ABOUT ME
Gill McCabe grew up in Liverpool and proudly calls the city home. As a Legal Advisor working in Liverpool Magistrates’ Courts, she learned a lot about people, fairness and finding a voice. That experience sparked a new mission: helping children discover their voices through reading. After leaving the courts, Gill volunteered in local schools to promote literacy, then took on several roles in Special Educational Needs, supporting children with different ways of learning.
Her first book, The Adventures of Roger the Royal Runaway, blends laughter, kindness and a big splash of Scouse spirit.
It invites young readers to giggle, wonder and keep turning the page, while giving grown-ups lots to enjoy when reading aloud.
The Adventures of Roger the Royal Runaway
Seven-year-old Belle lives a fairly ordinary life in Liverpool—until a Sunday garage clean-out uncovers an extraordinary surprise: a posh, talking mouse named Roger, who pops out of an old school desk ink well holding a tiny sign reading “Hungry and Homeless.” Declaring himself “His Royal Highness Roger the Rodent” and claiming he once lived at Buckingham Palace, the mouse tells a wildly entertaining tale of palace life, royal cheese, and his dramatic escape from a vengeful Persian kitten named Octavia.
Now stranded in Liverpool, Roger—soon renamed Scouse—is adopted by Belle and her mum Polly. He quickly becomes part of their lives, learning the ways of ordinary people (and proper Scouse culture), while forming a heartfelt bond with kind, clever Belle. He even helps her stand up to school bullies and shares in her love of music, books, and football.
Scouse's misadventures include sneaking into school, narrowly escaping a ginger cat, receiving a custom football shirt, and being banned—and then unbanned—from a match by a grumpy steward named Mrs. Goblin. Along the way, he evolves from a snobby royal rodent to a beloved member of the community with a thick Liverpudlian streak and a generous heart.
As Scouse settles into his new home, the royal family appeal for his return. But Belle and Polly ask the only question that matters: What makes him happiest? With love, laughter, and his new life in Liverpool, Scouse chooses to stay—sending a heartfelt email to the King and Queen (with a cheeky message for Octavia the cat).
In the end, everyone finds their place. Belle grows into a kind leader and advocate against bullying, Polly thrives with her art business, and Scouse becomes a local legend—bad singer, big heart, and all.
This whimsical and heartwarming story is a joyful blend of imagination, humour, and kindness, touching on themes of belonging, bravery, friendship, and self-worth—all told through the lens of a sassy girl and a royal runaway mouse.