Mr Humperdinck's Wonderful Whatsit (2017 ed). Wynand Louw

What would you do if a heap of rubbish shaped like a man suddenly started talking to you? Or if you realised one day that your pet mouse was smarter than the headmaster of your school? Twelve-year-old Pete Smith does not believe in magic or fairies, but life tends to change when someone is murdered and you suddenly have to rely on talking mice, dwarfs and garbage heaps that fly around in revved-up dustbins to save you from an evil sorcerer and hordes of boy-eating rats.
A fast-paced fantasy adventure with a touch of the bizarre. This book was awarded the M. E. R. Prize for Youth Literature.