Andy Mulligan - Author
Andy Mulligan was brought up in the south of London. He worked as a theatre director for ten years before travels in Asia prompted him to retrain as a teacher. He has taught English and drama in India, Brazil, the Philippines and the UK. He now divides his time between London and Manila.
In a nutshell: gripping, sometimes heart-breaking story of a dog and his boy Guardian award-winner Andy Mulligan brings his own sensibility to a much-loved model - boy and dog form special relationship - adding a particular humour, seriousness and depth. It’s love at first sight for Tom and Spider, but a series of accidents results in Spider running away from home. The animals he meets are almost universally cruel, their animal natures leading them to torment Spider and other animals too; a vixen offers to help him home but loses her life in the process. Things get bleaker still, until Spider finally fights his way back to Tom. A thrilling climax allows the two of them, both bullied, to emerge as heroes. Original, thought-provoking and with a dark humour, this is an ultimately uplifting read, and very memorable. Andrea Reece
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | November 2017 Book of the Month In a nutshell: gripping, sometimes heart-breaking story of a dog and his boy Guardian award-winner Andy Mulligan brings his own sensibility to a much-loved model - boy and dog form special relationship - adding a particular humour, seriousness and depth. It’s love at first sight for Tom and Spider, but a series of accidents results in Spider running away from home. The animals he meets are almost universally cruel, their animal natures leading them to torment Spider and other animals too; a vixen offers to help him home but loses her life in the process. Things get bleaker still, until Spider finally fights his way back to Tom. A thrilling climax allows the two of them, both bullied, to emerge as heroes. Original, thought-provoking and with a dark humour, this is an ultimately uplifting read, and very memorable. Andrea Reece
LIQUIDATOR! The brand-new, delicious and wildly popular energy drink. For those who wanna win! The company that makes it is set to earn a fortune, with its global launch climaxing at an international rock concert that will SHAKE the planet. The only problem? An innocent child is dying. Meet Vicky and her class-mates - their work experience is about to spin totally out of control as they uncover a secret that could change the world. And put them all in mortal danger ...
A living, breathing, talking head, with a rude, sharp tongue and an evil sense of humour. It knows all your darkest thoughts and it's not afraid to say what it thinks...to anybody. That's what happens to eleven-year-old Richard Westlake, and life becomes very, very complicated. Part thriller, part horror, part comedy - this is one of the most riveting novels about fear and friendship that you will ever read.
Selected by a distinguished independent panel of experts including our editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare, for Diverse Voices - 50 of the best Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK. Shortlisted for the 2012 Carnegie Medal. ***Now a major film by Stephen Daldry and Richard Curtis, Trash won the top prize at the Rome International Film Festival and opens in the Uk in January 2015. The Judges said: A vivid and emotionally powerful story told through some great switches of authentic narrative voice, giving the perfect marriage of character and plot as the three children tell their stories. Though there are scenes that are visceral and shocking, humour is always present too, along with a strong sense of community and the sustaining nature of friendship. Shortlisted for the prestigious Sheffield Children's Book Award 2011. Headlong and heart-stopping, this is an adventure you just can’t put down. From the squalor of a rubbish dump to the grandeur of some of the finest houses in the city, this is a thrilling adventure. Three boys who live on a dump and spend their lives sorting rubbish find something so precious, so valuable and so wanted by someone else that their whole lives are turned upside down. How can they keep their find – and themselves safe? From the pathos of deprivation to the hope of a miracle this is a story full of emotion as well as vivid drama. You can download a free teacher's notes resource from this page - see Readers Guide in the right hand column of this page.
September 2012 Book of the Month. The school where hilarious things happen, is back. Not surprisingly, there are some pretty hair-raising adventures as a result and the setting provides an unusual vision of school and the activities that go on there. With a fiery mix of unpromising pupils and eccentric teachers and Inspector Cuthbertson who is right behind them, determined to destroy the school for good: it's the final conflict...Ribblestrop is a great place to revisit. This is the third in this terrific adventure series for 9+ year olds.
Selected by a distinguished independent panel of experts including our editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare, for Diverse Voices - 50 of the best Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK. Shortlisted for the 2012 Carnegie Medal. The Judges said: A vivid and emotionally powerful story told through some great switches of authentic narrative voice, giving the perfect marriage of character and plot as the three children tell their stories. Though there are scenes that are visceral and shocking, humour is always present too, along with a strong sense of community and the sustaining nature of friendship. Shortlisted for the prestigious Sheffield Children's Book Award 2011. Headlong and heart-stopping, this is an adventure you just can’t put down. From the squalor of a rubbish dump to the grandeur of some of the finest houses in the city, this is a thrilling adventure. Three boys who live on a dump and spend their lives sorting rubbish find something so precious, so valuable and so wanted by someone else that their whole lives are turned upside down. How can they keep their find – and themselves safe? From the pathos of deprivation to the hope of a miracle this is a story full of emotion as well as vivid drama.
Winner of the Guardian Children's Book Prize 2011. The judging panel was chaired by Lovereading4kids Editor in Chief Julia Eccleshare who is also the Guardian Children's Books editor. She said of the winner:“The judges considered energetically and argued passionately in their search for this year's winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, but Return to Ribblestrop - a school story with a cornucopia of differences - had just the right combination of warmth, originality and, above all, hilarity to give it the edge. “With its huge cast of unusual and big-hearted characters, combined with the strong streak of total anarchy that runs through it, Return to Ribblestrop epitomises the unlimited scope that the best books possess to entertain a new generation of readers.” -------------- The school where hilarious things happen, is back with a new set of adventures for a new term. The appearance of a truck load of circus animals in the grounds is unusual enough but things get even more unruly when the students appear. As unpredictable and anarchic as ever, Ribblestrop is a great place to revisit. Sequel to Ribblestrop.
Shortlisted for the prestigious Sheffield Children's Book Award 2011 Headlong and heart-stopping, this is an adventure you just can’t put down. When Raphael and Gardo find a bag among the piles of steaming rubbish which they spend all day everyday sorting through, they just think it is a good find. But soon the police arrive in their shanty town and it is not long before the boys and their friend the Rat are caught up in a terrifying, nail biting fight for survival as they try to unravel a mystery with the police hot on their heels.The boys and the few adults they have to involve tell their parts of the story picking up where each other left off and propelling the story forward at a great pace.
Shortlisted for Roald Dahl's Funny Prize 2009. In this quirky and original debut there’s never a dull moment. Even before the student’s turn up to the school, you can tell is no ordinary place. The building is semi-ruined (some dormitories don’t even have a roof ), the staff are unconventional if imaginative and the students, even before they turn up, are shown to be a rather usual bunch including, as they do, Sanchez, who spends much of his life trying to avoid being kidnapped. Not surprisingly, there are some pretty hair-raising adventures as a result and the setting provides an unusual vision of school.
In a nutshell: gripping, sometimes heart-breaking story of a dog and his boy Guardian award-winner Andy Mulligan brings his own sensibility to a much-loved model - boy and dog form special relationship - adding a particular humour, seriousness and depth. It’s love at first sight for Tom and Spider, but a series of accidents results in Spider running away from home. The animals he meets are almost universally cruel, their animal natures leading them to torment Spider and other animals too; a vixen offers to help him home but loses her life in the process. Things get bleaker still, until Spider finally fights his way back to Tom. A thrilling climax allows the two of them, both bullied, to emerge as heroes. Original, thought-provoking and with a dark humour, this is an ultimately uplifting read, and very memorable. Andrea Reece
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | November 2017 Book of the Month In a nutshell: gripping, sometimes heart-breaking story of a dog and his boy Guardian award-winner Andy Mulligan brings his own sensibility to a much-loved model - boy and dog form special relationship - adding a particular humour, seriousness and depth. It’s love at first sight for Tom and Spider, but a series of accidents results in Spider running away from home. The animals he meets are almost universally cruel, their animal natures leading them to torment Spider and other animals too; a vixen offers to help him home but loses her life in the process. Things get bleaker still, until Spider finally fights his way back to Tom. A thrilling climax allows the two of them, both bullied, to emerge as heroes. Original, thought-provoking and with a dark humour, this is an ultimately uplifting read, and very memorable. Andrea Reece
LIQUIDATOR! The brand-new, delicious and wildly popular energy drink. For those who wanna win! The company that makes it is set to earn a fortune, with its global launch climaxing at an international rock concert that will SHAKE the planet. The only problem? An innocent child is dying. Meet Vicky and her class-mates - their work experience is about to spin totally out of control as they uncover a secret that could change the world. And put them all in mortal danger ...From the award-winning author of TRASH comes an action-packed thriller full of danger, hilarity and - above all - friendship.
LIQUIDATOR! The brand-new, delicious and wildly popular energy drink. For those who wanna win! The company that makes it is set to earn a fortune, with its global launch climaxing at an international rock concert that will SHAKE the planet. The only problem? An innocent child is dying. Meet Vicky and her class-mates - their work experience is about to spin totally out of control as they uncover a secret that could change the world. And put them all in mortal danger ...
A living, breathing, talking head, with a rude, sharp tongue and an evil sense of humour. It knows all your darkest thoughts and it's not afraid to say what it thinks...to anybody. That's what happens to eleven-year-old Richard Westlake, and life becomes very, very complicated. Part thriller, part horror, part comedy - this is one of the most riveting novels about fear and friendship that you will ever read.
Selected by a distinguished independent panel of experts including our editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare, for Diverse Voices - 50 of the best Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK. Shortlisted for the 2012 Carnegie Medal. ***Now a major film by Stephen Daldry and Richard Curtis, Trash won the top prize at the Rome International Film Festival and opens in the Uk in January 2015. The Judges said: A vivid and emotionally powerful story told through some great switches of authentic narrative voice, giving the perfect marriage of character and plot as the three children tell their stories. Though there are scenes that are visceral and shocking, humour is always present too, along with a strong sense of community and the sustaining nature of friendship. Shortlisted for the prestigious Sheffield Children's Book Award 2011. Headlong and heart-stopping, this is an adventure you just can’t put down. From the squalor of a rubbish dump to the grandeur of some of the finest houses in the city, this is a thrilling adventure. Three boys who live on a dump and spend their lives sorting rubbish find something so precious, so valuable and so wanted by someone else that their whole lives are turned upside down. How can they keep their find – and themselves safe? From the pathos of deprivation to the hope of a miracle this is a story full of emotion as well as vivid drama. You can download a free teacher's notes resource from this page - see Readers Guide in the right hand column of this page.
Selected by a distinguished independent panel of experts including our editorial expert, Julia Eccleshare, for Diverse Voices - 50 of the best Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK. Shortlisted for the 2012 Carnegie Medal. The Judges said: A vivid and emotionally powerful story told through some great switches of authentic narrative voice, giving the perfect marriage of character and plot as the three children tell their stories. Though there are scenes that are visceral and shocking, humour is always present too, along with a strong sense of community and the sustaining nature of friendship. Shortlisted for the prestigious Sheffield Children's Book Award 2011. Headlong and heart-stopping, this is an adventure you just can’t put down. From the squalor of a rubbish dump to the grandeur of some of the finest houses in the city, this is a thrilling adventure. Three boys who live on a dump and spend their lives sorting rubbish find something so precious, so valuable and so wanted by someone else that their whole lives are turned upside down. How can they keep their find – and themselves safe? From the pathos of deprivation to the hope of a miracle this is a story full of emotion as well as vivid drama.
How would YOU feel if you woke up and found another head growing out of YOUR neck? What's more it's a living, breathing, TALKING head, with a rude, sharp tongue and an evil sense of humour. It knows all your darkest thoughts and it's not afraid to say what it thinks. To ANYBODY. That's exactly what happens to eleven-year-old Richard Westlake. Prepare to be stunned. Part thriller, part horror, part comedy - this is one of the most riveting novels about fear and friendship that you will ever read, straight out of the astonishing storytelling HEAD of Andy Mulligan(author of the amazing Trash) direct to your very own BRAIN.
September 2012 Book of the Month. The school where hilarious things happen, is back. Not surprisingly, there are some pretty hair-raising adventures as a result and the setting provides an unusual vision of school and the activities that go on there. With a fiery mix of unpromising pupils and eccentric teachers and Inspector Cuthbertson who is right behind them, determined to destroy the school for good: it's the final conflict...Ribblestrop is a great place to revisit. This is the third in this terrific adventure series for 9+ year olds.
Educational edition of Andy Mulligan's page-turning, hard-hitting adventure story
This title is part of Bug Club, the first whole-school reading programme to combine books with an online reading world to teach today's children to read. In this Year 6 Red B (NC level 5b) fiction short story collection ... Joe McGinty lives in a dangerous world. Well, he does on Thursdays, when he becomes Lizard Seven, a secret agent sent on exciting missions that never turn out quite as he expects ...
Winner of the Guardian Children's Book Prize 2011. The judging panel was chaired by Lovereading4kids Editor in Chief Julia Eccleshare who is also the Guardian Children's Books editor. She said of the winner:“The judges considered energetically and argued passionately in their search for this year's winner of the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, but Return to Ribblestrop - a school story with a cornucopia of differences - had just the right combination of warmth, originality and, above all, hilarity to give it the edge. “With its huge cast of unusual and big-hearted characters, combined with the strong streak of total anarchy that runs through it, Return to Ribblestrop epitomises the unlimited scope that the best books possess to entertain a new generation of readers.” -------------- The school where hilarious things happen, is back with a new set of adventures for a new term. The appearance of a truck load of circus animals in the grounds is unusual enough but things get even more unruly when the students appear. As unpredictable and anarchic as ever, Ribblestrop is a great place to revisit. Sequel to Ribblestrop.
Shortlisted for Roald Dahl's Funny Prize 2009. In this quirky and original debut there’s never a dull moment. Even before the student’s turn up to the school, you can tell is no ordinary place. The building is semi-ruined (some dormitories don’t even have a roof ), the staff are unconventional if imaginative and the students, even before they turn up, are shown to be a rather usual bunch including, as they do, Sanchez, who spends much of his life trying to avoid being kidnapped. Not surprisingly, there are some pretty hair-raising adventures as a result and the setting provides an unusual vision of school.
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