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story identification - What children's fantasy series has furry hardback covers and stone-skimming dragons?


I was recalling a fantasy series I read when I was younger not too long ago. Woe is me, my younger cousin was in the room, and now he wants me to find out what the series was so he can read it too.


I'm looking for a fantasy series, probably aimed at 8-12ish year olds. I read it in the mid-2000s, so it's not too ancient. I distinctly remember some of these books having hardback furry covers - sort of like velvet, but longer fibres.


I also remember:



  • The series involved a family living in a dilapidated and falling-apart mansion (possibly in Scotland, and I think it was called StregaSchloss... or something on those lines).


  • I think the children's names were Titus and Pandora.

  • There was a group of some sort of fantasy animals, possibly dragons, who I believe were family pets. One of the books involved one of these creatures skimming stones on a lake.


and... not much more. I'm hoping the names are enough to be able to pick the right series out, possibly with some help from a furry cover or two.


Any ideas?



Answer




Also known as the Strega Borgia chronicles, the books were published in two trilogies, Pure Dead and Deep. Written by Scottish author and illustrator Debi Gliori for older children, the series is described as being a "black comedy" series.





The series involved a family living in a dilapidated and falling-apart mansion (possibly in Scotland, and I think it was called StregaSchloss... or something on those lines).


The books are also known as the Strega Borgia Chronicles about the Strega Borgia family living in StregaSchloss in Argyle.


I think the children's names were Titus and Pandora.



  • Signor Luciano Strega-Borgia - Father.

  • Signora Baci Strega-Borgia - Mother.

  • Titus, son of the above.

  • Pandora - Titus's younger sister, ten or eleven during the series.

  • Damp - The youngest Strega-Borgia up till the final book.


    - Nieve (a.k.a. "little no name" or "somebody else entirely") - The new baby and younger son of the Borgias'.




  • Strega-Nonna (Amelia) - Cryogenically preserved six-times-great grandmother of Titus, Pandora, Damp and Nieve.

  • Don Lucifer di S'Embowelli Borgia - Luciano's evil half-brother.

  • Don Chimera - father of Luciano Strega-Borgia.


There was a group of some sort of fantasy animals, possibly dragons, who I believe were family pets. One of the books involved one of these creatures skimming stones on a lake.



  • Ffup - Dragon


  • Sab - Gryphon

  • Tock - Crocodile

  • Knot - Yeti

  • Nestor - Half-dragon

  • Multitudina the Illiterat - Illiiterate rat

  • Terminus - Highly intelligent rat

  • Tarantella - Pet spider

  • The Sleeper - Loch Ness Monster

  • Orynx - Salamander





Pure Dead Trilogy



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