Pretty Perilous Parakeet

L. G. Cunningham's Pretty Perilous Parakeet is a funny, creepy animal adventure for 11 year olds about a boy who's sure his sister's new pet bird is up to something.

What happens

Archie Jones is twelve and animals are his whole world. He runs a "backyard zoo" in the garage (a tarantula called Matilda, a snake called Trevor, a rabbit called Arnold and three hamsters called Jim, Joe and Bob). His best friend is Lizzie, a leopard gecko who rides around in his pocket. His sister Sophia would rather be on her phone.

One Sunday their zookeeper dad takes them to a strange animal sanctuary out by the forest. It's run by a very odd man with a greasy ponytail. A wolf-like dog nearly has Archie for dinner. And Sophia falls in love with a little golden parakeet in an old red and gold cage, which the man suddenly agrees to let her take home.

Then things start going wrong. When the parakeet chirps, all the other animals freeze. Its eyes seem to flash red. The garage gets wrecked overnight and Archie takes the blame. Next day, he's sure he spots a flash of yellow in the tree outside his classroom window.

Is he imagining it? Nobody believes him, which is half the fun.

Archie is a lovely narrator. He's a bit of a loner and gets picked on at school (the bully calls him Dr Dolittle). But he's full of brilliant animal facts, some of them very silly. Did you know a rhino's horn is made of hair? His running battle with his sister is very funny too, and anyone with a sibling will recognise it.

It's more spooky-silly than properly scary. There's a big dodgeball match looming, a nice girl in class and a new school caretaker who loves animals as much as Archie does. The creepiness builds in small, chirpy steps.

It's written for the younger end of this shelf, and there's one "bloody" from Archie. If you've got a reader who loves animals and a slightly eerie mystery, this is a good fit.

What to read next

Next, try The Game With No Name by the same author. Twins Izzy and Noah have just moved into a dusty old manor full of cobwebs, and they're not getting on at all.