Deep Trouble

A fourth book in the successful 'Pure Dead' series

The deliciously outrageous plot mixes love, marriage, midges, acne and sulphur. Deep Trouble is as fast, witty and wildly inventive as the first three books

Debi Gliori twists numerous events into the main plot spinning a tale full of wit and humour with a dashing of wild imagination and ingenuity

Full of demons and wickedness but comic with it

Strange, kooky, funny and enthralling. If you haven't got into the Pure Dead series, it is highly recommended

Debi Gliori is the author and illustrator of many books for children, including the very popular Mr Bear series. She won the Children's Book Award picture book section, and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 1997. Her backlist in Doubleday/Corgi includes Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep and The Very Small. Pure Dead Magic, which introduced the Strega-Borgias, was her first novel. It was followed by Pure Dead Wicked, Pure Dead Brilliant, Deep Trouble, Deep Water and Deep Fear. 
 
Debi lives in Scotland, near Edinburgh.

When the Strega-Borgias return from holiday to find that their faithful family retainer, Latch, has collapsed from unknown causes, it is only the start of their problems. Signora Strega-Borgia is feeling very peaky in the mornings, Titus is trying to save the world and Pandora has an embarrassing crush on the new butler (to say nothing of the fact that a demon is trying to invade StregaSchloss). Only Ffup the dragon is truly happy, due to her forthcoming marriage to the Loch Ness Monster. A fantastically epic plot, culminating in Flora McLachlan making the ultimate sacrifice, which will have committed fans and newcomers turning the pages late into the night.

Pure Dead Wicked

A second instalment in the life of the highly original Strega-Borgia family and their dungeon-dwelling pet beasts.

A wildly entertaining, over-the-top, exuberant brew of domestic upheaval, Strega-Borgia style. Gliori knows family interaction and she relates it with gusto, her skill as a storyteller characterised by her ability to take what her readers will know and wrap it up as something extraordinary

A breezy combination of wild charicature, computer-savvy contemporary sensibility and lavatorial jokes that should appeal to nine to twelve year olds

Adopts a relentless narrative pace. There's only one tempo permitted - fast-forward . . . Wonderful read-aloud material

Terrific invention, magic, jokes and an excellent narrative style

With the slates of the StregaSchloss roof crumbling round their ears, the Strega-Borgia family, complete with staff and dungeon-dwelling beasts, is forced to decamp to a local hotel for Christmas. Bored of being cooped up with only his laptop for entertainment, Titus tries his own experiment in cyber-cloning, only to end up besieged by 500 miniature versions of himself and his sister Pandora. The beasts too are fed up at the hotel. Determined to return to StregaSchloss, Ffup the dragon, Sab the gryphon and friends set off cross-country, only occasionally distracted by the call of the wild . . . A superbly labyrinthine plot weaves together clones, kids, beasts and dodgy roofers with great humour and a touch of magic in this highly acclaimed second novel.

Deep Water

Another irresistible slice of Strega-Borgia family life.

Another fantastic book full of the Strega-Borgia family's antics

In Debi Gliori's latest addition to her triumphant series, the plot runs riot again

A convoluted, chaotic story that abounds with wicked fun

A Gliori novel is always a rollercoaster of a ride, packed with linguistic and plotting invention, and she shows no sign of running out of ideas or energy

The Strega-Borgia children are still reeling from the shock of their nanny's disappearance at the end of DEEP TROUBLE. Without Flora to tend to them the kids are growing up fast. Indeed, Titus is in the throes of a deeply embarrassing and magically accelerated puberty, while all around the usual chaos reigns. Baby Damp is learning to fly under the tutelage of a bat called Vesper, Ffup the dragon is struggling with the Atkins diet and Tarantella the tarantula is trying to teach her daughters the rudiments of mascara. So far, so StregaSchloss, but add in an arrest for murder, a demon intent on revenge and a suicidal deep-frozen ancestor and you have a recipe that could only be cooked up in a Gliori-cauldron.

Witch Baby and Me On Stage

Another enchanting illustrated story about Lily, who is the only person who knows that her baby sister is a witch!

Another charming Witch Baby title from the Kate Greenaway shortlisted author

It's a rainy spring-time, coming up to Witch Baby Daisy's second birthday. Her nursery class are putting on a musical performance, helped by the older children, including big sister Lily. 
 
Meanwhile Mum is trying to potty train Daisy, unaware that as soon as she succeeds, Daisy will be reclaimed by the witches who live on the hill, who've only been waiting for their little protegee to be out of nappies before they take her 'home'. Happily, Daisy is so rubbish at toilet training that Lily persuades Mum to drop the idea, and the day is saved! 
 
The concert is a great success, despite Daisy turning Lily's bagpipes into a spider, and the witches are distracted by spells for romance. 
 
Another charming, brilliantly plotted and gorgeously illustrated gem of a book by this outstandingly talented author/illustrator.

Witch Baby and Me After Dark

More fabulous chaos from Lily and Daisy in this sparklingly funny and gross series from the bestselling Debi Gliori

Charming, quirky stuff, just right for 7+

Much more toilet humour, many more flatulence (and other) jokes; very clever and very funny. Read it with a six- to eight-year-old you know soon and you'll both enjoy the experience

The book is full of great illustrations that let me imagine the characters a lot better . . .  I laughed a lot when I was reading this book

Lily is 9. Her sister Daisy is 1. And she's no ordinary baby. Somehow, when she was born, something went rather wrong... and now Daisy is a Witch Baby. Nobody knows this but Lily - she's the only one who can see when Daisy makes the fridge float in the air, or turns people into slugs, or summons up her very stinky dog Waywoof...

Witch Baby and Me At School

More fabulous chaos from Lily and Daisy in this sparkling new series from the bestselling Debi Gliori

A funny, charming, delightful book about what happens when you have to move to a new town, start a new school AND cope with having a baby sister who is a witch!

Debi Gliori cleverly dramatises sibling rivalry in both the home and school situation by bringing touches of humour to the daily mishaps

The combination of quirky humour, sibling rivalry and real-life problems would have had me captivated from start to finish

Enjoyable, comical series full of interesting characters

Lily is 9. Her sister Daisy is 1. And she's no ordinary baby. Somehow, when she was born, something went rather wrong... and now Daisy is a Witch Baby. Nobody knows this but Lily - she's the only one who can see when Daisy makes the fridge float in the air, or turns people into slugs, or summons up her very stinky dog Waywoof... 
 
The sisters have now settled into their new home and so it's time for Lily to start at her new school. Can she survive being the new girl? Will Daisy be a help or a hindrance...?

Debi Gliori

The quirkiness and eccentricity of the characterisation is absolute genius. It is pure and high-spririted escapism, together with enough bottom jokes to keep every child in class laughing for at least a week

The absorbing world tinged with magic realism will appeal to children of different ages because of the author's deadpan humour

An epic tale of a final battle between good and evil. The Strega-Borgias are in deep fear for their lives! 
 
The forces of evil are converging on StregaSchloss - demons, the Mafia, a changeling with a nasty bite - and the wild and weird Strega-Borgias must gather together their allies to fight back. But there are just a few too many distractions, with Damp the toddler-witch missing in action and a house full of wolves and bickering teenagers getting in the way. Can the family keep it together - even when they're scattered over time and place? 
 
A deliciously inventive and hilarious finale to the Pure Dead . . . series

Debi Gliori

Praise for Deep Fear

The quirkiness and eccentricity of the characterisation is absolute genius. It is pure and high-spririted escapism, together with enough bottom jokes to keep every child in class laughing for at least a week

The absorbing world tinged with magic realism will appeal to children of different ages because of the author's deadpan humour

Books by Debi Gliori

Series by Debi Gliori

Pure Dead6 Books

Witch Baby4 Books

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter