Ahoy there - let's set sail to St Mary's Island, Madagascar, for an adventure involving 'mad monkeys', talking Vasa parrots and a shipful of smelly pirates

Worse still, it seems Dr Midas is more used to his camera crew getting him out of trouble. It's going to take all Millie's strength, intelligence to get them home safely. She'll have to learn all about Madagascar and stop an evil pirate plot by solving a strange treasure hunt. Can she trust a down-on-his-luck pirate, a strange ship's cat and a chatty parrot to help her? And can she convince Dr Midas teamwork is the answer to all their problems?

Ten-year-old Millie can't believe her luck when she wins a day with her hero, TV adventurer Dr Midas.
Dr Midas can't believe his luck either - being saddled with a child when he should be piloting his new time-machine. The solution? They'll test his invention together! But Millie's dream day soon turns into a nightmare when the time-machine runs out of fuel and she and Dr Midas find themselves lost in the past.

Dr Midas and the Pirates by Susan Humphreys is the first in a series of time-travel novels for children aged 8-12 and was longlisted in the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook 100th edition novel writing competition.
Susan, 35, who works in a museum like her fictional hero is a former journalist.

She is now seeking an agent and publisher for her books.

This website looks at the inspiration for Susan's first book, Madagascar, it's animals and the pirates who made it their home.