Scholastic signs actor Vicky McClure’s children’s book inspired by dementia campaign

Scholastic UK has signed the debut children’s book from BAFTA award-winning actor and producer Vicky McClure, best known for her roles as DI Kate Fleming in BBC’s “Line of Duty”, Lol in Shane Meadows’ “This Is England” and Lana Washington in “Trigger Point”.

Lauren Fortune, fiction publisher, acquired world rights to The Jase Files: The Castle Rock Mystery Crew, written in collaboration with Kim Curran, from Eugenie Furniss at 42. Described as a “laugh-out-loud, twisty mystery for young readers”, it will be published in May 2023.

Curran is the author of several books for young people, including Slay and Slay on Tour (Usborne Publishing). She is represented by Clare Wallace at the Darley Anderson Children’s Book Agency.

The story of The Castle Rock Mystery Crew follows 10-year-old Jase, who is spending the summer holidays at the Castle Rock caravan park with his auntie and grandma, who has dementia.

The synopsis continues: “Expecting to be totally bored, he meets three other curious, brave, funny kids and together they solve the mystery of a series of thefts happening across the campsite. The finger of blame has started pointing at the children — they must find the true culprit to clear their names and see justice done!"

McClure is the founder of Our Dementia Choir, which explores the impact of music therapy on those living with dementia. The choir featured in a BBC documentary in 2019 and it has since returned for a 2022 BBC series, “Our Dementia Choir Sings Again”, which sees McClure look at issues surrounding the care system.

McClure said: “It’s very important to me that The Castle Rock Mystery Crew will not just entertain but educate readers. Inspiration for the story comes from my work with ‘Our Dementia Choir’ and ‘Line of Duty’, my favourite film ‘Stand By Me’, and my own childhood holidays in ‘Skeggy’! It has been a lot of fun working alongside Kim Curran and sharing ideas with my sister Jenny and her son to create this brilliant crew and the adventures that unfold!

“The Castle Rock Mystery Crew is an exciting mystery story, set in Skegness over the summer holidays. It focuses on the importance of friendship, dementia within families, working-class voices and the great fun of playing detectives! I know reading can be a struggle for some so I hope my book, with pictures throughout and exciting mysteries to solve, will encourage a real feeling of achievement in young readers turning the pages and escaping into a world that feels relatable and rad!”

Fortune described the book as a “wonderfully plotted, everyone’s-welcome, page-turning mystery.” “Vicky’s campaign to widen and demystify the conversation around dementia is inspiring – dementia is a disease that touches so many families, and this book depicts it with kindness and tremendous warmth,” she said. “Vicky has brought her wit, creativity and passion to every part of the process; we are so thrilled to be working with her and Kim on this exceptional story – it shines with true child appeal.”