Philip Ardagh

Philip Ardagh was our Guest Editor in May 2010. Click here to see the books that inspired him.

Philip Ardagh, whose very first Grubtown Tale won him the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, is author of numerous books including the award-winning Eddie Dickens adventures, which have been translated into over 30 languages.

He wrote BBC Radio’s first truly interactive radio drama, collaborated with Sir Paul McCartney on his first children’s book and is a ‘regularly irregular’ reviewer of children’s books for the Guardian. Married with a son, he divides his time between Tunbridge Wells and Grubtown, where he cultivates his impressive beard.

And if your children love Grubtown then do get them to go to www.visitgrubtown.com

Drawing on the weird and wonderful characters and settings from the Grubtown books, visitgrubtown.com features six distinct Grubtown locations – including the Daily Herald newspaper office, the Duckhouse/Museum and Smoky’s cinema. From April 29 until June 3, a new location unlocks each week, treating users to a special Grubtown story, delivered in instalments. Readers are encouraged to interact with characters and objects, and can discover exclusive downloads. The site incorporates fun audio and video - what more could you ask for!

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Featured Books, with extracts by Philip Ardagh

When Bunnies Turn Bad
Philip Ardagh
If Beardy Ardagh is to be believed, the trouble begins when a monkey escapes from the grubtown old folks home, or when the sun-ripe raisin man decides to give up shrivelled dried grapes and to grow vegetables instead. Whatever the...
Featured in: 7+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 05/05/2011
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Green Men of Gressingham
Philip Ardagh
Interest Age 9+ Reading Age 7+. The Green Men of Gressingham are medieval outlaws. When a new tax is introduced, they turn to kidnapping! A hilarious play on Robin Hood. Barrington Stoke specialise in books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers. ...
Featured in: 11+ readers | 9+ readers | Dyslexia-friendly | Reluctant Readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 22/10/2010
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Henry's House: Romans
Philip Ardagh
  Meet Henry, an ordinary boy in an extraordinary house that’s jam-packed full of unexpected things. There's a gladiator in the basement and an arena in the garden. Step inside Henry's House and join Henry, his dog Mothball and a quirky...
Featured in: 5+ readers | Fascinating Facts
Format: Paperback - Released: 02/08/2010
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Grubtown Tales: Trick Eggs and Rubber Chickens
Philip Ardagh
Winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize for the hilarious adventures in Grubtown, Philip Ardagh, or Beardy Ardagh as his fans know him, has added a fifth title to the series. Life in Grubtown continues on its crazy way. The...
Featured in: 7+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/05/2010
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Grubtown: The Wrong End of the Dog
Philip Ardagh
Grubtown continues to be full of oddballs and a ragbag of bungling buffoons.  The town mascot PIJ pelican snatches a famous film star’s dog as she’s in Grubtown for the world premiere of her latest movie.  As with every Grubtown...
Featured in: 7+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 04/03/2010
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Henry's House: Knights and Castles
Philip Ardagh
Follow Henry as he tells you all about life in a castle.  Learn how to make a bow and arrow, why did knights have coats of arms?,  what life was like in the Great Hall as well as life down...
Featured in: 5+ readers | Fascinating Facts
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/03/2010
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Henry's House: Space
Philip Ardagh
Henry’s house is full of very unexpected things. This time, the house is packed with all things Roman. There are gladiators, citizens, slaves and schoolboys. Find out all the details of how Romans lived their lives in this witty part...
Featured in: 5+ readers | Fascinating Facts
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/03/2010
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Grubtown Tales: The Far From Great Escape
Philip Ardagh
Fantastically and outrageously good fun, this is the latest story set in Grubtown, a very, VERY unusual place. Grubtown is not on a map and if anyone does stumble across it by mistake they’d come away shocked by the grubbiness...
Featured in: 7+ readers | Books for Boys
Format: Paperback - Released: 03/09/2009
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Henry's House: Egyptians
Philip Ardagh
Go back in time with Henry, his dog Mothball and his friend Jaggers. Together the three of them find out all they can about how the Egyptians lived.  They meet the Pharaoh, learn about the Egyptian gods and goddesses and...
Featured in: 5+ readers | Books of the Month | Fascinating Facts
Format: Paperback - Released: 03/08/2009
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Henry's House: Dinosaurs
Philip Ardagh
A great introduction for 5+ year olds to the well-known, and sometimes not so well- known, facts about dinosaurs. There are masses of facts about dinosaurs crammed into this attractively produced and entertainingly written information book.  Henry, his dog Mothball...
Featured in: 5+ readers | Books for Boys | Fascinating Facts
Format: Paperback - Released: 03/08/2009
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Henry's House: Bodies
Philip Ardagh
Masses of fascinating information is contained within this entertainingly written introduction (5+ year olds will love it) to how the body works. Henry is quite an ordinary little boy who likes finding things out. Helped by his dog Mothball and...
Featured in: 5+ readers | Fascinating Facts
Format: Paperback - Released: 03/08/2009
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Henry's House: Creepy-crawlies
Philip Ardagh
Fact finding Henry, Mothball the dog and Jaggers the caretaker are back for some more exploration in this introduction to every kind of bug from big hairy spiders to delicate silk-spinning silk worms. Entertainingly presented, there are loads of facts...
Featured in: 5+ readers | Fascinating Facts
Format: Paperback - Released: 03/08/2009
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Grubtown Tales: Stinking Rich and Just Plain Stinky
Philip Ardagh
Winner of the 7 - 14 yr old category of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009. You cannot fail to find the town of Grubtown and its inhabitants hysterically funny.  What goes on defies belief but if you've read books by...
Featured in: 7+ readers | Audio Books | Book Awards
Format: Paperback - Released: 07/05/2009
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Philip Ardagh's Book Of Absolutely Useless Lists For Absolutely Every Day Of The Year
Philip Ardagh
From Public Enemies to St Paul’s Cathedral, every one’s fascination with lists will be satisfied once they’ve digested the 366 included in this attractive, chunky book.
Featured in: 9+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 01/08/2008
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Absolutely Useless Lists for Absolutely Every Day of the Year
Philip Ardagh
From Public Enemies to St Paul’s Cathedral, every one’s fascination with lists will be satisfied once they’ve digested the 366 included in this attractive, chunky book.
Featured in: 9+ readers
Format: Hardback - Released: 05/10/2007
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Awful End
Philip Ardagh
Meet the family! Part One of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy, introduces Eddie’s new home – Awful End – where he is sent to live after the death of his parents from a disease which turns them yellow and make them...
Featured in: 7+ readers | 9+ readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 16/10/2000
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The Red Dragons of Gressingham
Philip Ardagh
Reading age 7+, interest age 8-12. The Green Men of Gressingham return with this sequel, available for the first time as a 4u2read. Full of twists, turns and fiery surprises! The Green Men of Gressingham are struggling to find things to...
Featured in: 7+ readers | Dyslexia-friendly | Reluctant Readers
Format: Paperback - Released: 26/04/2012
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Philip Ardagh's Book of Kings, Queens, Emperors and Rotten Wart-nosed Commoners
Philip Ardagh
PARP! Pssst! Do you know the story about Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603) and the, er, farting courtier? One day, when bowing low to Her Majesty, the Earl of Oxford couldn't help but break wind. The poor man felt SO embarrassed...
Featured in: 9+ readers | Ebooks
Format: Paperback - Released: 07/06/2012
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