The Battle of The Black House

By Siri Kolu Johanna Lumme

Tomtom encounters the wild house of nightmares in the finale of the popular trilogy.   Scurry Manor has settled on an island by the sea alongside six other wild houses. New astonishing inventions crafted by millionaire van Böök continue to arise in each houses. Everyone is well aware that the peaceful era on the island is just a short break before the upcoming battle to which each and everyone, both houses and residents must be prepared. A period of training and developing skills begins, including climbing on roofs, swing jumps and moving silently. Upon the arrival of springtime, the houses swim to the mainland for the inevitable combat with their arch enemy HeadTech, and the battle begins.   

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About the author

Siri Kolu (b. 1972) is a writer, dramatist, director and theatre instructor, which are among her many duties in the Finnish cultural field.She is a Finlandia Junior Prize winner and her works have been translated into 22 languages. Kolu has been awarded the Laivakello Prize by the Finnish Institute for Children’s Literature, and in the Netherlands, she won the Silver Slate Pencil. Me and the Robbersons received an honorary mention in British Book Trust’s ”In Other Words” competition in 2018. Kolu is a front-line author with a strong voice and she has published a broad range of works that range from humourous middle-grade stories to edgy YA cross-over fiction. 

Johanna Lumme (b. 1990) is one of the most renowned illustrators and children’s book authors in Finland. The artist and illustrator is recognised for her illustrations in Finnish primary school books in collaboration with author Siri Kolu.Lumme is also the illustrator of two middle-grade series written by Kolu. The first series, Wild House, has appeared between 2019 and 2021. This was followed by the duo’s trilogy The Woken Ones of which the two first titles came out in 2022 and 2023.The artist began her own series of picture books as well. In 2019, Lumme brought out The Jungle Crew – Into the City! which is her debut picture book where the story of the Jungle Crew begins. This beautifully illustrated series presents a group of animal friends who move out of their home jungle into the city, and try to navigate their way in their new urban surroundings. All pictures are drawn and painted by hand, giving young readers a visually stunning series that teaches about being in a new environment and also taking care of it.