Stella Steller in 'The Mystery of the Haunted House": Part 2

By SIMON GRANT, Illustrator KATE WELLS

But on this particular morning Tim was behaving very strangely. He was flailing about in a rock pool like a helicopter that was about to crash.

"Yes, yes," said Stella, as she tried to write in her prickly notebook, "I know something's haunting you, but what is it?"

She did a special finger-squiggle at Tim to try and calm him down, but all he did was get his tentacles in a tangle.

"Dratted dung beetles and lopsided ladybirds!" exclaimed Stella. "I need answers, Tim - not question marks!"

She sat down on a rock shaped like a weedy sea dragon, and wrote: Should I be looking for some sort of sea monster?' Then, just as she began wondering whether sea monsters had webbed feet, and whether they had gills or special amphibian lungs, she noticed something grey and mournful trudging along towards her.

"Oh no," she groaned, "it's Fester Snips."

Publisher: Breaksea Productions, $14.95

Age group: 5-9 years