Today is my stop on the blog tour for the very funny Stick Boy by Paul Coomey. Paul and the team at Little Tiger have kindly shared two deleted scenes from Stick Boy, which I know will make you really want to pick up a copy and find out more about this unique character!
Scene One
Stick is running. He’s running faster than he has ever run.
Why is he running? Is this a dream again?
He’s running out of the town square, running as fast as he can away from the Mega Mall and the concert and from everything.
What’s going on?
He runs towards the canal, turning the corner onto the road that goes to Supersavers. Maybe he should go there? Mum is working, she’ll know what to do. He’s running as fast as his legs will carry him. He hears a massive crash and looks behind him to see a limousine with blacked-out windows screeching around the corner, smashing into some wheelie bins and sending them clattering into the road. It’s the Baron’s car! The engine roars as the driver speeds up.
You’re fast, Stick, but you’re not that fast. Best find someplace to hide.
He ducks down an alleyway, panting as he tries to go faster. The alleyway is empty, there’s nothing to hide behind, and no doors to slip through, even if he had time to unlock one. Behind him he hears the limousine screech to a halt. He keeps running, and around the next corner … is a dead end.
Flip. Think Stick.
There’s a fire escape above his head. There! He jumps, but it’s just out of reach. He hears a car door slam, and then the clatter of high heels on the concrete. He tries climbing the wall to reach the ladder of the fire escape but it’s no use and he falls, ending up on his bum in a puddle.
Get up, Stick! You need to find a way out of here before—
Oh dear.
Stick looks up to see Miss Bird standing over him, smirking like a wasp in a lift. And she’s not alone. Gretchen appears beside her, then Baron Ben, and then Jonny Vidwire himself. Wait, what’s he doing here…?
Scene Two
Stick sits up with a jolt, “Whatttimeisit?!”
“Ten o’clock,” says Bella. “Mum asked me to wake you up, said she wants to see you before she goes to work.”
“Aw what? She worked last Saturday and the Saturday before.” Stick makes a face. “We were supposed to do something together today. She promised.”
“Don’t make a thing of it, will you? She feels really bad already. Are you grumpy because you had a nightmare?”
“No. Yes? Maybe? I don’t know.” He yawns. “Okay. I won’t make a thing of it.” They head downstairs, and when Mum sees them she closes her laptop and smiles.
“My beautiful children,” she says, opening her arms to hug them both.
“She’s gone soft,” says Stick.
“Mrh mmow,” says Bella. “Get off, Mum! When are you going to grow out of this?”
“What are you two up to today then?” says Mum. “Are you going to this big concert at Evil Baron Bin’s Mega Bin Ripoff Blah Blah Mega Blah?”
“No way,” says Bella. “Lame.”
“I am,” says Stick.
“See? Lame,” says Bella.
“Don’t spend any of my hard-earned money there, will you?” says Mum. “Who are you going with? Those new mates of yours?”
“Yep. We’re meeting up at Alannah’s house first,” says Stick.
Bella and Mum look at him, then at each other. They nod, then sing together, “Stick’s got a girlfriend, Stick’s got a girlfriend…!”
“STOP!” shouts Stick, putting his fingers in his ears. “She’s not my girlfriend, she’s Ekam’s. But he’s not her boyfriend. Seriously, stop singing!”
Mum and Bella laugh. “We’re only teasing petal, it’s okay.” She smiles. “Why are you going there? I didn’t take you for a fan of saccharine pop drivel and rampant consumer capitalism.” She picks up her bag. “Where did I put my phone?”
“We’re going to prove to everyone that the Baron has been spying on us with the HomeBots and foil his evil plan to set up an secret satellite spy network,” says Stick. “and then Supersavers won’t lose money and go out of business and you’ll still have a job and everything will be okay.”
“Mmm. Sounds like fun, poppet,” says Mum, leaning down to give him a peck on the cheek. “Don’t stay out too late, and call us if you need a lift.” She strokes his eyebrow with her thumb. “Sorry I had to work today. We’ll do something together soon. Promise.”
Stick nods. Bella looks up from her phone and catches his eye. He smiles. “Okay, Mum.”
Stick Boy is a fun story about making friends, learning to fit in, and standing up to evil corporations trying to spy on people in their own homes.
Full of jokes and bright illustrations, it will have young readers giggling throughout.
Thank you Little Tiger for letting me be a part of this tour!