WELCOME TO CRONGTON – where your loyalties and wits will be tested…
Things have been quiet in South Crongton. It’s been an age since anyone last spotted Manjaro, South Crong’s most notorious warlord. But there have been murmurs that something is coming.
Jonah is the fastest sprinter in South Crong, and has his sights set on an Olympic Medal one day. But with his dad now jobless, and his parents constant fighting because they can’t make ends meet, Jonah has more on his mind than the North/South Crong gang war games.
So when he gets kidnapped and taken to Manjaro’s secret hideout, it’s the last thing Jonah needs. But Manjaro’s latest game comes with a map and the promise of a big bag of cash at the end. Jonah’s family, and his parents’ marriage, could be saved with all that cash! It’s time for Jonah to rally the Crongton Knights again and follow the clues.
But will the map lead them to treasure, or something much more deadly?
Praise for the Crongton series:
‘Alex Wheatle is the real deal; he writes with heart and authenticity, books that make you laugh and worry and cry and hold your breath. It’s a pity there’s only one of him.’ Kit de Waal
‘I love Alex and all he stands for in the world of literature.’ Kerry Hudson
‘Alex Wheatle is an inspirer. He is a vital writer. He is a prince among men. Long may he reign.’ Lemn Sissay
‘An author with great talent and great heart.’ David Almond
‘A major voice in British children’s literature.’ S F Said
‘Alex is a one of our foremost literary activists, giving voice to the black working class experience with unsurpassed clarity and compassion. For this alone he should be universally considered a national treasure’ Stephen Kelman
‘A writer who knows unseen places, unheard people and untold stories because he has lived a life that might have remained hidden if he hadn’t found within him the urge and talent to write’ Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
‘Straight Outta Crongton has “classic“ singing from every page… A joyous shout of youthful exuberance… Wheatle’s Twain-like command of patois never falters… Enriching and life-affirming… A total gem.’ Independent
Sales
- Hachette Children’s, UK
Material: pdf and finished copies of the UK edition, published August 2023 (218pp)