The Spider Gnomes

The Spider Gnomes
Linda Chapman

Lee Weatherly

The third action-packed quest in an exciting new six book character-led series for 7+ girls who love fantasy, adventure, and high-kicking heroines!On her tenth birthday, tomboy Sophie learns she is the Guardian of a magic gateway between our world and the Shadow Woods. She must keep the human world safe from mischievous goblins, sprites and elves.It’s the turn of the Spider Gnomes, gruesome man-sized spiders who make their webs in the trees of the Shadow Woods, to do battle with the Guardian.When the whole town becomes infested with spiders, Sophie and Sam realise something is seriously wrong, and the daring duo enter the Shadow Woods to investigate. During a terrifying encounter with these eight-legged Shadow Creatures, Sam gets bitten and starts acting very strangely… It doesn't take long for the pair to realise that the Spider Gnomes' fangs carry a poison that turns their victims into spiders themselves! Can Sam find the antidote before it’s too late, and can Sophie figure out the strange clue before the spiders invade the town, find the gem and deliver it into the horrid hands of King Ug?

Sophie and the Shadow Woods

The Spider Gnomes

Linda Chapman & Lee Weatherly

Illustrated by Katie Wood

Dedication (#u9fc893a4-d87c-5864-9e11-cbfac2f1e597)

To Georgia Purcell, Lucy Jones and Jessica Jones whose names were almost in it!

Contents

Cover (#ue298ed0b-d796-579e-a803-e6e1cb4a58da)

Title Page (#u0ea5e9ad-57fb-5e57-89d9-37f95734bed6)

Dedication

The Shadow Woods

Chapter 1 - The New Clue

Chapter 2 - Spider Invasion

Chapter 3 - A Curtain of Cobwebs

Chapter 4 - Escape!

Chapter 5 - Sam Behaving Strangely

Chapter 6 - A Nasty Bug

Chapter 7 - Cobwebs for Supper

Chapter 8 - The Spider Gnomes

Chapter 9 - A Cobwebby Encounter

Chapter 10 - Run For Your Lives!

Chapter 11 - In the Woods…

The Shadow Files (#litres_trial_promo)

What’s next in store for Sophie

Copyright

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

The Shadow Woods… (#u9fc893a4-d87c-5864-9e11-cbfac2f1e597)

Very few people ever enter the Shadow Woods. The crooked trees press closely together, their branches reaching out like skeletons’ arms. Strange whispers echo through the quiet air, and eyes seem to watch from the shadows. Anyone who does go in soon leaves, their skin prickling with fear. For these woods are like no others. Hidden deep within them is a gateway to the Shadow Realm – a dark and chaotic world where all the mischief-making creatures like goblins, boggles and trolls live.

Many hundreds of years ago, the Shadow Realm creatures could pass freely between our world and theirs, but they caused so much trouble that it was decided the gateway between the two worlds must be shut for good. Yet no one knew how to do this, until a locksmith with magical powers made an iron key and then slotted a gem from the Shadow Realm into its handle. The secret had been found! The locksmith forced as many shadow creatures as he could back into their own world and locked the gateway firmly behind them.

From that day on, the locksmith became the Guardian of the Gateway, watching over the precious key and stopping the few shadow creatures left in this world from causing too much trouble. As he grew old he passed his powers on to his grandson, who in turn passed the powers on to his. For hundreds of years, the Guardianship has passed down from grandparent to grandchild, and the gate has always remained safely shut.

But now for the first time, disaster looms. The shadow creatures have stolen the iron key! Luckily, there was no gem in its handle when it was taken, but there are six gems from the Shadow Realm hidden somewhere in our world. If the shadow creatures find any of them, they’ll be able to slot them into the key and open the gateway, letting hordes of villainous creatures loose to cause mayhem and trouble.

Only one girl stands in their way… and her name is Sophie Smith.

Chapter 1 The New Clue (#u9fc893a4-d87c-5864-9e11-cbfac2f1e597)

I’m a Swamp Boggle and I’m coming to get you!”

Sophie peered cautiously round the tree trunk as the voice grew closer. There he was! She jerked back again, hoping he hadn’t seen her. Wait, she told herself. Let him get nearer…

She counted to ten. Her fingers tightened on the trigger. Now!

Darting out from behind the tree, she lifted her bright orange mega-soaker and fired a jet of water straight at Sam, her best friend. “Got you, you stinky Swamp Boggle!” she yelled.

Sam counter attacked, shooting water back at her. Sophie dodged away, diving to the ground and rolling over before leaping to her feet again.

“Hi-YA!” Dropping her mega-soaker, she jumped into the air, kicking out with her right foot in a tae kwon do move. She timed it closely because she didn’t want to hurt Sam really. He staggered backwards in surprise as her foot missed him by just a few centimetres.

“Whoa!” He tripped and landed on the grass.

“Ha!” said Sophie, dusting her hands down.

“Don’t mess with me, Swamp Boggle!”

She didn’t get to gloat for long. Sam pulled the trigger on his mega-soaker, drenching her legs with water. “Gotcha!”

Sophie squealed. Leaping up again, Sam chased her round his garden until their water pistols finally ran out and they both flopped on to the patio. Sophie’s blonde ponytail was dripping and Sam’s red hair was flattened against his head.

“I’m wet through!” Sam panted.

“Me too, but it was fun!” Sophie’s green eyes shone. “Isn’t it nice just to do something normal for a change.”

Sam grinned. “You mean fighting Ink Cap Goblins and Swamp Boggles isn’t normal?”