Contents
Cover
About the Book
Title Page
Dedication
Map
Max and Ben
1. Toby Turns Up
2. The Big Stink
3. Spider Surprise
4. Now You See It, Now You Don’t!
Gargoylz Fact File
Also by Burchett & Vogler
Copyright
About the Book
Max Black and Ben Neal go to Oldacre Primary School. Their school isn’t like any other, though, because there are monsters living on the church next door! They’re called Gargoylz and they are super sneaky, super naughty and have super powers too! (Well, OK, maybe not super powers exactly, but definitely powers!)
Join Max, Ben and the Gargoylz in this first book of four fun stories packed with mischief and magic!
For Amber Caravéo, for being so lovely to work with, and without whom the Gargoylz would not have come to life
- Burchett & Vogler
For Elodie who designed Toby, with all my love forever, Daddy x
- Leighton Noyes
Gargoylz: grotesque stone creatures found on old buildings, spouting rainwater from the guttering. Sometimes seen causing mischief and mayhem before scampering away over rooftops.
Hello, I’m the Web Gargoyle. Look out for me – I’ll be hiding in one of the pictures in the book. When you spot me, be sure to make a note of the secret codeword I’m holding. The codeword unlocks a secret level of the amazing Gargoylz game on our fabulous website at www.gargolyz.co.uk
School Report – Max Black
Days absent: 0
Days late: 0
Max is a bright boy. If he spent as much time on his school work as he does on annoying Lucinda Tellingly he would get much better marks. I am pleased to see that he enjoys exercise — although I do not count running down corridors making racing car noises. Also I would be glad if he did not shout “Awesome” quite so loudly every time we have football practice.
Class teacher – Miss Deirdre Bleet
The only good thing I can say about Max Black is that he is always early for school. However, he is the last one into the classroom. He spends far too much time playing tricks with Ben Neal. Mrs Pumpkin is still off sick after discovering an earwig farm in her handbag. Max ignores all school rules. He has recently developed a curious interest in drainpipes and has been seen talking to the wall. This behaviour is outrageous and must stop.
Head teacher – Hagatha Hogsbottom (Mrs)
School Report – Ben Neal
Days absent: 0
Days late: 0
Ben has many abilities which he does not always use. He works very hard at dreaming up tricks to play, which gives him very little time to concentrate on his learning. He enjoys football and skateboarding — indeed, he and his board can frequently be found upside down in a flowerbed.
Class teacher – Miss Deirdre Bleet
Ben Neal is a strange boy. He is often to be found grinning at gutters.
He constantly breaks school rule number 742: boys must not break school rules.
Ben thinks he can get away with anything by flashing his blue eyes and looking innocent. I am not fooled.
Indeed I am still waiting for him and Max Black to write a note of apology to Mr Bucket the caretaker. Gluing his wellington boots to the staffroom ceiling was outrageous!
Head teacher – Hagatha Hogsbottom (Mrs)
1. Toby Turns Up
MAX BLACK ZOOMED out of his front door. He was playing his usual game on the way to school. He was a nine-year-old secret agent, speeding along in his super-powered spy plane.
“MAX!”
He skidded to a halt, trainers smoking. His mum was standing in the front garden.
“You’ve forgotten your school bag again!” she called, holding it out.
Max ran back and snatched it up.
“Did you brush your hair this morning?” demanded his mother.
“Yes, Mum.” Of course he hadn’t. He’d lost his brush down the toilet months ago. His dark brown hair stuck up all over the place and that was how he liked it.
Max set off along the pavement again. There was a boy ahead of him dribbling a football. Max activated his spy radar to check him out: blond hair, blue eyes, big grin, nine and a quarter years old.
He knew what that meant. It was Ben Neal, codename: Best Friend.
Max sneaked up behind him. “Agent Black ready for action,” he hissed in Ben’s ear.
Ben grinned and passed the ball to Max’s feet. “New spy mission,” he yelled, running ahead. “Get football to school at top speed.”
They were soon at the gates. Max looked up at Oldacre Primary School, sandwiched between the ancient stone church and the post office.
“Another day of torture,” he groaned.
“Bell’s not rung yet,” said Ben. “Let’s practise some nifty football skills.”
“You’re on,” said Max as they ran through the playground. His spy radar homed in on someone: pale, skinny, face like a weasel. Max knew what that meant. It was Enemy Agent Lucinda Tellingly, codename: Bossy Boots. “Bet you can’t lob the ball right over Lucinda’s head.”
“That’ll be hard,” said Ben. “She’s got the biggest head in the world!”
Lucinda was standing near the netball hoop. Ben placed the ball carefully on the ground and took three steps back.
“Watch,” he said. “Straight over her head and through the hoop.”
Wham! Up went the ball. Down it came – thump! – right on top of Lucinda’s ponytail. It bounced off sideways and landed on the low flat roof over the staffroom.
“Now look what you’ve done, Lucinda,” moaned Ben, peering up at the ball. “It’s stuck.”
“Good!” snapped Lucinda. “I hope you never get it back.” Lucinda didn’t like Max and Ben – the boys had no idea why.
Just then, the bell rang for the beginning of school and Lucinda stomped off, tidying her ponytail.
“How am I going to get my ball down?” sighed Ben, ignoring the bell.
“We could try a fishing rod with glue on the end,” suggested Max.
Ben’s eyes lit up. “Brilliant plan, Agent Black.” Then he frowned. “There’s just one tiny problem – we don’t have a fishing rod.”
“Then we’ll have to get onto the roof,” said Max. “And I know how. We’ll climb up on that skip in the teachers’ car park.”
The skip was full of old furniture. Using a bookcase as a ladder, the boys were soon up on the staffroom roof.
Suddenly there was a skittering, scrabbling noise behind them. They whirled round.
Leafy