Joey of Jasmine Street
This is the second book in a series of 18. It was first published in 1954.
Joey Smith is a young lad of about eleven who lives with his father (Smitty) and his Aunt Clara on the back streets of London. Smitty works through the night at Covent Garden fruit and vegetable market. Most of Joey’s adventures take place in London, though there are occasional excursions to the countryside. The books are normally illustrated by T.R. Freeman.
Joey and Ben lose their hide-out on the bombed site. They set out to find another, but end up by finding something very different. A collision between a fast black car and a milk cart arouses Ben's suspicions, and they decide to do some detective work. Have they stumbled on a clue to the daring mail robberies which have been puzzling police?. Suddenly Ben mysteriously disappears and Joey realises that they are in the thick of a dangerous adventure. Joey trails the kidnappers and makes up his mind to rescue Ben and spoil another big robbery which is being planned
Joey and the Royalist Treasure
This is the tenth book in a series of 18. It was first published in 1957.
Following the maps drawn by Ben’s uncle the two boys begin to explore. A sudden thunderstorm makes them take refuge at the property belonging to an old recluse called Silas. As they struggle to mend a puncture in the barn they are interrupted by a man who is clearly wearing make-up and a false beard. He is trying to imitate Silas and he proves to be a determined criminal who was behind a bullion robbery.
Joey : Soap Box Driver
This is the eleventh book in a series of 18. It was first published in 1958.
Joey finds himself called upon to be the referee between the rival gangs of the Cherry Pips and the Marple Marvels as they both assemble cars for the Soap Box Derby. However, after trouble from both sides everyone agrees to call this arrangement off. This leaves Joey free to help the Cherry Pips and, in particular, to come to the aid of a boy called Sloppy who has been blackmailed into giving up his own car by a nasty bully called Biff. Joey’s friendship proves crucial and he and the right-minded boys in the two gangs manage to ensure that decency and fair play triumph in the end.
Joey and the Master Plan
Joey and the Train Robbers
This is the eighteenth book in a series of 18. It was first published in 1965.
Joey visits his friends in the country - and what was intended to be a peaceful and friendly holiday turns out to be yet another hair-raising experience in Joey's young life.
The KEMLO books by E C Eliott* 1. Kemlo and the Crazy Planet, 1954
11. Kemlo and the Zombie Men, 1958
1. Tas and the Postal Rocket, 1955
* Merlin paperbacks spell the author's nam
Kemlo and his friends live on Satellite Belt K, a giant wheel spinning in orbit around Earth. The boys, born in space, require no helmets and thus can't survive in any type of atmosphere without special apparatus. This series of books was, and is, unique for that reason. E C Eliott also wrote two TAS books, set in Australia on the Woomera rocket range. Famous EAGLE artist, A Bruce Cornwell, illustrated both TA books and most of the KEMLO books, up until at least ZOMBIE MEN. SPACE INVADERS was illustrated by George Craig, although by then the lovely coloured frontispiece had been replaced by a B/W line drawing.
Kemlo is the child of earth-born parents but who was himself born on Satellite K an artificially built satellite in orbit round our world. All the children born in space this way are given a name beginning with K. Thus Kemlo’s companions in the Space Cadets, of which he is captain, are called Kerowski and Kartin. His younger friend is called Krillie and Krillie has a sister called Krimsetta. Satellite born children have the advantage that they can live in space without special breathing apparatus. Indeed they are in danger from oxygen and have to take regular exercise to prevent muscle wastage due to lack of gravity.
Kemlo and the Martian Ghosts
This “Kemlo” adventure is book 4 of 15.
Kemlo and two of the other senior boys from Satellite K are chosen to join a special research party who are setting off to reconnoitre Deimos, one of the moons of Mars.
Stel Vasserman, the great space pilot, is the leader of this unusual expedition. The journey is made safely but the landing on Deimos is soon followed by a series of difficulties and dangers that threaten to overwhelm all of its members. Particularly striking is the way in which the members of the crew are unable to step down from their huge robotic “automen” because of the force-fields that have grown up around them. Communication with the mother-ship is cut and each “automan” has to fight its way out of the trap.
Kemlo’s ability to improvise begins the gradual fight-back to the mere chance that they may be able to escape from their unknown enemy.
Kemlo and the Space Lanes
This “Kemlo” adventure is book 6 of 15.
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What is the mystery of the Martian Ghost Run ? It is just boys’ imagination – laugh the chiefs of Satellite K. But when a senior pilot is confronted by a ‘Phantom Spectrum’ people begin to listen to Kemlo and his friends. However, when a giant space project is threatened by the Phantom and space ships are crushed like paper cups Kemlo wishes it all had been imagination.
Kemlo and the Star Men
Kemlo and the other Space Scouts from Satellite K are sent on a mission to a cloud of Starburst just half a million miles away.
It is meant to be a routine job which is not worthy of the adult explorers. Kemlo is accompanied in his space scooter by his young friend Krillie. In the team around him in their multi-coloured space scooters are Kerowski and Kartin and seven other members of the team. Disaster strikes when some of the team disobey an order to slow down and Kemlo and Krillie find themselves trapped inside the Starburst and unable to communicate with their home on Satellite K.
A strange space ship lands alongside them and an attack by egg-shaped robots begins. Although they manage to fend off the “humpties”, as they call them, Kerowski and Kemlo find themselves trapped inside the space-ship with entrance hatch closed behind them.
The Star Men of the title prove to be some of the older pilots of the K satellite whose job is to track down and fight off any aliens who look like causing trouble.
Small nitpick. Kemlo and his friends are called "Space Scouts" not Space Cadets.
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