Ali Sparkes
On Friday 11th July 2014, best-selling children’s author Ali Sparkes is visiting Harwich & Dovercourt High School. She will be talking to Year 7 pupils. Ali’s 34 books include the popular ‘Shapeshifter’ and ‘Unleashed’ series, as well as several unique stand-alone novels. Her novel ‘Frozen in Time’ won the Blue Peter Book Award.
Before becoming an author Ali had various jobs: working backstage in the big theatres of London’s West End; being a Bluecoat at Pontins and singing in bands. She then became a reporter in her home town of Southampton. Ali has also worked in various roles in radio, including writing comedy for regional and network BBC programmes.
Pupils will have the opportunity to buy a signed copy of Ali’s books on the day, priced £6.00 each.
THE SHAPESHIFTER SERIES
Dax Jones turns into a fox, and is taken away by the government to a remote college where others his age have also suddenly developed amazing powers. He soon makes new friends; cheeky Gideon, who can move things with his mind, gentle Mia, who can heal people and spoilt little madam Lisa, who is sick and tired of getting messages from the dead. The Children Of Limitless Ability develop their powers. But Dax wonders whether the college is there to protect them, or to control them…
FROZEN IN TIME
Polly and Freddy fall asleep in 1956, while helping their brilliant scientist father with his cryonics experiments. They expect to be up for tea, but they’re next woken by Ben and Rachel – in 2009. How will posh, old fashioned Freddy and Polly cope with the 21st century? Will their bodies survive 53 years of cryonic suspension? And can Ben and Rachel help them discover why their father left them frozen in time..?
Winner of the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award 2010
DARK SUMMER
It looks like being a long, boring summer for Eddie, staying with cousins he doesn’t like while his dad looks after his sick mum. But then he gets lost during a visit to Wookey Hole caves and is rescued by Gwerren, a strange pale girl who will never leave the darkness of the caves…
WISHFUL THINKING
Kevin comes back from a day trip with a bag of fudge, a scented candle for his mum… and his own god. Ancient Celtic deity Abandinus, bored after centuries of human indifference, has decided to answer Kevin’s prayers. Not necessarily in quite the way Kevin had in mind…
OUT OF THIS WORLD
Tyrone finds a weird lump of metal in the woods, which gives him telekinetic power. Within hours of getting this amazing power he’s on the run, chased by sinister government agents and an even more sinister guy in a track suit…
DESTINATION EARTH (out in JUNE 2014)
Lucy is an alien – although she looks the same as humans. She’s been travelling to Earth alone for ten years, brought up by a holographic mother since she was four. She hopes to fit in with normal teenagers as soon as she lands on the Isle of Wight… but she’s more different than she realizes. And so is the alien stowaway that’s come with her. The thing that wiped out her entire race back on her home planet… Oops.
