Most girls are lovely. They put fancy ribbons in their hair, they collect kittens, they sing about helping hungry people (even the greedy ones). And then there's Agatha Bilke. Agatha is a pyromaniac - that's a girl who likes setting fire to things. She is mean and selfish and bent on causing harm. Her parents despair of her. They send her to the TreadQuietly Clinic for Interesting Children, a wacky boot camp where she meets other problem kids - Paul who's afraid of toast, Brenda who can't stop shouting, Miriam who thinks a meteorite is about to drop on her head. But none of them are prepared for Agatha - least of all the people in charge, the bumbling Humphrey doctors, who seem powerless to stop her in her bid for destruction.

 

This book was recognised by the Branford Boase Award. The Branford Boase Award is awarded annually for an outstanding first novel to a first-time writer of a book for young people. At the same time, it marks the important contribution of the editor in identifying and nurturing new talent.

There are 140 pages in this book. This book was published 2006 by Short Books Ltd .

Sian Pattenden has been a journalist for a few years, working for titles including Smash Hits, NME, The Face and the Guardian. She has also been on TV and radio. She is married to songwriter Luke Haines and lives in London.