Peace Maker

Name: William Joseph
Price range: $

by Malorie Blackman, illustrated by Matthew Griffin

Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 8+

Published by Barrington Stoke, 2016

Adventure
Science fiction
Dyslexia

About this book

In Michela's world, aggression is forbidden. In order to maintain the peace, every person aboard their spaceship must wear a peacemaker, which controls their temper. However, Michela has tampered with hers, as she is determined to feel the whole range of emotions she has read about in the forbidden library, belonging to her mother, the captain. When they accidentally fly into enemy territory, peace is no longer an option - and Michela may be the ship's only hope.

This short story by former Children's Laureate Malorie Blackman is an interesting look into times when standing up for yourself and fighting is the only option. It is well-paced and designed to appeal to reluctant or hesitant readers, as well as being dyslexia-friendly.

About the author

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.

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