person with a charismatic twinkle in their eye. Alistair offers Theo a room at the Casablanca Lily - by day, a run-down and unloved hotel; by night, a palace of magical wonders.
Each night, Alistair sends their found family of runaways and ne'er-do-wells, the Moonlighters, out into London in search of lost magical artefacts, gifting them their own magical powers as a reward.
Theo is quickly enthralled, but there is more to Alistair than meets the eye, and soon Theo comes to realize that the items Alistair is hunting could be more dangerous than he'd ever imagined . . .
'A thrilling and enchanting adventure, humming with magic, fizzing with fun and friendship . . . a delight from start to finish.' Lancaster Guardian
When ten-year-old Theo runs off from a school trip to London's Natural History Museum and decides to pay his gran a surprise visit, he discovers the surprise is on him - his gran is on holiday and Theo finds himself alone in the big city with nowhere to turn.
Enter Alistair Goodfellow, a mysterious, flamboyant young person with a charismatic twinkle in their eye. Alistair offers Theo a room at the Casablanca Lily - by day, a run-down and unloved hotel; by night, a palace of magical wonders.
Each night, Alistair sends their found family of runaways and ne'er-do-wells, the Moonlighters, out into London in search of lost magical artefacts, gifting them their own magical powers as a reward.
Theo is quickly enthralled, but there is more to Alistair than meets the eye, and soon Theo comes to realize that the items Alistair is hunting could be more dangerous than he'd ever imagined . . .
'A thrilling and enchanting adventure, humming with magic, fizzing with fun and friendship . . . a delight from start to finish.' Lancaster Guardian
Reviews / Votes
The magic of moonlight shines brightly in this dazzling standalone novel from rising star Lee Newbery . . . a thrilling and enchanting adventure, humming with magic, fizzing with fun and friendship, and beautifully celebrating the power and emotional rewards of found family. A delight from start to finish. * Lancaster Guardian *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Random House Children's UK
Target group
Children/juvenile
Interest Age: From 8 to 13 years
File size
46,84 MB
ISBN-13
978-0-241-49356-4 (9780241493564)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Lee Newbery lives with his son and dog in a seaside town in West Wales. By day he works for a charity, helping people to share their stories through creative writing, painting and participatory arts, and by night he sits down at his laptop to write.
His first book, The Last Firefox, won the Wales Book of the Year People's Choice Award and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
Lee enjoys adventuring, drinking ridiculous amounts of tea, and giving his dog a good cuddle - or a cwtch, as they say in Wales.
His first book, The Last Firefox, won the Wales Book of the Year People's Choice Award and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
Lee enjoys adventuring, drinking ridiculous amounts of tea, and giving his dog a good cuddle - or a cwtch, as they say in Wales.
