Jake Cassar's adventures created a new phenomenon in Maltese children's literature: the excitement of awaiting the next instalment, the serialisation of a story. An entire generation of children has for the past six years followed the adventures of Jake Cassar, his sister Mel and their wildly amusing friends; adventures spread across ten books. The series is now coming to a close with publication of its tenth and final episode.

Written by Clare Azzopardi and illustrated by Mark Scicluna, the tenth book is entitled Jake Cassar jiġġieled l-aħħar battalja, and through it we get to say farewell to all the beloved characters we've followed across the years: Jake, Mel, King Pankrazju, Furun, Teodoro, Ambrożja and many others ... and of course the supremely evil Queen Fidelja.

The series, published by Merlin Publishers, was a milestone in Maltese children's books for various reasons: because of its serialisation, because of the outrageous imagination of its stories, but also because of the innovative format and book design. Created by artist Pierre Portelli, the words printed on the page are themselves restless, moving around on the page, becoming larger or smaller or wider or narrower, turning upside down or in a circle ... this textual playfulness has become one of the favourite parts of reading a Jake Cassar book.

The Jake Cassar series is aimed primarily at children aged 8-11, and books in this series have won the National Book Award for best Maltese children's book.

The names behind the series - author Azzopardi and illustrator Mark Scicluna - are nowadays some of the best names in the field, and with this final tenth episode they have given all fans their much-desired conclusion to the saga.

In this final episode, Jake Cassar jiġġieled l-aħħar battalja, Jake and his friends face for the last time the evil Queen Fidelja, and battle not only her but her minions and do their best to thwart her evil plans. A giant water monster features, as do some of the series' favourite baddies.

This series is ideal also for reluctant readers, because the visual dynamism of the text, the fresh, fast-paced writing of Azzopardi, and Scicluna's sharp illustrations, all make for extremely addictive and accessible reads.

Jake Cassar jiġġieled l-aħħar battalja is available from all bookshops, or online directly from www.merlinpublishers.com