NEW SONG

My friends at The Orange Circus have recorded another one of my songs. To listen click on the link  below then on the blue link whch appears.

 http://theorangecircus.bandcamp.com/track/always-heading-home . Once on the page press the Play button

 

BEAVER TOWERS BOOKS

I'm delighted that, at last, the complete BEAVER TOWERS series has been released as audio cds by Chivers/Audiogo. They are brilliantly read by Nigel Lambert and are available from Amazon.co.uk (where they are also available as downloads) and can also be ordered at bookshops.

BEAVER TOWERS:ISBN 978-1-4084-8939-0 BEAVER TOWERS THE WITCH'S REVENGE: ISBN 978-1-4084-8941-3 BEAVER TOWERS THE DANGEROUS JOURNEY: ISBN 978-1-4084-8942-0 BEAVER TOWERS THE DARK DREAM: ISBN 978-1-4084-8940-6

The Orange Circus

I'm delighted to say that my friends at The Orange Circus have recorded a song that I wrote for them, called YOU STAND BY ME.

The Orange Circus happily call themselves the silliest band in the world, but they are much more than that - although there certainly is an endearingly ramshackle and madcap element to their live gigs. But at the same time they have a real talent for getting audiences involved in a foot-stomping, sing-along good-time way which sends everyone home feeling better than before the gig. They also happen to play their instruments well and sing songs which have their roots in American country and folk music but to which they always give their own quirky twist. And how can you knock any band which has a wonderful 80+ year old member called Granny Alice who, onstage in her pink cowboy hat, can charm herself into the hearts of everyone who sees her?

They made a video for the song, on a freezing cold day on a Sussex farm. It's The Orange Circus, par excellence.  Please do take a look.

http://vimeo.com/37674398

Guardian Article

I was asked to write a short article about a living children's author I admire. It was a tough call, because there are about five I could have chosen but in the end I chose Anthony Horowitz, for the reason I mention in the article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/jul/06/artists-artist-childrens-authors

Review in Blog

I stumbled by chance on a long, thoughtful and interesting review of WALK THE WILD ROADin a blog which I think is definitely worth looking at for anyone interested in books for this age range.
Here's a link to it: http://dreaminginbooks.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-walk-wild-road-by-nigel-hinton.html

BUDDY

Good news today - Puffin are going to do yet another reprint of BUDDY. This book - my best-selling title - has now been in print non-stop for 29 years. It keeps chugging on and I keep getting great letters from individual readers about how it touches them, and from teachers who tell me how it still goes down well with classes after all these years and never dates. There's no doubt that the 1986 BBCTV series of BUDDY was a massive boost to the book and brought it to the attention of a really wide audience. I still get requests from people, schools in particular,  via my website (www.nigelhinton.net) for copies of that TV series and it's a pity that the BBC doesn't consider re-showing it. But the continuing success of the book proves that it doesn't need the help of TV anymore.

                                   The original hardback cover from 1982

                        Back cover photo of how I looked back then. So young!

            Paperback to tie in with the BBC TV series starring Roger Daltrey (1986)

                                                         Current cover

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

My latest book has just been published by Pearson. It is called GHOST GAME and their lead title in a new series, Heroes, which is aimed at boys who are reluctant readers.

The challenge for me when I was approached to write a book like this was to create a story which, at the same time as being easy to read and have 'boy appeal', was worthwhile. The market is flooded with violent trashy books and I wanted to write something which would be powerful and dramatic but have an emotional range and interesting, three-dimensional characters.

As the title suggests, this is a ghost story and I think it delivers all the necessary thrills and chills. At the same time, though, it deals with a boy who has suffered the terrible loss of his mother and younger brother. Together with his father, he is trying to create a new life in a new town. The frightening events which occur in the old house where they are staying temporarily also reflect the grief that father and son are trying to deal with.

Although it is primarily intended for the schools market - and there will be an amazing CD-Rom for classes to use as a teaching aid - I hope it is a stand-alone good read. It is not for sale in shops, but is available on all the usual internet sites.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ghost-Game-Heroes-Nigel-Hinton/dp/0435045954

http://www.tesco.com/books/product.aspx?R=9780435045951&bci=4294937775%7CNigel%20Hinton

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Ghost-Game-Nigel-Hinton/9780435045951