M. G. Leonard writes adventures for children who want a mystery, a creature or a journey to follow. Her books range from beetles and birds to trains and time travel. In 2026, families and school groups met the Time Keys stories at four festivals, with different routes into the events for each audience.
Quick facts
Best known for
Beetle Boy, Adventures on Trains, The Twitchers and Time Keys
Genre or subject
Children’s adventure, mystery, nature and time travel
Latest book
Attack of the Sea Dogs (2026), Macmillan Children’s Books
Leonard’s books include Beetle Boy, published in 2016, Adventures on Trains, The Twitchers and Time Keys. The natural world runs through her interests, alongside mysteries and adventure. She writes the train stories with Sam Sedgman, bringing a partnership into a career that also includes several series of her own.
Before becoming an author she worked in music, then theatre and digital production, with organisations including Shakespeare’s Globe and the National Theatre. For a reader who loves stories in different forms, there is an appealing thread from those working worlds to a book that can be carried home and reread.
Attack of the Sea Dogs, published by Macmillan Children’s Books in September 2026, is the fourth Time Keys novel, illustrated by Manuel Šumberac. It takes the recurring characters into the Elizabethan period. The publisher says it can be read independently, so a young reader can choose that historical adventure without feeling obliged to catch up first.
Where to start with their books
Beetle Boy
Darkus’s search for his kidnapped father leads to extraordinary beetles and a fashion-world villain with an interest in insects. The trilogy begins here: a choice for a child who enjoys a small creature becoming part of a much larger adventure.
Beetle Queen
Darkus and his friends keep trying to stop Lucretia Cutter while facing trouble closer to home. This second instalment is for readers who want to stay with the children and beetles after the opening story has made them care about the group.
Battle of the Beetles
The trilogy’s final adventure takes the threat towards a secret biome in the Amazon rainforest. Read on when the pleasure lies in seeing the friends carry their story through to its conclusion, with human and beetle companions facing the danger together.
Festival appearances
For tickets, use the host festival’s official box office. Confirm the date, venue and access details before paying.
Hay’s The Impossible Gladiator on 25 May welcomed readers aged eight and over, with inspiration behind the Ancient Rome adventure and questions for the author. Edinburgh’s Ancient Antics with M G Leonard on 26 August was for schools.
Where to see them next
No 2027 appearances announced yet. Check the festival guides for programme dates.
Plan your trip
Let the young reader choose the adventure that makes them curious. Read a chapter together if that is enjoyable, and invite them to think of one thing they would like to know about making the story. They can keep the question to themselves and still have a rewarding visit.
For a family outing, check age guidance and adult accompaniment before paying. Teachers planning a group trip should ask about the school route and whether a streamed option is offered for that event. Keep enough space in the day for a calm arrival and a pause afterwards to talk about the story.
Use the festival links on M. G. Leonard’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
Must my child read all her series first?
No. Start with the adventure they are excited about. They may enjoy recognising a character or asking how an idea began, but meeting a writer need not depend on completing a reading list. The newest title’s publisher also gives reading-order guidance.
What can a quieter child get from an author event?
Use the festival links on M. G. Leonard’s profile for the event’s own ticket and audience guidance.
How should I book a school visit?
Contact the festival through its schools programme. Give the pupils’ ages, group size and access requirements, and ask what the session involves. Confirm any stream or preparation directly with the organiser before planning a classroom activity around it.
Where are future dates announced?
The festival guides above lead to programme and ticket information. Look for both the story and the intended audience, then book through the organiser. You can use the author’s own site for book information while waiting to choose the right outing.
