"An
outstanding piece of literature", The
Times
Shadow Forest has won these
awards:
Nestle
Children's Book Prize Gold Award
Blue Peter Book of the Year
Blue Peter Book I Couldn't Put Down
Award
Calderdale Book of the Year
Lancashire Schools Library Fantastic
Book Award
Sefton Super Reads Book Award
East Sussex Book Awards
Leeds Book Award
And
was shortlisted/nominated for:
Waterstone's Children's Book Award
Carnegie
Medal
Salford Children's Book Award
Lincolnshire Young People's Book Award
Warrington Winner of Winners Book
Award
Bay Book Award Swansea
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Shadow
Forest is a children's novel set in Norway
and in the fantasy forest that gives the book
its name. There's a website all about the
book here.
It includes: the first
chapter, character
lists and profiles,
reviews,
games,
exclusive
extracts, the artwork,
deleted
characters,
deleted
chapters, a reading
guide, competitions,
an interview
with myself, writing
advice and lots more. Do stop by
for a visit.
I suppose this novel is similar to my other
books, in that it is about a family crisis
(in this case a brother and sister coming
to terms with the death of their parents)
only this one features trolls and murderous
pixies instead of ghosts and Labradors.
It was fun to write, especially the troll
family with only one eyeball between them
and the chapters with the religious rabbits.
Here's the jacket blurb:
Samuel
Blink is the hero of this story, but he doesn't
know it yet. Right now, he and his sister
Martha are in the back of his parents car.
He has no idea a giant log is about to fall
from the sky and change his life forever.
He doesn't know that he and Martha will be
forced to move to Norway and eat their Aunt
Eda's smelly brown cheese. He hasn't the slightest
clue Martha will disappear into Shadow Forest.
A forest full of one-eyed trolls, the sinister
huldre-folk, deadly Truth Pixies and a witch
who steals shadows. A forest ruled by the
evil Changemaker. A forest so dangerous that
people who enter never return.
No.
Samuel Blink doesn't know any of this. So
don't tell him. It might ruin the book . .
.
Also,
it might be fun, on another side of the cover,
or somewhere inside the book, to have a teaser
such as this:
HOW
TO STAY ALIVE IN SHADOW FOREST:
1.
Don't lose your shadow. Keep it with you at
all times, making sure it is firmly attached
to your feet.
2.
Never accept meals from strangers. Especially
if the stranger is a Truth Pixie.
3.
Try not to fall down a Caloosh trap. If you
do, you'll be caught by the cruellest creatures
in the forest.
4.
Befriend a troll.
5.
Never fall asleep on a Slemp's belly.
6.
If you see the Shadow Witch start running.
Unless you want to be turned into a rabbit.
7.
Wear a Hek-Bracelet. It will protect you from
harm.
8.
Be careful after dark, as that is when the
huldre-folk are about.
9.
Read Professor Tanglewood's book, The Creatures
of Shadow Forest.
10.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER go anywhere near the Changemaker.
Unless you want your head to end up pickled
in a jar.
It's
out now in hardback in the UK (Bodley Head,
Random House). If you want to order it you
can do so here.
There's also going to be an audio version
available from W
F Howes.
The book is available in Germany (Bertelsmann
- see here).
It will also be published in France (Bayard),
Italy (De
Agostini), Holland (Clavis)
and Romania (Corint
Junior).
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