Big George

In the year 1103, England is a dark, wild country where people believe in fairies, dragons and the chance of magic. One night a loud crash shakes a forest, and a Stranger from outer space, the first visitor to England from beyond Earth, lands in the middle of it. He looks much like the people of Earth, except that he is far taller, with blue and green hair and a pale face that glows like a distant star. The landing leaves him with bumps and bruises, and it knocks out of his head any memory of where he came from and why he was sent.

When the Stranger walks out of the forest, a frightened poacher named Simpkin Sampkins sees him first and hurries off to spread the news. The next person he meets is kinder: Tilly, the miller's daughter, who is happy to make a new friend. She cries out "By George" at the sight of him, and the name sticks. Tilly and George speak different languages but understand each other perfectly, and they quickly become close friends.

Trouble follows. Tilly's greedy father plans to sell her into marriage to Bones Lousewort, the gruesome son of the local Baron. The villagers, scared of something so strange and so large, turn on George. Baron Lousewort and his two nasty helpers, Silas Sludge and Bartholomew Bog, scheme to kill him. And without knowing it, Tilly and George are racing against time, because George's internal clock is set to put him to sleep for nine hundred years.

This tale of friendship and understanding, set against a fantastical medieval backdrop full of plots and excitement, is written for middle readers who enjoy adventure and humor.