The Railway Mice of Countesthorpe
by Sharon E Laker

---

A group of friendly, fun-loving mice have made their home next to an abandoned railway station in Countesthorpe, England. Most days, the mice watch the humans come and go and wonder what they do with the newspapers they buy. Meanwhile, a small mouse named McGee is trying to figure out how he’s going to feed his family during the drought in Scotland. As luck would have it, McGee finds an open bag of barley, but it’s in the back of a van. Soon McGee unexpectedly finds himself in the small English village of Countesthorpe. There, McGee meets the friendly group of mice who promise to help him get back home to his family. The mice discover they must ask other animals in the village to help them get McGee back to Scotland. Everyone works together to overcome the various challenges that arise. Along the way, the mice, McGee, and other animals become good friends and have all sorts of exciting adventures. This book was awarded the bronze medal in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards contest.

www.sharonlakerauthor.com

---

"The Railway Mice of Countesthorpe is a sweet little book, suitable as a bed time read aloud for small children or as a chapter book for school age children. The personified story of a mouse family’s love and fun adventures, along with the friendship and support of a variety of animals, is a positive example for young children, as well as for those young at heart. The British setting of an old abandoned railway station reflects the personal memories of the author and adds a nostalgic touch, especially when accompanied by the charming, hand drawn sketches throughout the book. It is a great book for Grandmothers to read to Grandchildren." -J. Morton "What a charming story! Wonderful characters too. Even the odd, troublesome little ones are accepted and loved for who they are. It's a fun read too, with lots of rollick and adventure." "Children's books are a particularly challenging genre, requiring strong but uncomplicated stories pitched at the right age group without, at the same time, patronising the readers. Sharon Laker's book, Railway Mice of Countesthorpe hits the spot exactly. This is the tale of a family of mice living near a disused railway station in Leicestershire visited, by accident, by McGee a Scottish mouse and a Clan Chieftain. The plot moves quickly enough to hold a youngster's attention and the story is beautifully illustrated. I read the book to my grandchildren at bedtime over several night and they certainly enjoyed each episode. I did have to explain a couple of things, like 'shillings' and newspaper rounds but, if anything, the questions added to the interest. This is a world of friendly foxes, protective owls, petulant pigs and naughty rats . . . great fun. Does McGee get home safely? Well, you wouldn't want me to spoil a good story would you?" -Graham Wilkins "What a fun book to read to my granddaughter. We loved it and she giggled and made me read it twice. Thank you, Sharon Laker." -Abbigail Gallant "Having been born and bred in Countesthorpe, and knowing the author and her family I bought the book. It was brilliant and well written and bought back so many memories. I can recommend it for all ages." -Joy Gibbons Member of "Countesthorpe Memories" FB site. Countesthorpe, Leicestershire, England "Hello Sharon, my name is Isabella Shaw and I am 8 years old. My Nana bought me your book for Christmas and I have read it three times already. I really like it. My favourite character is Flower because she is very kind and I think it was nice of her to give Mr.Pickles a poppy. I think your book has a lot of interesting details and is fun to read over and over again. I didn't like that Foxy ripped off the rats head and tossed his body away. I hope you will write another one soon." -Isabella Shaw Moncton, N.B. Canada.

---

Sharon Elaine Laker was born in Leicester, England, and grew up in the village of Countesthorpe. She, her sister, Kim, and her cousin Lesley grew up playing around the village’s old train station and in the farmland surrounding it. Sharon moved to Canada when she was nineteen and eventually made her home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She attended the University of Manitoba and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in human ecology and psychology. In recent years, she has worked with children with special needs. She has also worked as a fashion merchandiser, costume designer, photographer, and jewelry designer. Today Sharon lives in the beautiful Annapolis valley in Lakeville, Nova Scotia. She has two children, Melanie and Charlie, and three dogs. In her free time, Sharon enjoys working on crafts and selling them at her annual craft show. She worked on The Railway Mice of Countesthorpe for about ten years before deciding to finally publish it.

---

Contributors

Author

Sharon E Laker

Illustrator

Eileen Boyd

---

Other eBook Editions

This book is also available in eBook format from these sites.

• Amazon Kindle Store
• Nook Store
• Kobo Store
• Apple Books
• Google Play