Meet Emily Kenny!

When you read a book that you really enjoy, it is wonderful to have the opportunity to ask the author some questions so I was delighted when Emily Kenny, author of ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks’ agreed to take part in a little Q and A!

You can read my review of ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks’ here and I really recommend it. Alice is Autistic and it is so satisfying to see a neurodivergent lead character, who feels both authentic and relatable, shine through the pages of a book which is a very satisfying and enjoyable adventure. Add to this a cast of fabulous talking animals and some great friends and you have a winning story!

There were so many things I wanted to ask Emily- many on behalf of some enthusiastic and inquisitive young readers I know!- that I had to whittle down a very long list to just five that pleased us all!

Here we go…

1. The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks is your debut novel. Was this the first idea for a story that you have had or did you have lots to choose from?

The idea for Alice was the first one that really "stuck" for me. I've played around and tinkered with lots of ideas over the years but there was something compelling about Alice that meant I had to stick with it!

2. Animals are a significant part of your story. Which of your animal characters was the most fun to write?

Constance the bossy library cat was a lot of fun! She's really sassy with bags of attitude but a heart of gold. I also enjoyed Agent T the seagull just because I could really picture him and hear his voice (or squawk!)

3. If I was able to talk to just one animal, I would choose one of the wild ducks who come to visit our garden. Which animal would you choose and what do you think you'd talk about?

That's really hard to pick. Maybe one of my pet rabbits as they could tell me all the gossip from my garden. We have badgers, foxes, squirrels and lots of birds visit daily and the rabbits can see it all from their hutch so could give me the downlow!

4. Being true to yourself is a very important theme in the book. If you could give anyone one piece of advice on this, what would it be?

Celebrate who you are. It is harder said than done and is very much a process but once you move past accepting yourself to really embracing and celebrating, it is very freeing.

5. Alice, your main character, is Autistic, but whilst important, this is not the main focus of the story which is an excellent adventure/ mystery. Do you plan to write more stories about Alice and her friends or will you introduce us to someone else?

Yes, I am writing a sequel right now actually which is due out in 2023!

A huge thank you to Emily for answering these questions so brilliantly! I cannot wait to read Alice’s next adventure (2023 is FAR too long to have to wait!) and look forward to introducing as many readers as possible to ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks’ in the meantime!

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks

Emily Kenny

Rock the Boat ISBN: 978-0861542055

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks

Alice Tonks is about to start life at Pebblewood School, affectionately known as ‘Pebbles’, like her grandmother and mother before her. Anxious about being away from her grandmother who understands her, Alice is worried about making new friends as others do not always understand her autism and are not always kind or accepting. However, when a seagull speaks to her, Alice learns that she is a Switcher, a human who can talk to, and understand, animals. The seagull- Agent T- tells her that animals are being snatched and the LSPDA (the Loyal Society for the Prevention of Danger to Animals) needs her help. Whilst trying to solve this mystery, Alice must also navigate school life, learning who to trust and who her real friends are.

I loved this story so much! It is one of those books which could easily be spoilt by a careless review revealing too much so I shall proceed with caution!

Alice is a lovely character- so easy to empathise with, particularly as she struggles to be what she perceives as ‘Nice Alice’, a version of herself which is ‘acceptable’ to others, but is so tiring and difficult to maintain. What the reader comes to know is a very kind, loyal and honest girl, a good friend with a great admiration for Beatrix Potter. Her abilities as a Switcher are very well handled as she (and the reader) has much to learn about what she can actually do and her talents are gradually revealed as the story progresses. Alice might be an unlikely hero, but she comes to learn the importance of being true to herself, doing things her way and succeeding.

Friendship is key to the story and Alice makes friends with Ottie, her room mate, and Tim, who was kind to her on the first day. Both of these children are harbouring secrets of their own and Alice’s relationships are further complicated by the unwanted and unpleasant attention of Kelcie and Lexi, girls in their year group. In Constance, the library cat, and other animals, Alice also finds comfort and companionship as she strives to help them and solve the mystery.

The plot has some very satisfying twists and turns and a wonderful setting of school and seaside. ‘The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks’ would make an excellent class read, not only for having an autistic character centre stage and sympathetically portrayed, but also for being a cracking adventure, sure to cause gasps of ‘noooooo!’ when it is closed at the end of story time as the children will be desperate for more!

The Extraordinary Adventures of Alice Tonks Emily Kenny

Rock the Boat ISBN: 978-0861542055