Jim Smith - A Super Weird! Mystery - Danger at Donut Diner

Massive thanks to my editor, Liz Bankes, for all her genius help with this book, and to my amazing publisher Ali Dougal and brilliant agent Caroline Sheldon for always being so keel. And to Jenny and Woody for telling me when something’s rubbish, and coming up with the title!

First published in Great Britain 2020 by Egmont UK Ltd, 2 Minster Court, London EC3R 7BB

Text and illustration copyright © Jim Smith 2020

The moral rights of Jim Smith have been asserted.

First e-book edition 2020

ISBN 978 1 4502 9545 1

Ebook ISBN 978 1 7803 1806 6

barryloser.com

www.egmont.co.uk

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Stay safe online. Any website addresses listed in this book are correct at the time of going to print. However, Egmont is not responsible for content hosted by third parties. Please be aware that online content can be subject to change and websites can contain content that is unsuitable for children. We advise that all children are supervised when using the internet.

Egmont takes its responsibility to the planet and its inhabitants very seriously. We aim to use papers from well-managed forests run by responsible suppliers.

Contents

Cover

Dedication and Copyright Massive thanks to my editor, Liz Bankes, for all her genius help with this book, and to my amazing publisher Ali Dougal and brilliant agent Caroline Sheldon for always being so keel. And to Jenny and Woody for telling me when something’s rubbish, and coming up with the title! First published in Great Britain 2020 by Egmont UK Ltd, 2 Minster Court, London EC3R 7BB Text and illustration copyright © Jim Smith 2020 The moral rights of Jim Smith have been asserted. First e-book edition 2020 ISBN 978 1 4502 9545 1 Ebook ISBN 978 1 7803 1806 6 barryloser.com www.egmont.co.uk A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Stay safe online. Any website addresses listed in this book are correct at the time of going to print. However, Egmont is not responsible for content hosted by third parties. Please be aware that online content can be subject to change and websites can contain content that is unsuitable for children. We advise that all children are supervised when using the internet. Egmont takes its responsibility to the planet and its inhabitants very seriously. We aim to use papers from well-managed forests run by responsible suppliers.

Title Page

Meet the Pebbles

Rhubarb Plonsky

The next chapter

Donut High Street

Another blooming chapter

The Cool Doods

Daily Donut HQ

Donut Super-market

Boring old bus stop

Doesn’t time fly

Still still Thursday

Donut Diner

The offer

Melvin’s wee

Melvin the Cool Dood

Trouser pocket

Shiny little Pebbles

Melvin’s room

Great Aunt Pebble

The sleep-over

Weird Hector

Rubbish morning

Rhubarb’s present

Super moon

Doodard and Doshi

Danger at Donut Diner

Melvin has an idea

The plan

Get scooping

What they were whispering

No more squeeze

Diving into the monster’s bum

Swimming down an arm

Deirdre’s jam jars

Back to Donut Diner

Mystery solved

Best title yet!

Back series promotional page

See that car driving over the bridge? Inside it are some Pebbles.

I don’t mean pebbles like stones. What I mean is a family called The Pebbles.

This is what they look like:

Sorry if you’re listening to an audiobook, by the way.

The Pebbles were driving from Hokum City towards a completely round island.

On one side of the island, three huge clumps of earth had fallen into the sea, making it look like a giant fish had taken a bite out of it or something.

‘Donut Island here we come!’ grinned Deirdre Pebble, peering into the rear-view mirror. ‘Looking forward to your new life, kids?’

Swirling black thunderclouds rumbled in the sky above and lightning flickered like a half-broken bulb.

‘Nope,’ said Violet Pebble, who was the oldest and most annoying of the two. ‘I don’t see why I have to leave all my friends behind just because you got a stupid new job.’

‘Violet!’ cried Norman Pebble in his trying-to-be-a-dad voice. ‘Your mother’s new job is NOT stupid.’

Melvin Pebble, who was sitting next to his big sister, wiggled his bum in its seat. ‘I can’t wait,’ he said.

Violet rolled her eyes. ‘It’s alright for you,’ she said. ‘Your friends are all complete losers.’

‘Violet!’ snapped her mum. ‘Melvin’s friends are NOT losers.’

Melvin peered out his window at the storm. ‘It’s okay, Mum,’ he said. ‘Vi’s right. My friends ARE losers. And so am I.’

He held a finger up. ‘But not any more,’ he said. ‘Pebble family, I have an important announcement to make.’

A bolt of lightning shot out of a cloud, striking the middle of the island with an enormous . . .

‘WAAAHHH!!!’ screamed the Pebbles, as the car swerved left and right.

‘So, my announcement,’ said Melvin, once they’d all settled down again. ‘I have decided that from now on I’m gonna be the coolest kid in town.’