Malorie Blackman
Malorie Blackman is acknowledged as one of today's most imaginative and convincing writers for young readers.
The novels in her Noughts & Crosses sequence have won several awards, including the Children's Book Award, and she has won many other awards for her books for the Random House list. Both Hacker and Thief! won the Young Telegraph/Gimme 5 Award - Malorie is the only author to have won this award twice - while Hacker also won the WH Smith Mind-Boggling Books Award in 1994. Her work has appeared on screen, with Pig-Heart Boy, which was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, being adapted into a BAFTA-award-winning TV serial. Malorie has also written a number of titles for younger readers. In 2005, Malorie was honoured with the Eleanor Farjeon Award in recognition of her distinguished contribution to the world of children's books.
In 2008, she was then honoured with an OBE for her services to Children's Literature. She was the Waterstones Children's Laureate for 2013-2015.
Books
A.N.T.I.D.O.T.E
Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Corgi
Interest age: 11-14
Reading age: 11+
Elliot wishes his Mum was more interesting: everyone else’s parents do exciting things like work for the BBC, but his is only a secretary. But is she?
Chasing the Stars
Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Interest age: 14+
Reading age: 14+
Blackman's skilful retelling of Shakespeare's Othello in a futuristic space setting is thrilling and romantic. The characters are memorable, and readers won't be able to tell whose side they are on - and who they should trust.
Contact
Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Imagine a future where physical contact between humans is illegal. No hand holding and no hugs to make you feel better when you're feeling sad.
Dead Gorgeous
Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Corgi
Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 11+
Nova is bored and discontented. When she meets the good-looking Liam, she can't believe her luck, but then she discovers that he is not quite like other boys.
Ellie and the Cat
Author: Malorie Blackman Illustrator: Matt Robertson
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 6+
Ellie gets magically swapped into the body of her pet cat, Jolly. In order to become human again, Ellie must complete a special task before sunset the next day. A magical and gently comic tale of friendship and thinking of others.
Hacker
Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Random House
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
A thriller for the computer buffs. Vicky's father is arrested for the theft of millions from the bank where he works.
My Friend’s a Gris-Kwok
Author: Malorie Blackman
Illustrator: Andy Rowland
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 5+
Reading age: 6+
Malorie Blackman's 1994 Scholastic story has been adapted by Barrington Stoke for their series of dyslexia/reluctant reader-friendly titles for young readers.
Noble Conflict
Author: Malorie Blackman
Publisher: Doubleday
Interest age: 14+
Reading age: 13+
Kaspar is proud to be one of the Guardians - an elite peacekeeping force who protect the Alliance against the rebel Insurgency. Then he encounters young rebel Rhea.
Snow Dog
Author: Malorie Blackman Illustrator: Sami Sweeten
Publisher: Corgi Pups
Interest age: 5+
Reading age: 5+
Nicky would love a dog more than anything, but her mum and dad don't want one. Then Nicky’s grandfather comes up with the idea of a snow-dome dog, made with special clay...
We're Going to Find the Monster
Author: Malorie Blackman
Illustrator: Dapo Adeola
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 3-5
A lovely slightly fairy tale-inspired tale about a family with two younger siblings and a teenager getting ready for breakfast, featuring the wonderful storytelling and word wizardry of Malorie Blackman and the illustrations of prize-winning Dapo Adeola.