I am super excited to have the super lovely Sarah Forbes on Tales today!
Sarah Forbes is the author of the brilliant Elspeth Hart series published by Stripes Publishing. With stunning illustrations by illustrator James Brown Elspeth’s adventures to find the truth out about her parents is a must read for children and MG fans alike.
“A fast-paced and funny story from a fresh new voice in children’s fiction, Elspeth Hart’s quirky adventures will delight fans of David Walliams, Lemony Snicket and Roald Dahl.”
A huge thank you to Beth at Stripes for asking me if I would like to feature Sarah on Tales and for going along with my idea.
Today I am lucky enough to have Elspeth (yes you heard me right) on Tales in this fab character Q&A!
Elspeth Hart and the School for Show-offs is the first adventure featuring the fabulous Elspeth Hart, a modern heroine with doodles on her trainers and unstoppable determination. Can you imagine never being allowed to play outside, dear reader? How about sleeping in a wardrobe every night? That’s what life is like for Elspeth Hart. Ever since her parents were tragically washed away in a flood, poor Elspeth has been forced to live with her disgusting aunt, Miss Crabb, in the attic of the Pandora Pants School for Show-offs. Elspeth spends her days sweeping up mouse droppings, washing filthy pots and dodging Tatiana Firensky, the most horrible show-off of all. But what Elspeth doesn’t know is that things are about to change…
Elspeth Hart and the Perilous Voyage is the second adventure featuring the fabulous Elspeth Hart, a modern heroine with doodles on her Converse trainers and unstoppable determination. Now she’s finally free of the School for Show-offs, Elspeth is on a desperate mission to find her parents. She knows that Miss Crabb will have answers – but where can she find the vile woman? When Elspeth spots her on the news as a staff member on a luxury cruise ship, the chase is on. Elspeth is determined to get the answers she needs and she’ll stop at nothing. Sneaking aboard the ship is easy enough, but setting sail was never part of the plan! All at sea, unable to find Crabb and still no closer to a reunion with her parents, things aren’t looking good for Elspeth…
Elspeth has escaped the clutches of the dastardly Miss Crabb and her sidekick Gladys Goulash and now she’s determined to find her parents. After the dim-witted Gladys let slip that they’d been sent to Australia, Elspeth sets off on their trail, with the help of her best friend Rory and his snooty butler, Mr Tunnock. But Elspeth needs her wits about her as she ventures through the rainforest – there’s something whiffy in the air. Could it be that Elspeth hasn’t seen the last of her enemies?
Hi Elspeth! Welcome to Tales Of Yesterday! I am so excited to have you here!
Thanks for being here today and agreeing to this Q&A. How are you?
I’m really good, thank you, except I couldn’t get my hair to cooperate this morning, so it’s all sticking up at funny angles.
For those of us who don’t know who you are could you tell us a little about yourself?
Of course! Hello everyone. I’m Elspeth, I’m ten years old and I have a best friend called Rory. I lived for a whole year in an awful boarding school called the Pandora Pants School for Show-offs.
You have a very unusual name – does it mean anything in particular?
It’s a Scottish name and you pronounce it EL-speth. I think it might be the Scottish version of Elizabeth, but I’m not sure!
Can you tell us a little about how your story started?
It all started when I went to sleep one night as normal, then when I woke up I was in the School for Show-offs, and my aunt Miss Crabb was telling me I had to live with her from now on…
What happened to your parents?
Miss Crabb told me they were washed away in a flood, but I always suspected there might be more to it than that…
Can you tell us a little about your Aunt, Mrs Crabb?
Miss Crabb is tall and skinny and always picking her nose. She is a very nasty character indeed. She hates children, and she especially hates me. She made me sleep in a wardrobe and do lots of horrible chores around the school instead of going to lessons!
Who is Gladys Goulash?
Gladys is Miss Crabb’s sidekick. She worked as her assistant in the School for Show-offs, where the two of them made the most disgusting school dinners in the world. I can’t begin to tell you how awful she smells. She only has a bath once a year, you see.
I hear your third adventure looking for your parents took you to a rain forest! How was that?
My third adventure, Elspeth Hart and the Magnificent Rescue, was my biggest adventure yet – I ended up in Australia trying to track down my parents, with the help of my best friend Rory. Let’s just say it involved following mysterious clues, being kidnapped and almost getting trapped in a pit of bitey spiders!
Do you think you will ever find your parents?
If you read Elspeth Hart and the Magnificent Rescue, you’ll find out! I don’t want to give it away … shhh!
I hear you love Converse trainers – do you have a favourite pair?
Ooh, I always wear my favourite purple and white ones. But I’ve seen some people decorating their own trainers which looks amazing!
What do you think about how the illustrator James Brown drew you? Did he capture the real Elspeth?
James Brown is such a talented chap. He drew me PERFECTLY, every detail looked just like me!
Quickfire Questions
Favourite word?
Freedom!
Favourite Ice Cream?
Mint choc chip
Favourite Colour?
Purple, of course!
Favourite song to sing at Karaoke?
I’m a terrible singer, but I could definitely sing anything by Taylor Swift.
Favourite book or author?
Roald Dahl’s Matilda.
What do you think the future has in store for Elspeth Hart?
Hopefully I’ll be entertaining readers for a while with my three adventures! The future will be happy so long as I don’t have to spend any time with awful Miss Crabb and Gladys Goulash!
If you could give one piece of advice to anyone reading this interview what would it be?
Don’t give up on your dreams, no matter how impossible they might seem.
Thank you so much for answering all my questions Elspeth.
You can buy the Elspeth Hart books here
About Sarah Forbes
Sarah is the author of Elspeth Hart and the School for Show-Offs, Elspeth Hart and the Perilous Voyage and Elspeth Hart and the Magnificent Rescue (Stripes).
Previously, Sarah was Senior Editor at Floris Books and Fiction Editor at Scholastic Children’s Books, where she worked with high-profile authors such as Liz Pichon, Karen McCombie and Dan Freedman.
Sarah also spent ten years as a journalist and magazine editor, writing for a wide range of publications, from The Guardian to Mizz magazine.
Why not follow Sarah on twitter – @SFSsong
About Illustrator James Brown
James Brown filled in an important careers questionnaire when he was 13 and it told him he was definitely going to be a teacher and an illustrator. And it was right! James studied Creative Writing at St Andrews (where he kept writing for children and drawing all over everything). He lives in Nottingham and draws in front of a mirror.
See more of James’ work in the Featured Illustrator Gallery
Or why not follow James on Twitter – @jb_illustrates
A huge huge thank you to Elspeth for answering all my questions and of course to Sarah and to Beth at Stripes Publishing for putting us in touch!
Have you read any of the Elspeth Hart series? What did you think? I would love to hear from you! Why not leave a comment using the reply button at the top of this review or tweet me on twitter using @chelleytoy!
Happy Reading!
