Phil Earle was born in the great city of Hull in 1974, and spent the next eighteen years playing a lot of sport, messing around in plays and trying to sing in bands. He has had jobs as a care worker in a residential kids' home and a bookseller, and now works as sales and marketing director for David Fickling books. In 2016, Phil was appointed as Reading charity BookTrust's new writer-in-residence. He lives on a hill in Yorkshire with his wife and three children and his favourite place to write is on the bus. Visit Phil's website, www.philearle.com, or follow him on twitter @philearle.

Kay Catt has a nickname: Scaredy Catt. And you can see why. You've never met a more anxious, mousy girl in your life!
But when she meets a mysterious old man on Storey Street, Kay just has to come out of her shell - or peek out, at least. Because Wilf Wilkinson isn't your average, cardigan-wearing old man. Oh no. Wilf has a cloak, a strange pointy hat, and some pretty extraordinary cats...
Wilf couldn't be a wizard... could he?