NOTABLE BOOK: 2018 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers

I was ten years old when my parents were killed by pirates. This did not bother me as much as you might think - I hardly knew my parents.

Bronte Mettlestone's parents ran away to have adventures when she was a baby, leaving her to be raised by her Aunt Isabelle and the Butler. She's had a perfectly pleasant childhood of afternoon teas and riding lessons - and no adventures, thank you very much.

But Bronte's parents have left extremely detailed (and bossy) instructions for Bronte in their will. The instructions must be followed to the letter, or disaster will befall Bronte's home. She is to travel the kingdoms and empires, perfectly alone, delivering special gifts to her ten other aunts. There is a farmer aunt who owns an orange orchard and a veterinarian aunt who specialises in dragon care, a pair of aunts who captain a cruise ship together and a former rockstar aunt who is now the reigning monarch of a small kingdom.

Now, armed only with her parents' instructions, a chest full of strange gifts and her own strong will, Bronte must journey forth to face dragons, Chief Detectives and pirates - and the gathering suspicion that there might be something more to her extremely inconvenient quest than meets the eye...

From the award-winning Jaclyn Moriarty comes a fantastic tale of high intrigue, grand adventure and an abundance of aunts.

PRAISE FOR THE KINGDOMS AND EMPIRES BOOKS 'Charms, thrills and delights ... brilliantly evoking echoes of Diana Wynne Jones.' Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Keys to the Kingdoms series 'Brimming with bright new magic ... Just perfect.' Karen Foxlee, award-winning and bestselling author of Dragon Skin 'It's my favourite book ever. I want to put it in a glass case to look at always. 5 stars!' Daisy, age 7 'Humorous, whimsical and beguiling ... intricately and ingeniously plotted tale.' The Australian 'A middle-grade version of Terry Pratchett's Discworld - fantasy adventure steeped in humour, with a touch of satire, and set in a whimsical secondary world of the highest order.' Booklist (starred review)