Learn a little about my latest middle grade novel!
DH Jones
writer of middle grade books
Hello! I'm DH Jones
I've always loved reading and have been a writer nearly all my life. I was a newspaper publisher at age ten, an award-winning writer–producer in television, a television news executive, a member of SCBWI, and a teller of tall tales to my kids!
Dutty the Un-Invisible Boy
Dutty Livingstone really and truly believes he’s invisible. That might seem strange, that a ten-year-old boy actually thinks he's invisible, but there's a good reason for it. It’s 1919 after the Great War and the Spanish flu have made him an orphan. Two conniving con artists, Auntie Rose and Uncle Eli, move in and convince everyone they’ll take care of Dutty. And do they ever! Auntie Rose orders him around like her personal servant and delights in forcing him to do every single chore, all the while telling him he’s worthless, lazy, stupid and… invisible!
Everything changes one day when twelve-year-old Matty Crawford peeks through a hole in the garden hedge to learn for herself if the rumors about Dutty are true. Matty and two other new friends, Celeste and Stella, help Dutty discover what the Buzzes have really been up to. Together they devise a plan to con the con artists. Dutty must become un-invisible and use tricks, sleight of hand, and the secret of misdirection to stop the dastardly Buzzes before they take away everything he loves.
Fans of Roald Dahl and those who appreciate the charm and heart of Hunt for the Wilderpeople will enjoy this tale of overcoming adversity, discovering self-worth and the power of friendships that will keep you guessing right up till the very last flimflam!
Dutty's World in 1919 was fascinating!
100 years ago there was no TV, no cell phones, no computers. What was a kid's life like back then?