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Find out moreJon Mayhew is the author of the multi-award winning Mortlock, and, Monster Odyssey series published by Bloomsbury. His books have won the Warwick, Sefton, Wirral, Leeds and Calderdale Prizes and were shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book of the Year. He lives with his family by the misty marshes of the Dee estuary on the Wirral and spent most of his childhood playing in the ruins of a Victorian zoo. Jon certainly is not a spy but he loves libraries and wouldn’t have become an author without them.
Selected for The Book Box by LoveReading4Kids | From award-winning Jon Mayhew comes this book-themed blast of bedlam, replete with puns aplenty and breakneck pace. Despite his name, reluctant hero (and reluctant reader) Kian Reader is not a fan of reading. In fact, “I hate reading. It’s boring,” he declares. “Book are really rubbish…Only losers read books”. Annoyingly for Kian, his mum’s new boyfriend Anthony is campaigning to keep the local library open, jiggling a placard while dressed in a Gruffalo costume in the presence of the mayor and Kian’s super-strict new English teacher. Talking of whom, when Kian is forced to visit the library to do his English homework, he becomes embroiled in a perilous plot after inadvertently ingesting the world’s sole sample of Reader Serum, a powerful potion that gives him super reading powers. What’s more, he’s now wanted by F.A.R.T. (the Fellowship Against Reading Texts), an organisation that’s already hypnotised famous local children’s author Martin Marvello. Alongside Kian’s crazy encounters with dastardly Doctor Badd, I loved the details of family life, and the friendship between Kian and his mates Asif and Prissy. Being such a riotous read, The Spybrarian is a sure-fire way to convince self-professed “Books are boring!” claimants that reading is anything but boring. And, once they’ve enjoyed the outlandish adventures, young readers should head here to download an awesome activity pack.
May 2012 Book of the Month. An evil djinn released from a bottle is a very, very dangerous thing as Necessity Bonehill is soon to discover! Miserable at her stuffy boarding school, Necessity is delighted to receive the sealed bottle from her Uncle. But when the bottle is opened, Necessity understands why you should be careful what you wish for! A fast paced drama full of trickery and magic.
A World Book Day 'Recommended Read' for 2011. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2011 This devilishly good debut sees the birth of a wickedly witty and original new voice in the children’s book world. Mortlock is the sort of adventure that boys and girls will enjoy in equal measure for it is peppered with deadly thrills, clues to solve and terror around every corner. Josie and Alfie are both orphans and when they discover their shared past, little do they know that past is going to come back and haunt them. But when they do realise, they must run for their lives whilst unravelling the legacy that threatens to consume them. A deliciously rich mix of gothic horror and black humour set a against a backdrop of murder and macabre mischief. Click here to visit the Mortlock website. A new interactive game has also been produced based on Mortlock and The Demon Collector.
Shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2011 This devilishly good debut sees the birth of a wickedly witty and original new voice in the children’s book world. Mortlock is the sort of adventure that boys and girls will enjoy in equal measure for it is peppered with deadly thrills, clues to solve and terror around every corner. Josie and Alfie are both orphans and when they discover their shared past, little do they know that past is going to come back and haunt them. But when they do realise, they must run for their lives whilst unravelling the legacy that threatens to consume them. A deliciously rich mix of gothic horror and black humour set a against a backdrop of murder and macabre mischief.
Selected for The Book Box by LoveReading4Kids | From award-winning Jon Mayhew comes this book-themed blast of bedlam, replete with puns aplenty and breakneck pace. Despite his name, reluctant hero (and reluctant reader) Kian Reader is not a fan of reading. In fact, “I hate reading. It’s boring,” he declares. “Book are really rubbish…Only losers read books”. Annoyingly for Kian, his mum’s new boyfriend Anthony is campaigning to keep the local library open, jiggling a placard while dressed in a Gruffalo costume in the presence of the mayor and Kian’s super-strict new English teacher. Talking of whom, when Kian is forced to visit the library to do his English homework, he becomes embroiled in a perilous plot after inadvertently ingesting the world’s sole sample of Reader Serum, a powerful potion that gives him super reading powers. What’s more, he’s now wanted by F.A.R.T. (the Fellowship Against Reading Texts), an organisation that’s already hypnotised famous local children’s author Martin Marvello. Alongside Kian’s crazy encounters with dastardly Doctor Badd, I loved the details of family life, and the friendship between Kian and his mates Asif and Prissy. Being such a riotous read, The Spybrarian is a sure-fire way to convince self-professed “Books are boring!” claimants that reading is anything but boring. And, once they’ve enjoyed the outlandish adventures, young readers should head here to download an awesome activity pack.
Martin Griffin and Jon Mayhew's Storycraft: How to teach narrative writing is an inspiring and practical resource to support secondary school teachers in developing their students' creative writing. This book is not a style manual. Authors Martin Griffin and Jon Mayhew think there are plenty of those about. Instead, it picks apart the craft of narrative writing and equips teachers with activities designed to help their students overcome the difficulties they experience when tasked with creating something from nothing. Written by two fiction writers and English teachers with over forty years' combined experience in education, Storycraft packs in expert guidance relating to idea generation and the nature of story and provides off-the-peg writing prompts that teachers can immediately adopt and adapt in the classroom. The book breaks down the simple components that must be in place for a narrative to work the crafting of character, setting, shape and structure and shares fifty-one stimulating activities that will get students writing narratives regularly, more creatively and with greater confidence. Martin and Jon also include helpful advice in a chapter dedicated to the process of editing in which they provide activities designed to help students diagnose and improve misfiring narratives, and they close the book with invaluable tips for GCSE exam preparation written directly for students and with an impending creative writing exam in mind. Suitable for English teachers of students aged eleven to eighteen.
This thrilling tale is adapted from Shahnameh, the epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi in the 10th century. Rostam is the mightiest hero who has ever lived, and Rakhsh is his faithful horse - as strong as his master and quite a bit cleverer too. They have fought the fiercest creatures and most hideous monsters, but might have finally met their match... TreeTops Greatest Stories offers children some of the world's best-loved tales in a collection of timeless classics. Top children's authors and talented illustrators work together to bring to life our literary heritage for a new generation, engaging and delighting children. The books are carefully levelled, making it easy to match every child to the right book. Each book contains inside cover notes to help children explore the content, supporting their reading development. Teaching notes on Oxford Owl offer cross-curricular links and activities to support guided reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Build your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right level Get acquainted with Shakespeare's classic tale of greed and revenge, in this light-hearted and amusing retelling. Bassanio is overjoyed when he finally gets to marry Portia. But, his happiness is short-lived when he is forced to defend his dear friend Antonio, who's in trouble with an old merchant - intent on getting his pound of flesh. Sapphire/Band 16 books offer longer reads to develop children's sustained engagement with texts and are more complex syntactically. Text type: Fiction from our literary heritage Curriculum links: English: fiction from the English literary heritage This book has been quizzed for Accelerated Reader.
Build your child's reading confidence at home with books at the right level A wonderfully creative retelling of Shakespeare's famous tale of revenge. When Hamlet's father unexpectedly dies and his mother quickly remarries his uncle, something doesn't feel right. A warning from a ghost sets in motion a terrifying investigation to uncover the truth. But at what cost? Pearl/Band 18 books offer fluent readers a complex, substantial text with challenging themes to facilitate sustained comprehension, bridging the gap between a reading programme and longer chapter books. Text type: Fiction from our literary heritage Curriculum links: English: fiction from the English literary heritage
A new and dangerous mission awaits in the fantastic Monster Odyssey series, in which our hero Dakkar must defeat a clan of evil brothers intent on ruling the world, while battling terrifying monsters. Inspired by Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Dakkar is a young Captain Nemo and these books are the most thrilling of adventures. After being framed for murder, Dakkar must escape from prison and follow the only clue he has - a scorpion-handled dagger - in order to clear his name. Knowing this must be work of an evil Oginski brother, Dakkar soon finds himself in Algiers facing the deadliest crawling monster ever! But even if Dakkar can defeat this beast, he will face the ultimate betrayal - his enemy has been closer than he thought, all along. Will there be anyone left who Dakkar can trust? A fast-paced adventure with underwater battles and dramatic desert action. Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Indiana Jones and monsters! Readers ready to move on from Beast Quest will love this!
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