"The first I Can Read in Tom Watson's bestselling Stick Dog series full of humor, smarts, and friendship!
Stick Dog is hungry. As he searches for food in the park, he meets Poo-Poo who joins him on his hunt for food. The two quickly find friendship, but will they ever find something delicious to eat?
Find out in this laugh-out-loud origin story of Stick Dog and Poo-Poo's friendship perfect for both avid and reluctant early readers."
"Bloomsbury presents Metronome by Tom Watson, read by Christine Hewitt.
Shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke Award
Longlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award
‘Imagined with an impressively detailed three-dimensional solidity’ Sunday Times
'I loved it … You could feel the chill of the wind … Fantastic; it’s a great book' Sara Cox, BBC Two 'Between the Covers'
‘Stylish and thoughtful … The eerie claustrophobia of the setting will stay with the reader for a long while.' Literary Review
'Unputdownable … An extraordinary book … as insightful and as premonitory as Orwell’s 1984’ Litro
Not all that is hidden is lost.
For twelve years Aina and Whitney have been in exile on an island for a crime they committed together, tethered to a croft by pills they must take for survival every eight hours. They’ve kept busy – Aina with her garden, her jigsaw, her music; Whitney with his sculptures and maps – but something is not right.
Shipwrecks have begun washing up, and their supply drops have stopped. And on the day they’re meant to be collected for parole, the Warden does not come. Instead there’s a sheep. But sheep can’t swim…
As days pass, Aina begins to suspect that their prison is part of a peninsula, and that Whitney has been keeping secrets. And if he’s been keeping secrets, maybe she should too. Convinced they’ve been abandoned, she starts investigating ways she might escape. As she comes to grips with the decisions that haunt her past, she realises her biggest choice is yet to come.
'Taut, unsettling and so completely charged with both tension and emotion' Naomi Ishiguro
'With echoes of Emily St John Mandel and Megan Hunter' Elizabeth Macneal
'Tense, taut and absorbing' Gemma Reeves
'As moving as it is chilling' Emma Stonex
Reader Reviews
'An original and gripping read'
'Addictive and atmospheric'
'A haunting and original dystopian story'
'Compelling and absorbing'
'A refreshing change from the norm' C 2022 Tom Watson P 2022 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC"
"Perfect for fans of Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books, Tom Watson’s hilarious series continues with Stick Dog and his pals after something even more exciting than food: Santa Claus!
Weird things are happening in Stick Dog’s snow-covered neighborhood. Strangely shaped pinecones hang from trees. Humans sing merry songs all over town. And an odd man is making a list and checking it twice.
Mutt, Karen, Stripes, and Poo-Poo have tons of questions. And for the first time, Stick Dog doesn’t have answers. But their good friend Lucy does.
So when the dogs learn all about Santa Claus, their hilarious quest to celebrate the holiday begins.
The bestselling Stick Dog series is perfect for fans of such series as The Last Kids on Earth, Dog Man, Big Nate, Timmy Failure, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. A favorite of readers ages 6 to 12, both avid and less so, Stick Dog is a winner for those looking for their next funny middle grade book series.
Other favorites in the series include Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog, Stick Dog Chases a Pizza, and many more!"
"From the author of Stick Dog comes the sixth book in an early chapter book series about three best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their school.
Uh-oh! Molly’s parents have a secret. They want to move to a new house—maybe even a new town. But Molly can’t leave her best friends Rosie and Simon behind!
Now the trio from Table 5 only have three days to come up with a scavenger hunt that will remind Molly’s parents of all the things they love about their house and neighborhood…before the moving vans come and Molly has to go. "
"From the author of Stick Dog comes
the fifth book in a highly illustrated early chapter book series about three
best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their
school.
Time out! Simon got Max Brutus’s prized World Cup soccer
ball stuck in the tallest tree in Picasso Park! Now he’s in more trouble than a
tater tot in ketchup. Can his friends at Table 5 help him get the ball before
the big game? Or has Simon’s luck maxed out?
HarperChapters build confident readers one chapter at a
time! With short, fast-paced books, art on every page, and milestone markers at
the end of every chapter, they're the perfect next step for fans of I Can Read!"
"Perfect for fans of Big Nate,
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books, Tom Watson’s hilarious
series continues, and Stick Dog is in the mood for takeout!
When Stick Dog and his crew unknowingly discover chopsticks, their taste buds lead them to a lakeside sushi restaurant. They see the sushi. They smell the sushi. But how are they going to get the sushi?
Several things stand in Stick Dog’s way. They include a squirrel eating a barbecue potato chip, a runaway canoe, and a little female human. Stick Dog must navigate around each of these obstacles if he’s ever going to get some sushi for his drooling friends.
It’s another wacky food-snatching mission. If Stick Dog fails, Mutt, Karen, Stripes, and Poo-Poo will go to bed with empty stomachs. If he succeeds, it’s sushi for everyone!
The bestselling Stick Dog series is perfect for fans of such series as The Last Kids on Earth, Dog Man, Big Nate, Timmy Failure, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. A favorite of readers ages 6 to 12, both avid and less so, Stick Dog is a winner for those looking for their next funny middle grade book series.
Other favorites in the series include Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog, Stick Dog Chases a Pizza, and many more!"
"From
the author of Stick Dog comes
the fourth book in a highly illustrated early chapter book series about three
best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their
school.
The weather outside is frightful!
The temperature is dropping fast, and Rosie, Molly, and Simon are determined to
come up with a way to keep their feet from freezing off on their walk to
school.
But can they finish their plan before the next snow-pocalypse?
HarperChapters build confident readers one chapter at a time! With short, fast-paced books, art on every page, and milestone markers at the end of every chapter, they're the perfect next step for fans of I Can Read!"
"Perfect for fans of Big Nate,
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books, Tom Watson’s hilarious
series continues, and Stick Dog gets a…girlfriend?!
Well, not before Stick Dog’s day spins out of control first.
As he and his friends work to rescue a hyper Karen from a really deep hole,
Poo-Poo catches a scent. It’s meat! Marvelous meat! And it’s in a big truck.
But there’s more than meat in that truck. There’s also a new dog. And when
Stick Dog sees her, his heart feels funny.
Stick Dog needs to rescue Karen and track down that meat truck.
It will take all Stick Dog’s smarts, problem-solving skills, and patience to
save his friend—and feed his gang. But he just might need some help this time…
It’s another tail-wagging, food-craving adventure for these hilarious
hungry hounds. Throw in some puppy love (!) and this Stick Dog adventure is
unlike any ever before.
Other favorites in the series include Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog, Stick Dog Chases a Pizza, and many more!"
"From the author of Stick Dog comes
the third book in a highly illustrated early chapter book series about three
best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their
school.
Molly, Simon, and Rosie are determined to build the best
science fair project in school history. To do that, they’ll need to attract tons
of fireflies.
Will their bright idea get them a glowing grade or will it
flicker out before the fair even starts?
HarperChapters build confident readers one chapter at a time! With short, fast-paced books, art on every page, and milestone markers at the end of every chapter, they're the perfect next step for fans of I Can Read!"
"From the author of Stick Dog comes the first book in a early chapter book series about three best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their school.
Molly gets things stuck in her head sometimes. When she sees a jar of candy on Principal Shelton’s desk, she absolutely needs to know how many candies are in that jar! Luckily, her two best friends, Simon and Rosie, are ready to help her find the answer—even if it means detention for all of them!
Each hilarious friendship story in this series is designed to set independent readers up for success!"
"From the author of Stick Dog comes the second book in an early chapter book series about three best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their school.
Simon always has a lot to say. And sometimes he can’t stop talking–even in the middle of class.
When Simon gets in trouble for jabbering at school, his best friends, Molly and Rosie, think up a plan to keep him from getting grounded at home! It involves cars, suds, and pink plastic flamingos! But will their big plan turn into an even bigger disaster?
Each hilarious friendship story in this series is designed to set independent readers up for success!"
"Perfect for fans of Big Nate, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and the previous Stick Dog books, Tom Watson’s hilarious series continues with Stick Dog Craves Candy—a fun Halloween adventure!
Stick Dog and the gang are on their usual hunt for food, but there is something unusual going on. Little humans are dressed up as creepy witches and spooky ghosts, all carrying big orange buckets!
Their search leads them to something unexpected and delicious and sweet—candy! Once they get a taste, they will stop at nothing to get more. The gang will have to avoid terrifying witches and even escape a creepy haunted house! Will Stick Dog's smarts, courage, and patience be enough to lead his buddies to the best treats ever?
Witches, and ghosts, and goblins...and Stick Dog and friends! Oh my!
Other favorites in the series include Stick Dog Wants a Hot Dog, Stick Dog Chases a Pizza, and many more!"
Join our community for the latest bookish news, reading recommendations, exclusive opening extracts, author events and competitions. It\'s all free. And enter a monthly draw to win a £50 Gift Card. See past winners here
