“Anyway,” Sam continued, “the point is, Armitage Caruthers wasn’t afraid of anything. Not. One. Thing. Just like me. And he was always having adventures. When he eventually landed here, he took his trusty duck companion, Albertus, down from his shoulder”—he couldn’t afford a parrot—“and sat him on the ground. And thus, Sitting Duck was born!”
* * *
Armitage Caruthers Character Profile
1. Born in England in Ye Olde Days (a specific historical time period of about 400 years ago).
2. Developed a reputation for adventuring when he single-handedly beat the Loch Ness monster in arm wrestling.
3. Showed a flair for piracy early on when he made his brother Barnabus walk the plank for stealing his favorite pair of socks.
4. Earned a reputation for disaster in 1666 when he accidentally left his oven on and started a small fire that burned down half of London.
5. Left England and traveled the eight seas. (Soon there would only be seven, as Caruthers accidentally pulled the plug on one of them.)
6. Was cursed and imprisoned by the Mermaid Queen for impersonating a monkfish, but escaped and set off for the mystical New World.
7. Founded Sitting Duck but never did shake the Mermaid Queen’s curse. (I told you they were evil.)
8. Died a hero, defending the town against its first catastrophic event—the Great Octopus Invasion of 1675.
9. Lives on forever in the hearts and minds of Sitting Duckers.
* * *
Create a Disaster Survival Kit
What would you put in your own Disaster Survival Kit?
Maybe, like Arty, a Bristly Brain Basher (aka toilet brush) is all you need to keep enemies at bay?
Can you invent a more sophisticated form of weaponry using a toilet roll or an empty cookie tin?
Or do you really just want some sweets and a clean T-shirt?
Pack your bag for the apocalypse and keep it by the door in case of disaster!
Disaster Diaries
Zombies!
Aliens!
Brainwashed!
Robots!
Spiders!
Cursed!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R. McGeddon is absolutely sure the world is almost certainly going to end very soon. A strange, reclusive fellow—so reclusive, in fact, that no one has ever seen him, not even his mom—he plots his stories using letters cut from old newspapers and types them up on an encrypted typewriter. It’s also believed that he goes by other names, including A. Pocalypse and N. Dov Days, but since no one has ever met him in real life, it’s hard to say for sure. One thing we know is when the apocalypse comes, he’ll be ready!. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Read them all!
Excerpt from Disaster Diaries: Spiders!
Create a Disaster Survival Kit
Disaster Diaries
About the Author
Copyright
Text copyright © 2018 by Hothouse Fiction Ltd. Illustrations copyright © 2018 by J&D Creative (based on an original artwork concept by Jamie Littler).
A part of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
mackids.com
All rights reserved.
Read until the final pages,
Or you’ll be cursed throughout the ages,
With no one but yourself to thank,
When it’s time to walk the plank!
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
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Imprint logo designed by Amanda Spielman
First hardcover edition 2018
eBook edition February 2018
eISBN 9781250135667