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Troubador Reuben and the Amazing Mind Machine

Released: 28/01/2021

ISBN: 9781800462113
eISBN: 9781800468436

Format: Paperback/eBook

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Reuben and the Amazing Mind Machine

by Jonathan M Hughes

Retirement can be boring, but not so for Reuben’s Gramps! In the time he now has to spare, this retired professor of neuroscience sets about to build a machine that can amazingly be programmed to change people’s behaviour! To make Reuben believe in the machine, Gramps tries it out on a pompous next-door neighbour. Apart from a few glitches, the machine seems to work successfully. Gramps treats Reuben and his best friend Simon and local, accident-prone gardener Bert, (known in the village as Blundergutts), to a day out in London to experiment more with the machine.

In Victoria Station, they see Ted, an unpopular man from their village, is on his way to play the cymbals, for the first time, in a concert. Gramps uses this unexpected opportunity to interfere with Ted’s performance by causing him to clash the cymbals at the wrong moment, to disrupt the concert and turn proud Ted into an absolute failure. Reuben and Simon are always picked on at school by Mr. Pride, their horrible headteacher. During a government inspection at their school, Reuben 'borrows' Gramps' spare machine and creates absolute chaos, causing the immediate suspension of Mr. Pride.

Is there a limit to the amazing mind machine - or should there be?! Find out as Reuben and co test their limits and discover what a mind machine can really do!

Book Reviews

This was a fun and a quick read. I can see many children enjoying the idea and creating chaos whenever they want to. The characters are loveable and memorable. I like the ending as it teaches a lot—an enjoyable read.

by NetGalley review

About the Author

Jonathan Hughes

Jonathan grew up in Bournemouth by the sea until the age of seven. His Father decided that a small church over a hundred miles away was the right one for him, so he, along with his three brothers, and poor Mum, had the enormous upheaval of a move to a freezing, damp, cottage situated between a farm and a forest.

At the Church, to which they were all 'frogmarched' every Sunday, and at the farm and forest, he met some incredibly zany people. The experience of these people has given him much fuel to build some of the characters in his writing.

He attended Hazelwick School in Sussex and went on to study Musical Instrument Technology and one unit of Creative Writing, at the London Guildhall University.

He now lives with his wife in West Sussex.