The Lightning Catcher

  • Middle Grade

  • May 2021

    • World All Languages: Bloomsbury

Alfie has noticed a few things since his family moved to Folding Ford. He really misses life in the city. He and his sister don't exactly fit in here. But the most interesting one is that the weather is BONKERS. One frost-covered branch on one tree in the middle of June? A tiny whirlwind in a bucket in the garden? Only in Folding Ford.

Armed with his bike, a notepad and his new best mate Sam, Alfie is going to investigate. His best clue is Nathaniel Clemm . the only thing in town weirder than the weather. When Alfie 'investigates' Mr Clemm's garden, only SLIGHTLY illegally, he finds a strange box that freezes his trainers and makes his teeth tingle. And when he opens it, only SLIGHTLY deliberately, SOMETHING gets out. Something fast, fizzing and sparking with electricity and very, very much alive. But the creature from the box brings trouble of its own, and as barometers and tempers go haywire in Folding Ford, Alfie finds himself at the centre of a perfect storm.

Selected Praise

This exciting, science-packed novel is a cracking read and bursts with action, warmth and humour
— BookTrust
This is great fun; an energetic middle-grade debut with a fresh contemporary feel and a good dash of Stranger Things
— The Bookseller
A fun, fast-paced fusion of science and imagination ... an electrifying adventure!
— Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs

Other books by Clare Weze