LONG Lee author Simon Wilkinson has penned his second children's novel.

The Curse of Tyrannosaurus Wrecks sees an ordinary school trip to a museum turn nightmarish after the skeleton of a T. rex named Goliath comes to life.

When 10-year-old Tom Lennox becomes separated from his classmates, he's handed a strange package containing the secret of time travel.

Tom is transported to the ancient forests of Namibia, where his craftiness and courage are tested to the limit.

"This book is a prequel which explains how the mystical backpack first came into Tom’s possession," says Simon.

"My first novel – The Mammoth and the Moonstick – proved so popular that many readers asked me to write another adventure, this time about dinosaurs! But be careful what you wish for, because even by T. rex standards Goliath was a very scary monster – and he still is, as Tom is about to find out!

"Some readers may think they recognise the museum room in which part of the story is set, with a resemblance to the gallery room at Cliffe Castle, but of course that’s probably just coincidental!".

The Curse of Tyrannosaurus Wrecks, aimed at nine-to-14-year-olds, is available in paperback from Amazon.