Sunny and the Hotel Splendid E-Book

Alison Moore

• Herausgeber: Salt
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 71

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

On the hottest day of the year, Ana Sharma and her mum check in to the Hotel Splendid, a place where bells seem to ring all by themselves, jam pots and milk jugs appear on the breakfast table as if by magic, and things go bump in the night. The Hotel Splendid has a problem. When Ana and Sunny meet, they come up with a solution, but one problem leads to another. Meanwhile, the hotel is harbouring an unexpected guest …

Leseprobe

SUNNY AND THE HOTEL SPLENDID

by 

ALISON MOORE

Illustrated by 

ROSS COLLINS

SYNOPSIS

On the hottest day of the year, Ana Sharma and her mum check in to the Hotel Splendid, a place where bells seem to ring all by themselves, jam pots and milk jugs appear on the breakfast table as if by magic, and things go bump in the night. The Hotel Splendid has a problem. When Ana and Sunny meet, they come up with a solution, but one problem leads to another. Meanwhile, the hotel is harbouring an unexpected guest …

PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS WORK

‘The story is set in an old junk shop in Devon stuffed with more than its fair share of ghosts, who arrive, wistfully attached to the bric-a-brac, in the state in which they died. There’s pyjama-clad Herbert; Walter, a miner who never learned to read (Sunny teaches him); Violet, who’s writing a novel (in a meta-literary touch, it turns out to be Sunny and the Ghosts); and many others, including a mischief-maker who fills the shop with cats. This is a gentle, intelligent and warm novel about friendship and imagination for children of seven and up.’ —Philip Womack, Literary Review

‘The plot moves along quickly, and once Sunny finds one ghost, more seem to appear every day, popping up in all sorts of odd places around the shop. It’s all jolly, apart from the puzzle of who, or what, is behind the trouble in the shop. Sunny’s parents seem inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt, and don’t blame him for it, but I’m not sure they really believe his tale of ghosts either. With a little help from his spectral friends though Sunny manages to track down the trouble maker, and find a way to settle the problem. Further stories are planned so this looks like being the beginning of quite an adventure for Sunny and the Ghosts.’ —Our Book Reviews

‘Moore’s charming novel, skilfully illustrated by Collins, is about an antique shop whose furniture is haunted by ghosts with unfulfilled dreams and the boy who befriends them.’ —Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times

‘A delightful and satisfying read for any age.’ —Jackie Law, Neverimitate

ALISON MOORE has been writing stories since she was a child, and was first published – through a local writing competition – when she was eight. She began writing her first novel, The Lighthouse, the year her son was born, and recently published her fourth novel and her first book for children, Sunny and the Ghosts. She lives in a village on the Leicestershire-Nottinghamshire border with her husband and son and a cat called Shadow.

ROSS COLLINS was born in Glasgow, Scotland, quite a while ago. At that time he would eat anything and resembled a currant bun. Ross has written sixteen children’s books and illustrated over a hundred. He no longer resembles a currant bun. He lives in Glasgow with a strange woman, a small child and a stupid dog.

Published by Salt Publishing Ltd

12 Norwich Road, Cromer, Norfolk NR27 0AX

All rights reserved

Copyright © Alison Moore, 2019

The right of Alison Moore to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All illustrations remain the copyright of Ross Collins.

The moral right of Ross Collins to be identified as the illustrator of this Work has been asserted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Salt Publishing.

Salt Publishing 2019

Created by Salt Publishing Ltd

This book is sold subject to the conditions that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

ISBN 978-1-78463-203-8 electronic

For Arthur, Douglas and Penny

Sometimes, a sound in an empty room is just a breeze coming in through an open window, billowing a curtain, toppling a vase, scattering some papers, slamming a door. And sometimes it’s not.

CHAPTER ONE

The Hotel

It was the end of July, and nearly teatime. It had been the hottest day of the year so far and the beach was still packed with holiday­makers playing in the sand and in the sea. Most of the hotels along the seafront were full. They had signs in their front windows to let people know that there were no empty rooms – the signs said ‘no vacancies’.

Along the promenade came Ana and her mum. Ana’s suitcase-on-wheels trundled noisily behind her, while her shadow followed silently. Her mum came to a stop outside a hotel whose sign said ‘vacancies’, and Ana asked, ‘Is this where we’re staying?’

‘I think so,’ said her mum, squinting up at the letters that spelt out the name of the hotel. Some of the letters were missing. The Hotel Splendid was a fine old building but it looked a bit unloved. ‘It’s a bit dilapidated,’ said Ana’s mum. ‘It could do with a fresh coat of paint and a new sign.’

They headed for the entrance, and Ana said, ‘I like it.’

Ana’s mum opened the door into the foyer. They could see that it must have been grand in its heyday, but now the wallpaper was faded and the carpet was threadbare. There was no one behind the little reception desk to welcome them.

On the desk, next to a display of postcards, there was a bell which could be rung so that someone would know they were there. Ana asked if she could ring it, and although her mum was first into the foyer, she said yes, Ana could ring it.

As Ana was making her way through the doorway, her suitcase got stuck. She had turned around to see what the problem was when she heard the bell on the reception desk ding.

‘I thought you said I could ring the bell,’ said Ana, freeing her suitcase and wheeling it into the foyer.

‘I did,’ said her mum, sounding puzzled.

Behind the reception desk, a door marked ‘PRIVATE’ opened and a woman emerged wearing a sequined top that caught the light like a glitter ball. She came to the desk and said, ‘Yes?’

Ana’s mum was looking at the bell.

‘You rang the bell?’ said the woman.

‘No,’ said Ana’s mum. ‘It rang all by itself.’

The woman looked at the bell. She dinged it, as if to make the point that it did not ring all by itself.

Ana’s mum said, ‘I booked a room. The name’s Sharma.’

‘I’m Mrs Griffin,’ said the woman. ‘Welcome to the Hotel Splendid.’ While Mrs Griffin was looking at her computer screen, tapping on her keyboard and scrolling with her mouse, saying, ‘Sometimes I think this computer has a mind of its own,’ Ana and her mum were looking around the foyer.

On one side of the reception desk, there was a potted palm tree as tall as Mrs Griffin. Ana’s mum admired it, and Mrs Griffin said that she hardly ever remembered to water it but that it seemed to thrive nonetheless.

On the other side of the reception desk was what looked like a piano, but it was not quite like the piano that was played when they sang in assembly at Ana’s school – Mrs Griffin’s instrument was more ornate, with a row of knobs above the keyboard, and big pedals. Ana’s mum said it was splendid. ‘Unfortunately,’ said Mrs Griffin, ‘it doesn’t seem to work. I can’t get a sound out of it. Such a shame.’ She looked at her computer screen and sighed.

‘I expect you’re very busy,’ said Ana’s mum, ‘in Devon at the height of the holiday season.’

‘Actually,’ said Mrs Griffin, ‘you’re the only customers I’ve got booked in all week.’

Ana’s mum noticed the keys hanging from numbered hooks behind the reception desk. They were all there except for the key that belonged on hook number one. Reaching for the key on the very last hook, Mrs Griffin said, ‘Your room is ready.’

‘You do have someone else staying,’ said Ana’s mum, ‘in room one?’