QUICK TEEN READS FOR RANSOM SHADES 2.0 SERIES

Exciting stories for 12 years and upwards. On Kindle and in paperback.

STONE ROBBERS: “No wonder Rico hates his Mayan culture. His dad died fighting to keep the old ways. Now Rico and his sister Delfina must scratch a living selling clothes in San Pedro market. But it’s hard when swindlers like Enzo try to cheat them. Rico means to kill Enzo, but then he makes a strange discovery – something from the Mayan past that could change everything.”

MANTRAP: “Danny doesn’t want to be a hunter, but when the rains fail, he and his father Jacob are forced to go poaching for meat in the forbidden game park. But when Danny makes a terrible mistake, their theft is discovered. Now the corrupt ranger, Davis Sata, has plans for Jacob – plans that involve ivory poaching and the greatest danger of their lives.”

MAU MAU BROTHER: “Thuo’s life is in turmoil. There is war in his homeland: the British dropping bombs, the Home Guard burning their farms, his father and uncles in detention. But worst  of all his elder brother Kungu has gone to the forest to fight for Kenya’s freedom. It is Thuo’s worst nightmare: one day the forest will come for him too.”

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THE BACK CATALOGUE:

Jessicah the Mountain Slayer  was my first published book, written in response to a  Zimbabwe Publishing House call for submissions in Writer’s News back in 1995. They wanted contemporary stories with strong girl characters. I wrote the book in fable style but with a modern twist. The book won 2nd place in the 1996 International Zimbabwe Book Fair, and a White Raven citation from the International Youth Library. Along with Flame Tree Market, it is published by  Zimbabwe Publishing House and Phoenix Publishers in Nairobi.

This little picture book won 1st prize in the young readers category of the 1996 International Zimbabwe Book Fair.

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I wrote Joe Sabuni P I  for the South African Maskew Miller Longman Young Africa Award in 1997. An abridged version was later published in the Heinemann  Junior Africa Writers Series. In 2002 the World Bank funded editions in 6 Zambian languages. It is a comic sleuthing story for teens.

Jonas needs a job, any job, or he’ll lose his rich girlfriend, Keziah. When shady Uncle Micah sends him off to Mbogo sub-location to collect a bad debt, Jonas goes under cover as Joe Sabuni – Joe Soap. It’s a poor choice of alias. From then on, things go from bad to worse. Available on Amazon. (Cover art: Bob Harvey)

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Along with writing short books I also write short stories. Several have been published by Cricket Magazine (Carus Publishing) in the US. These publishers are well recognised in the US for producing the best stories and artwork for young people of all ages. Anyone who wants to write or illustrate children’s books can learn a lot from studying the content of these magazines. Available on subscription. Go  here for more information.

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Non fiction educational books:

Awards:

Quartos Magazine 1995 Article Writing award, 1st prize (Going to the Dogs on Mombasa’s Southern Shores. Read it in my Beaches post here.)

Children’s Literature Awards 1st  Picture Book category, 2nd young adult novel, International Zimbabwe Book Fair 1996 (Flame Tree Market, Jessicah the Mountain Slayer)

White Raven Citation, International Youth Library 1996 (Jessicah the Mountain Slayer)

Golden Duck 2007 Special Award for furthering children’s science fiction (Write Your Own Science Fiction Story)

US Association of Educational Publishers Distinguished Achievement Award for Write Your Own series 2007

Society of Authors 2008 Educational Writers’ Award, 3rd  prize (Write Your Own Adventure Stories)

Bath Short Story Award 3rd prize  (Flight) 2013