PUBLICATION DATE brought forward to 30 January

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The Highland Falcon Thief will be steaming into shops earlier than expected! The anticipation for this book has been heightened by lovely comments from other childrens’ author such as Frank Cottrell Boyce who said it was ‘Like Murder on the Orient Express only better…’

On top of this, the Times Newspaper who has made The Highland Falcon Thief it’s Children’s Book of the Week! Read the review below.

COVER REVEAL for Rex the Rhinoceros Beetle

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In June 2020 you’ll be able to get your hand on this beauty, Rex the Rhinoceros Beetle. I penned the story and the absurdly talented Duncan Beedie has done all the illustrations and this marvelous cover. It’s available for pre-order now on the Waterstones website and Amazon but won’t be published until the first week of June, which also happens to be when National Insect Week is taking place. Why not introduce your little ones to the wonderful world of beetles with Rex and his boastful friend Buster, two rhinoceros beetles having adventures in the rainforest.

Suitcase Trains

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Exciting NEWS regarding our festival events for Adventures On Trains next year.

We’ve commissioned the wonderful Suitcase Trains to make us a case based on The Highland Falcon Thief.

If you come to see us, you’ll also see our train set in a suitcase too 🧳 🚂 How cool is that?! They are sourcing a A4 Pacific and everything.

COVER REVEAL for The Highland Falcon Thief

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I am proud to share with you the book covers for the UK and the US editions of The Highland Falcon Thief, my newest chapter book co-written with Sam Sedgman. Both were created by the wonderful illustrator Elisa Paganelli, and she does all the astonishing internal illustrations too. I hope you like them. If you’d like to see the animated version click play on the video below.

Coming to a book shop near you in March 2020.

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COVER REVEAL for THE TALE OF A TOOTHBRUSH

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COVER REVEAL! I've written a picture book inspired by my work with #Authors4Oceans called The Tale of a Toothbrush. It is published by Walker Books on 2nd Jan 2020 and focuses on plastic in the oceans through the story of Sammy - a cheerful yellow toothbrush. It's illustrated by wonderful Daniel Rieley and here's a sneak peek. I’m very proud of this beautiful book and can’t wait for children to read it. There are some facts about the problem with plastics at the back. I hope you like it.

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The Highland Falcon Thief proof copies arrive!

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You may have missed my announcement last year that I am co-writing writing a new series of children’s books, Adventures on Trains, with a friend and colleague of mine from the National Theatre called Sam Sedgman. The first book is called The Highland Falcon Thief and will be published in March 2020 with the second book following swiftly in September 2020. This week the advance reader copies arrived, and it’s a special moment for an author because it’s the first time your story feels like a real book. The picture above is of me and Sam celebrating getting our ARC copies in Kings Cross station, which is where the adventures begin. I’m bowled over by its beauty and shiny foil. Macmillan have done an amazing job.

The ARCs are for booksellers, book reviewers and other people in the trade. If you are one of these people then you should get in touch with Macmillan children’s books to request one.

Now begins the countdown to publication. I can’t wait for you all to read this book. The series and final book cover will be illustrated by the very talented Elisa Paganelli. The illustrations are a central feature of this book because our protagonist Harrison Beck is someone who draws, and it’s through the pictures in his sketchbook that he solves the case of The Highland Falcon Thief.

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Battle of the Beetles wins Your Choice category at STEAM book prize.

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I’m delighted that Battle of the Beetles has won the ‘Your Choice’ category of the STEAM Children’s Book Prize 2019, which is voted for by the young readers taking part in the award. The awards that are voted for by children always mean a lot to us authors, because it is you we write the books for. A big thank-you to everyone who voted, and huge congratulations to Christopher Edge who took home the big prize for his wonderful book The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day.

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M. G. Leonard pens three short books for German publisher Klett

Book cover for Spider Wig by M. G. Leonard

Book cover for Spider Wig by M. G. Leonard

I have a little news that I am excited about. I’ve been working with the German education publisher Klett, to produce three books of varying lengths and vocabulary for German students reading English.

All three books will be published in Germany this year. The first (of 10,000 words and for confident readers of English as a foreign language) is called Spider Wig and published this week. The second book is called The Old Steam Train and will be published in July. The third book is called The Umbrella Room and will come in early Autumn.

The stories are contemporary, funny and I’m proud of them. I will also be recording the audiobooks that accompany these texts.

The Beetle Collector's Handbook WINS the Doncaster Book Award for non-fiction

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Few things are more lovely than when your book wins an award. It’s gratifying because writing books is hard work. Writing this book was the hardest work of all because I wasn’t allowed to make anything up.

The most special awards are the ones voted for by children, because they are who my books are for. If they vote for your book to win an award then you must be doing something right, right?

I wrote The Beetle Collector’s Handbook because I am passionate about children discovering how wild and wonderful beetles are, and so this award means a HUGE amount to me. It’s made my year.

A big thank-you to everyone in Doncaster at the book award and especially those fantastic children that voted for my beetle filled book.

FIND OUT MORE

World Book Day 2019 - BRILLIANT beetling costumes

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I love World Book Day. It’s always a busy week for authors, and this year has been no exception for me.

My favourite thing about this week, are the pictures you all send me of your amazing costumes.

I can’t tell you how wonderful it is when someone dresses up as a character you’ve written.

So to celebrate your creativity and thank you all for dressing up as one of the Beetle Boy characters, every year I post your pictures on my website in a gallery.

You can send me your pictures after world book day, there’s no deadline. I’ll add them to this gallery as they arrive.

Here are the amazing characters from the Beetle Boy world:

M. G. Leonard to Publish a Picture Book about Plastic in the Ocean with Walker Books in 2020

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Did you know roughly 3.5 billion toothbrushes are sold every year, and many of them still exist? Or that it will take over 450 years for a toothbrush to break down into micro-plastics, and even then, what happens to the micro-plastics?

Inspired by the many terrible stories of plastic in the ocean and my work with #Authors4Oceans I have begun scribbling about these things. I am very proud and excited to share the news that I will be publishing my first picture book early next year on this very subject.

I have written a picture book for young readers about the adventures of a cheerful yellow toothbrush called Sammy. It will be illustrated by Daniel Riley. It highlights the life and journey of single use plastics. I hope it will encourage conversations between children and their adults about how we use plastic in our homes.

Keep your eyes peeled for The Tale of a Toothbrush in 2020.

More information.

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