# Song of the Moon (for 7-12 year olds)



## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

For more information about my children's books, please visit:

Helen Laycock | Children's Author
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/helen-laycock
​
*Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue. Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.*​


*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*
*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*

*Suitable for readers aged 7 - 12*



*As Izzy is helping Mrs Moonsong one day, she discovers a hidden door blocked by a cupboard.

Mrs Moonsong mysteriously disappears. In her place is a strange hippie, Dylan, her nephew. He is unwilling to engage in conversation with Izzy and Joe, her cousin, so they are forced to spy on the house from the track at the back of the garden. They discover Mrs Moonsong's wheelchair in the garden shed. Without it she is stranded.

Believing he has something to do with his aunt's disappearance, the children continue to spy on Dylan who seems to be engrossed in collecting strange ingredients for a 'recipe' which turns out to be a spell. It seems that Mrs Moonsong's house was built where ley lines meet, and that, if a witch should happen to live in such a place, then evil is magnified. The spell requires that the house should be burned down at full moon.

A potion needs to be secretly administered to Dylan. The plan succeeds, but only partly. Dylan has locked himself in the secret room with Mrs Moonsong when he falls into a drugged sleep and blocks the door. He has already set the house alight at this point. It is a race against time to get the key...*

*~This is one of nine children's books by Helen Laycock. Look out for the other threads~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*4* Review:

~I enjoyed reading The Song of the Moon. Helen has a clear voice, it is as if I can hear her reading to me.
I loved the names of the characters, and thought that Titania Moonsong sounded a lovely woman. Izzy made me think of a more sensible Pippi Longstocking. I liked the way Helen gradually built up Dylan the nephew into an every more wacky character (especially the bit at the end with the white coat - read it and see).
Helen scatters a few unusual words into her prose, and it was fun looking them up using my kindle. This book has a satisfying plot and is very tidily linked together. I enjoyed the colourful description of the hippy festival, and the exciting climax to the story.
I hope Helen gets lots of readers. I've just downloaded another of hers.*


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Here's an extract from Song of the Moon:*

At the very end of Mrs Moonsong's back garden was a small footpath overgrown with weeds. The footpath led from a small wood which Izzy could see from her own bedroom window. To get to it, the children had to make their way to the country lane that ran quite close to Izzy's house and climb over a stile that led them through a field then into the wood.

By now it was dark and the wood had become quite a scary place. Without a torch and with only three-quarters of the moon's light, they could not see where they were stepping. Their sense of hearing seemed suddenly sharper. Twigs cracked, bushes rustled and the wood pigeons called to one another as the children picked their way along the path. Tall nettles brushed their hands as they reached out blindly for direction. Finally, they found themselves at the back end of the gardens of Arnison Avenue.

'Now it's just a matter of spotting the right house in the dark,' said Izzy. It wasn't difficult. One of them had children's play equipment in the garden, another had lights on upstairs and Izzy could see a young couple decorating. Mrs Moonsong's house was mostly in darkness, apart from a dim, flickering light downstairs -- more candles. 'That's definitely hers,' said Izzy, climbing over the rickety ivy-clad fence. 'There's her shed.'

Joe followed and they headed up the garden towards the back of the house.

'Well, if she is in bed,' said Izzy, 'she's got the curtains open and the lights off.'

'I suppose that's possible,' said Joe.

'She usually has the bedroom window open so that she can hear the wind chimes.'

'And it's closed,' concluded Joe. 'So, what shall we do now? We can't inform the police, because we don't actually know that anything's happened.'

Joe and Izzy made their way back down the garden. As they passed the shed, Joe stopped and went back to look through the side window. It was so dark he couldn't really see inside.

'What can you see?' whispered Izzy.

'Nothing much. It all looks very neat, but I can't see details.'

'Let me have a look,' said Izzy, standing on her toes. She tutted. 'It's just too dark.' She lowered her heels and thought. 'Wait a minute!' With that, she ran around to the shed door which faced the house. 'It's not locked!'

Izzy checked the house over her shoulder. Nothing had changed. She lifted the catch to the shed door and it swung open easily. Now she was inside she could see it was organised in orderly fashion. It was very tidy, with shelves of pots and garden tools hung neatly at the sides.

Very tidy, except for one thing.

In the middle of the shed floor was Mrs Moonsong's downstairs wheelchair!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Helen,

Welcome again to the Book Bazaar and congratulations on your new book![br][br]KBoards is a Kindle fan and reader forum. As you browse KBoards, keep in mind that *self-promotion, of any sort, is ONLY allowed in the Book Bazaar*. (You've posted your book thread in the right place; this is just our standard welcome that we place in all book threads. ) [br][br]A brief recap of our rules follows: [br][br]*--Please bookmark this thread (using your browser's bookmark/favorite function) so you can update it as we ask that authors have only one thread per book and add to it when there is more information.* You may start a separate thread for each book (or you may have one thread per series of books, or one thread for all of your books, it's your choice). [br][br]--We invite you to use your book cover as your avatar and have links to your book and website in your signature. Instructions are posted here [br][br]--While you may respond to member posts to your thread at any time, *you may only bump your thread (back-to-back posts by you) once every seven days*. Once you've responded to a member, that resets the clock to zero and you must wait seven days to post, unless another member posts before then. You may modify the latest post to reflect new information. [br][br]--We ask that Amazon reviews not be repeated here as they are easy to find at your book link. Also, full reviews from other sites should not be posted here, but you may post a short blurb and a link to the full review instead. [br][br]--Although *self-promotion is limited to the Book Bazaar*, our most successful authors have found the best way to promote their books is to be as active throughout KBoards as time allows. This is your target audience--book lovers with Kindles! Please note that putting link information in the body of your posts outside the Book Bazaar constitutes self promotion; please leave your links for your profile signature that will automatically appear on each post. For information on more ways to promote here on KBoards, be sure to check out this thread: Authors: KBoards Tips & FAQ. [br][br]All this, and more, is included in our Forum Decorum: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,36.0.html. Be sure to check it from time to time for the current guidelines and rules. [br][br]Thanks for being part of KBoards! Feel free to send us a PM if you have any questions. [br][br]Betsy & Ann [br]Book Bazaar Moderators


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*
*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*

**Children's adventure for readers 7 - 12**

Is there really a witch living in the neighbourhood and why does she go missing?

*~ This is one of nine children's books of mine: look out for the other threads. Also available are two short story collections for adults and a couple of books of humorous poetry~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*

*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*

Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking - and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.

As Izzy is helping Mrs Moonsong one day, she discovers a hidden door blocked by a cupboard.

Then Mrs Moonsong disappears...


*~ This is one of nine children's books of mine: look out for the other threads. Also available are two short story collections for adults and a couple of books of humorous poetry~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

[/url]

*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*
*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*

*Is Mrs Moonsong really a witch? 
The evidence is there, but when she disappears, Izzy will need more than magic to save her.*
​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Something strange is going on at 13 Arnison Avenue. Joe and Izzy are determined to find out what has happened to Mrs Moonsong and what her strange hippie nephew, Dylan has to do with it.

Here is an excerpt from the story where Joe and Izzy have sneaked into the back of Dylan's van:*​
  *Izzy and Joe felt every jolt in the back of the van. It was hard to breathe under the heavy blankets, so they made little gaps to let in some air around their faces. Unfortunately, the air was petrol-laden and soon they began to feel very sick. Dylan's journey was a very twisty one. It seemed as though they had taken the country roads. After about forty minutes the sound became dull as the road surface changed and the van bumped to a stop. They had driven onto grass, it seemed. They heard Dylan get out, but lay still for another five minutes in case he was heading from the driver's seat to the back of the van. Fortunately, he wasn't. Joe's head came out first and he knelt up like a meerkat.

'Blimey!

Izzy sat up too and looked through the van window. They had stopped in a field which was full of tepees and piles of twigs from dead camp fires. In the distance a group of hippies was sitting round a fire with guitars and tambourines and several hippies were wandering about in kaftans, ponchos and dashikis.*


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon*​
*One of twelve books by Helen Laycock *


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
*A witch, a potion, a hippy, ley lines, a door, a fire, a mystery...*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
*Song of the Moon*​
*Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'...*​


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## brycekinsley (Jul 25, 2013)

Keep the children's books coming.  Thanks.


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Thanks, Bryce!

I've got quite a few, but I highlight one or two a day. Glad you're enjoying the promotion.*


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*-one of nine children's books by Helen Laycock - and all at the bargain price of £1.53/$2.49*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

* £1.53/$2.49 *


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*

*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*​
Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking - and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.

As Izzy is helping Mrs Moonsong one day, she discovers a hidden door blocked by a cupboard.

Then Mrs Moonsong disappears...


*~ This is one of nine children's books of mine: look out for the other threads. Also available are two short story collections for adults and a couple of books of humorous poetry~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*
*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*​
**Children's adventure for readers 7 - 12**​
*Is there really a witch living in the neighbourhood and why does she go missing?*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
*Song of the Moon*​
*one of 12 books by* *Helen Laycock*​
*http://tinyurl.com/mghkfff*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Looking for a Halloween gift?*​
​
*Song of the Moon*​
*Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'...*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*'Mrs Moonsong sat in the tiny room lit only by flickering candlelight and a small beam of moonlight slanting through the small roof window, hoping and praying... '*​


*Song of the Moon*​
[size=16pt]*£1.53 or £2.49*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

Izzy stood up and put her hands on her hips. I wonder if I could. . . She took each side of the tall cupboard between her hands and heaved. It slid slightly on the wooden floor as it had some sort of wheels underneath. As she bent down again to pincer up the exposed corner of the paper, something caught her eye. Behind the cupboard was a closed door. What a strange place for a door.


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
*Song of the Moon*​ *£1.53 / £2.49*​
*one of 12 books by* *Helen Laycock*​
*http://tinyurl.com/mghkfff*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
*Song of the Moon*​ *£1.53 / £2.49*​
*HOW IT ALL BEGINS...*

*Izzy looked down at her feet as she kicked her way home from school one Thursday through the piles of autumn leaves that had gathered along Arnison Avenue. They flew up in great big clumps, like giant confetti, and made her scuffed black school shoes look even more dusty as they tumbled off her feet back on to the pavement.

As usual, Izzy had been last out again. She was a dreamer, Mrs Scott had written in her last school report.

It was true.

Not only was she a dreamer, Izzy had an imagination that often got her into trouble. Like a cluster of butterflies, her thoughts would often explode in so many different directions that she was able to conjure up all sorts of fantasies... which she happened to enjoy a great deal, as a matter of fact.

While all her friends had grabbed their bags and coats at the end of the day and dashed out of the cloakroom in a stream of navy and grey, Izzy had been gazing up at the framed artwork on the wall, methodically doing up her coat buttons, unaware of the flurry of activity around her.

She particularly enjoyed looking at a painting in the cloakroom that hung above the R -- W coats. It was of a white horse splashing through the foamy waves, the sky looming stormy and grey in the background. The painting was called 'Mirabelle' and the date in the bottom right-hand corner showed that it had been painted fifteen years earlier by a pupil called Suki-Mai Linderson-Taylor.

'Suki-Mai Linderson-Taylor,' Izzy would whisper to herself each time she looked at the painting. She was as mesmerised by this interesting name as she was by the skill of the artist. It had a musical quality to it and she never tired of rolling the words around in her mouth. How she wished she had been named something more beautiful than Isadora Wellington, which seemed to clunk off her tongue with a thud, just like a pair of dirty old boots being dropped.
Izzy was sure that Suki-Mai had been a beauty. She imagined her as having sleek black hair, the type that reflected the light, and swished without getting knotted. Her eyes, Izzy imagined, would be the type of light hazel which could also look slightly green... and magical. Suki-Mai would have returned home at the end of the day with a uniform as pristine as it had been when she'd left the house that morning -- and hair still immaculate, not straggling round her face, wind-swept and grass-laden as Izzy's was now.

Izzy blew a short blast of breath upwards to disperse an annoying strand of hair that was obscuring her vision. It lifted and fell back over her eyes; she left it there and continued to tramp along through the papery leaves, watching the toes of alternate shoes pop up over and over as if they were little animals peeking out after hibernation.

Oh, now her left shoelace had come undone!

As Izzy bent down to tie it, her scarf blowing irritatingly across her eyes, she heard a rap on the window of number thirteen. 
*


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Not all witches wear pointed hats and ride broomsticks. Not all witches are scary. Take Mrs Moonsong, a lovely old lady with a very kind heart...

Oh no! Someone has taken her!* ​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
       ​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*
*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*

*Is Mrs Moonsong really a witch? 
The evidence is there, but when she disappears, Izzy will need more than magic to save her.*
​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*
*
[size=12pt]*Izzy and Joe find themselves stranded at the hippy festival...
*
Izzy nodded and started walking towards the music. 'Well, if there is some sort of festival, perhaps we can find someone there who lives near us and they can give us a lift back. Come on.'

Joe realised that this was the only option and followed Izzy. As they traipsed across the fields, they saw the top of Dylan's van zooming away behind the hedges at the edge of the field in which they had originally found themselves.

'It's just as well we're not going back with him,' said Izzy. 'There's no way we could have got out of the back of his van without being seen, and it rattled.'

'I bet that tepee stank, too,' laughed Joe, trying to make the best of a bad situation.

As they approached the makeshift car park, they could see a banner pointing to the entrance of the hippy convention. It said on it in large rainbow-coloured letters 'GO WITH THE FLO'.

In smaller letters, after FLO, was 'wers' to make the word 'Flowers'.

There was no charge to get in, it seemed, as they walked through the tented entrance. They felt like outsiders as they entered a mystic world of New-Agers. No one was hurrying. The vibe was mellow and the pace unhurried as groups milled around in strange clothing and hats. A bearded man in a jester's hat was sitting cross-legged holding a banner proclaiming 'Serenity' and not far from him was a fire-juggler who, occasionally, became a fire-eater. All around were stalls, and strange smells and tinny music filled the air.

'There's one selling dream catchers!' noted Izzy, delighted, pointing at a stall.

'I might have a henna tattoo,' joked Joe as they passed a girl painting patterns on another's hand. They were just sitting on wooden chairs in the space in front of the stalls and were both wearing long skirts with bare feet showing beneath. A small fire burned nearby where a man in a harlequin-coloured suit was cooking something skewered on a long stick.

'She looks like she could do with a hair wash,' whispered Izzy. Joe nudged her.

'Hey, how about we have our fortunes told? There's an astrologer's tent over there and a palmist next door,' suggested Joe. They looked at a wild-haired woman sitting in the doorway of a green tent hung with silver streamers and a man with a plaited beard and dreadlocks dressed in a long patchwork robe and leather sandals in the tent next door.

'I'll think about it.' Izzy smiled.

A flute player began a melodic, mystical tune and nearby a group of men and women dressed in orange and purple shifts held hands, forming a circle. They swayed rhythmically, as if in a trance. They became a human wave, ebbing and flowing in unison, their colourful robes echoing their movements.

'This is surreal,' said Joe.

Izzy was entranced. 'I like it here. It feels kind of peaceful.'

At that moment, a girl with a ring of flowers in her hair who was twirling a green ribbon stopped to hug Izzy. 'Peace, sister.'

Izzy pulled a face as she moved on. 'Well, perhaps not that much!'



[/size]


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*
*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*

**Children's adventure for readers 7 - 12**

Is there really a witch living in the neighbourhood and why does she go missing?

*~ This is one of nine children's books of mine: look out for the other threads. Also available are two short story collections for adults and a couple of books of humorous poetry~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Izzy found herself staring into Mrs Moonsong's clear, grey eyes. Her skin was powder white, she noticed, and her shiny white hair, which was pulled tight across her scalp in a bun, gleamed. She was wearing a simple green knitted dress and round her neck hung a large round black pendant. In its centre was a mother-of-pearl star. On her lap was a willow basket filled with herbs.*​
*Song of the Moon*

​
*£1.53 or $2.49*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*
*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*

*Is Mrs Moonsong really a witch? 
The evidence is there, but when she disappears, Izzy will need more than magic to save her.*
​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue. Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.*​
[/url]

*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*
*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*

*Suitable for readers aged 7 - 12*



*As Izzy is helping Mrs Moonsong one day, she discovers a hidden door blocked by a cupboard.

Mrs Moonsong mysteriously disappears. In her place is a strange hippie, Dylan, her nephew. He is unwilling to engage in conversation with Izzy and Joe, her cousin, so they are forced to spy on the house from the track at the back of the garden. They discover Mrs Moonsong's wheelchair in the garden shed. Without it she is stranded.

Believing he has something to do with his aunt's disappearance, the children continue to spy on Dylan who seems to be engrossed in collecting strange ingredients for a 'recipe' which turns out to be a spell. It seems that Mrs Moonsong's house was built where ley lines meet, and that, if a witch should happen to live in such a place, then evil is magnified. The spell requires that the house should be burned down at full moon.

A potion needs to be secretly administered to Dylan. The plan succeeds, but only partly. Dylan has locked himself in the secret room with Mrs Moonsong when he falls into a drugged sleep and blocks the door. He has already set the house alight at this point. It is a race against time to get the key...*

*~This is one of nine children's books by Helen Laycock. Look out for the other threads~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

A slightly shorter read for those children who struggle with lengthy books - but jam-packed with excitement!​
£1.53​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

is still available as a Kindle book and will shortly be available as a paperback, too.

For more books by Helen Laycock, as well as anthologies in which she has had work published, please see her Author Page~

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Helen-Laycock/e/B006PGFVL6
US: http://www.amazon.com/Helen-Laycock/e/B006PGFVL6


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Mrs Moonsong is in danger and only Izzy and Joe can save her...*​


*Song of the Moon*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
*Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair-bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue.

Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, her favourite piece of music is The Sorcerer's Apprentice and she makes peculiar concoctions from the herbs she grows in her garden.

When Mrs Moonsong disappears and a strange hippy moves into her house, Izzy and her cousin, Joe, are concerned. It seems he is the one intent on casting spells and Mrs Moonsong is not the only one in danger. *​
*Song of the Moon*

Paperback: *£4.00*
Kindle: *£1.53*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*
*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*

*Is Mrs Moonsong really a witch? 
The evidence is there, but when she disappears, Izzy will need more than magic to save her.*
​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*-one of nine children's books by Helen Laycock - and all at the bargain price of £1.53/$2.49*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Halloween's a-coming, so what better gift than a book about a witch...*​




*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*
*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*

*Also available in paperback*.​
**Children's adventure for readers 7 - 12**​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Is there really a witch living in the village and why does she go missing?*



*Song of the Moon* *Kindle:$2.43 Paperback: $6.45 *
*Song of the Moon* *Kindle:£1.53 Paperback:£4.00*

**Children's adventure for readers 7 - 12**

*~ This is one of nine children's books of mine: look out for the other threads. Also available are two short story collections for adults and a couple of books of humorous poetry~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *$2.49*
*Song of the Moon* *£1.53*

**Children's adventure for readers 7 - 12**

A cupboard in front of a door? Why would anyone put it there?​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue. Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.*​


*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: £1.53 Paperback: £4.00*
*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: $2.43 Paperback:$6.55 *

*Suitable for readers aged 7 - 12*

[size=14pt]

*~This is one of nine children's mystery/adventure books by Helen Laycock, all of which can be found on Amazon as paperbacks or Kindle editions. Look out for the other threads~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue. Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.*​


*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: £1.53 Paperback: £4.00*
*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: $2.43 Paperback:$6.55 *

*Suitable for readers aged 7 - 12*

[size=14pt]

*~This is one of nine children's mystery/adventure books by Helen Laycock, all of which can be found on Amazon as paperbacks or Kindle editions. Look out for the other threads~*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

​
*Izzy and Joe have let themselves into Mrs Moonsong's house. What happens next is most peculiar:*

Joe watched Izzy as she pottered about in the kitchen, getting the snacks ready for Mrs Moonsong, then they both went to sit in the living room to wait. Izzy noticed a vase full of dead tulips on the coffee table.

'I'll put these in the bin,' she said quietly, beginning to get worried. 'It's not like her to let flowers die.' She pushed them into a heaving bin, full of food waste and continued to think aloud. '. . . or to let the rubbish build up. She normally composts stuff like this.' It was all very odd.

Izzy joined Joe again on the sofa and they sat in silence for a while. Suddenly, a van drew up at the front of the house, a door slammed and a key rattled in the lock of the front door.

Izzy's eyebrows furrowed. 'Who's that?' she whispered to Joe.

They didn't have long to wait. From the sofa they looked at the open living room door into the hallway where they saw a long-haired man putting down several plastic carrier bags of shopping. His hair was tied into an untidy ponytail and he was wearing a long, loose cheesecloth top, tied roughly with a scarf over baggy, psychedelic trousers. As yet, he was not aware of them. He shut the front door and made his way to the kitchen with the bags.

'We'd better go and introduce ourselves,' whispered Izzy, although she felt terribly uneasy.


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: £1.99 / Paperback: £4.00*

*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: $3.01 / Paperback: $6.55*​
Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking - and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.

As Izzy is helping Mrs Moonsong one day, she discovers a hidden door blocked by a cupboard.

Then Mrs Moonsong disappears...


*~ This is one of nine children's books of mine: look out for the other threads or visit my website for more details:

Helen Laycock | Children's Author
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/helen-laycock​
Also available are two short story collections for adults and a couple of books of humorous poetry~

Helen Laycock | Fiction in a Flash
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/fiction-in-a-flash​*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: £1.99 / Paperback: £4.00*

*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: $3.01 / Paperback: $6.55*​
Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking - and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.

As Izzy is helping Mrs Moonsong one day, she discovers a hidden door blocked by a cupboard.

Then Mrs Moonsong disappears...


*~ This is one of nine children's books of mine: look out for the other threads or visit my website for more details:

Helen Laycock | Children's Author
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/helen-laycock​
Also available are two short story collections for adults and a couple of books of humorous poetry~

Helen Laycock | Fiction in a Flash
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/fiction-in-a-flash​*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

Izzy's mum made bacon and eggs for breakfast on Saturday morning. Joe was looking forward to meeting the enigmatic Mrs Moonsong that Izzy had told him all about the evening before.

'So, do you really believe she's a witch?' Joe asked with a mouthful of food.

Izzy's mum raised her eyebrows at the sink.

'Well, sort of. Not the type that rides on broomsticks and turns people into toads. She's more of a white witch, you know, someone that makes remedies to cure people.'

*Song of the Moon*​
​
* Kindle: £1.99 / Paperback: £4.00

Kindle: $3.01 / Paperback: $6.55*​
            ​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: £1.99 / Paperback: £4.00*

*Song of the Moon* *Kindle: $3.01 / Paperback: $6.55*​
Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking - and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.

As Izzy is helping Mrs Moonsong one day, she discovers a hidden door blocked by a cupboard.

Then Mrs Moonsong disappears...


*~ This is one of nine children's books of mine: look out for the other threads or visit my website for more details:

Helen Laycock | Children's Author
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/helen-laycock​
Also available are two short story collections for adults and a couple of books of humorous poetry~

Helen Laycock | Fiction in a Flash
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/fiction-in-a-flash​*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

Kindle:$1.99 / $3.13 Paperback:£4.00 / $6.35

            ​
Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth, and an array of herbs in her garden from which she makes peculiar concoctions. She also has an uncanny aptitude for pre-empting whatever Izzy is about to say, or, indeed, is thinking - and her favourite piece of music is 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice'.

As Izzy is helping Mrs Moonsong one day, she discovers a hidden door blocked by a cupboard.

Then Mrs Moonsong disappears...


*~ This is a quick read for reluctant readers. I have written eight more books for readers of 8+, details of which can be found on my website:

Helen Laycock | Children's Author
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/helen-laycock*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*Thank you to Ellie Firestone for my Author Interview which has gone 'live' this week. You can read it on Ellie's blog :
*
http://www.elliefirestone.com/2015/10/an-interview-with-author-helen-laycock.html​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

Until 25th November, I shall be a Featured Author on Goodreads.

If you would like to ask any questions about my writing/books, you would be very welcome to drop in to the discussion here:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/17611570-featured-author-discussion---helen-laycock---nov-12-25


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*More information about all my children's books:

Helen Laycock | Children's Author
http://helenlaycock.wix.com/helen-laycock*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*If you would like to read the first chapter of [size=14pt]Song of the Moonhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006RNBL6Q/?tag=kb1-21, please click the link below:

https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/409909-song-of-the-moon[/size]*



            ​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*For more about my other children's books, you may like to read this recent interview:
*
http://bookschocolateandwine.com/interview-helen-laycock​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*If you would like to read the first chapter of [size=14pt]Song of the Moonhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006RNBL6Q/?tag=kb1-21, please click the link below:

https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/409909-song-of-the-moon[/size]*



*Suitable for readers aged 7-12

Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair-bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue.

Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth; her favourite piece of music is The Sorcerer's Apprentice; and she makes peculiar concoctions from the herbs she grows in her garden.

When Mrs Moonsong disappears and Dylan, a strange hippy, moves into her house, Izzy and her cousin Joe are concerned. It seems Dylan is the one intent on casting spells, and Mrs Moonsong is not the only one in danger.
*

            ​
*Kindle: £1.99 / $2.99
Paperback: £4.00 / $6.55*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

At the very end of Mrs Moonsong's back garden was a small footpath overgrown with weeds. The footpath led from a small wood which Izzy could see from her own bedroom window. To get to it, the children had to make their way to the country lane that ran quite close to Izzy's house and climb over a stile that led them through a field then into the wood.

By now it was dark and the wood had become quite a scary place. Without a torch and with only three-quarters of the moon's light, they could not see where they were stepping. Their sense of hearing seemed suddenly sharper. Twigs cracked, bushes rustled and the wood pigeons called to one another as the children picked their way along the path. Tall nettles brushed their hands as they reached out blindly for direction. Finally, they found themselves at the back end of the gardens of Arnison Avenue.

'Now it's just a matter of spotting the right house in the dark,' said Izzy. It wasn't difficult. One of them had children's play equipment in the garden, another had lights on upstairs and Izzy could see a young couple decorating. Mrs Moonsong's house was mostly in darkness, apart from a dim, flickering light downstairs -- more candles. 'That's definitely hers,' said Izzy, climbing over the rickety ivy-clad fence. 'There's her shed.'

Joe followed and they headed up the garden towards the back of the house.

'Well, if she is in bed,' said Izzy, 'she's got the curtains open and the lights off.'

'I suppose that's possible,' said Joe.

'She usually has the bedroom window open so that she can hear the wind chimes.'

'And it's closed,' concluded Joe. 'So, what shall we do now? We can't inform the police, because we don't actually know that anything's happened.'

Joe and Izzy made their way back down the garden. As they passed the shed, Joe stopped and went back to look through the side window. It was so dark he couldn't really see inside.

'What can you see?' whispered Izzy.

'Nothing much. It all looks very neat, but I can't see details.'

'Let me have a look,' said Izzy, standing on her toes. She tutted. 'It's just too dark.' She lowered her heels and thought. 'Wait a minute!' With that, she ran around to the shed door which faced the house. 'It's not locked!'

Izzy checked the house over her shoulder. Nothing had changed. She lifted the catch to the shed door and it swung open easily. Now she was inside she could see it was organised in orderly fashion. It was very tidy, with shelves of pots and garden tools hung neatly at the sides.

Very tidy, except for one thing.

In the middle of the shed floor was Mrs Moonsong's downstairs wheelchair!
 



*Song of the Moon*

Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair-bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue.

Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth; her favourite piece of music is The Sorcerer's Apprentice; and she makes peculiar concoctions from the herbs she grows in her garden.

When Mrs Moonsong disappears and Dylan, a strange hippy, moves into her house, Izzy and her cousin Joe are concerned. It seems Dylan is the one intent on casting spells, and Mrs Moonsong is not the only one in danger.

A short read perfect for children of 7-11.

Kindle: *£1.99/$2.49*
Paperback: *£4.00/$6.55*
*FREE* *on Kindle unlimited*.

Available worldwide:
            ​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

My books all feature on my children's website.

This is the page dedicated to *Song of the Moon*:

http://helenlaycock.wixsite.com/helen-laycock/song-of-the-moon​


Paperback: £4.00 / $6.55
Kindle: £1.99 / $2.44

            ​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

*If you would like to read the first chapter of [size=14pt]Song of the Moonhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006RNBL6Q/?tag=kb1-21, please click the link below:

https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/409909-song-of-the-moon[/size]*



*Suitable for readers aged 7-12

Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair-bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue.

Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth; her favourite piece of music is The Sorcerer's Apprentice; and she makes peculiar concoctions from the herbs she grows in her garden.

When Mrs Moonsong disappears and Dylan, a strange hippy, moves into her house, Izzy and her cousin Joe are concerned. It seems Dylan is the one intent on casting spells, and Mrs Moonsong is not the only one in danger.
*

            ​
*Kindle: £1.99 / $2.99
Paperback: £4.00 / $6.55*​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

Song of the Moon is a shorter read for 8-12-year-olds.​


*UK Paperback: £4.00 Kindle: £1.99*

*US link:* Song of the Moon
*US Paperback: $6.55 Kindle: $2.58
*​*Worldwide links:*             ​
*Isadora Wellington, known as Izzy, befriends Titania Moonsong, a wheelchair-bound old lady who lives at 13 Arnison Avenue. Rumour has it that Mrs Moonsong is a witch, which is hardly surprising: she has a black cat, Macbeth; her favourite piece of music is The Sorcerer's Apprentice; and she makes peculiar concoctions from the herbs she grows in her garden. When Mrs Moonsong disappears and Dylan, a strange hippy, moves into her house, Izzy and her cousin Joe are concerned. It seems Dylan is the one intent on casting spells, and Mrs Moonsong is not the only one in danger. 
*

If you'd like to know a little more, here's the website page:
http://helenlaycock.wixsite.com/helen-laycock/song-of-the-moon​
REVIEW QUOTES:
'Another magical adventure from Ms. Laycock'

'I enjoyed reading The Song of the Moon. Helen has a clear voice, it is as if I can hear her reading to me.'

'Song of the Moon is an exciting story that deals with more than a little danger, but it's also full of lessons about friendship and the value of understanding and problem solving that make it an entertaining and valuable read for children.'

'I loved the names of the characters, and thought that Titania Moonsong sounded a lovely woman. Izzy made me think of a more sensible Pippi Longstocking. I liked the way Helen gradually built up Dylan the nephew into an every more wacky character (especially the bit at the end with the white coat - read it and see).'

'This book has a satisfying plot and is very tidily linked together. I enjoyed the colourful description of the hippy festival, and the exciting climax to the story.'


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

Thrilled to get my second Readers' Favourite 5* seal this week (not sure how to post a picture of the shiny award!), this time for

Song of the Moon

Here is what was written: 
'Song of the Moon by Helen Laycock is a fantastical adventure that revolves around Isadora Wellington who wants to earn her Brownie Merit Badge by helping elderly people. Izzy decides to help Titania Moonsong, an old woman who is wheelchair bound. Mrs. Moonsong lives down the street and she is friendly, but there are rumors that she is a witch. Mrs. Moonsong takes up Izzy's offer of help, but then Izzy feels that there is something eerie and dangerous. One day Izzy finds a closed door behind a cupboard. Things take a turn when Mrs. Moonsong disappears. Is she really a witch? Is her nephew, Dylan, trying to harm her? Will Izzy be able to help and earn her Community Badge?

The story builds up nicely and the author weaves danger, mystery, suspense, and intrigue into the story, making readers wonder about Mrs. Moonsong. The story also conveys messages of friendship and the importance of helping during times of need through the plot. There is always a sense of urgency and suspense that lurks behind the words as the story progresses, and that makes young readers curious to learn more about what is going to happen next. Helen Laycock is one of my favorite children's authors. She combines mystery and magic together, along with memorable characters and good messages through her stories, making them a must-read. It is a good story for bedtime storytelling and can be used for read aloud sessions in classrooms and school libraries.'

​


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## Helen Laycock (Apr 10, 2012)

_Here's an excerpt from_ *Song of the Moon*

(UK link: *Song of the Moon*)​
*For readers of 7-12*​
​
From inside the room she could hear Mrs Moonsong's voice. 'For goodness' sake, boy, get down from the roof.' Joe had got Macbeth and was peering in at her through the tiny roof window, struggling to prise it open from outside.

'It's useless. Save yourself. I'll never fit through that small window, and besides, I can't climb up to it, or down from it. Please, just get down.'

Joe disappeared with Macbeth under his arm. Izzy, meanwhile, heard the key drop. She lay down and peered under the crack at the door.

'Izzy! Go!' pleaded Mrs Moonsong.

'I've nearly got it!'

Izzy grabbed a piece of card from the desk and swiped it under the door. She heard the key scrape. Again and again, she swiped at it, getting it closer and closer until she could just see it, an enticing strip of metal wedged under the opening.

As quick as a flash, she grabbed the Old dog, New tricks magnet off the side of Mrs Moonsong's computer. It gave her just enough pull to draw the key through slightly. Jabbing it with her fingernail, she slid it out completely. It was cylindrical, the type that is used when a door needs an extra security lock. Izzy's dad had fitted something similar on an internal door to their garage. Her hands were trembling as she frantically inserted it into the lock and heaved on the door. It began to open. On the other side, Dylan slid across the floor in front of it.

'Oh, Izzy! Quickly! We need to help Dylan, too!'

Izzy spun round and ran on to the landing with her jumper pulled up over her face. She grabbed the light upstairs wheelchair and skidded back to her needy friend. Hauling Mrs Moonsong in, she hurtled to the stairlift, helped her in and sent it down, running alongside, bumping the wheelchair down, straight into the billowing smoke.

Thank goodness there was no power cut here.

At the bottom, she helped Mrs Moonsong back in, using only her sense of touch to guide her in the darkness.

But, quickly becoming disorientated and unable to find her way to the front door, both Izzy and Mrs Moonsong soon became submerged in a sea of blackness.

            

Kindle: *£1.99* (*FREE* on Kindle unlimited) / *$2.62*
Paperback: *£4.00* / *$6.55*​


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