Today it’s my stop on the blog tour for the Children’s Book Award 2020. I am delighted to feature Lorraine Gregory’s, ‘The Maker of Monsters,’ which has been nominated in the Younger Reads Category.
The Maker of Monsters – Lorraine Gregory
Brat is a lonely and desperate boy who knows no kindness and love, trapped on an isolated island at the mercy of a cruel master who forces him to take care of a menagerie of vicious creatures. The only highlight in his terrible life is the unexpected friendship with two of his masters creations, Tingle and Sherman. This unlikely trio are forced to overcome their fears and venture out into the real world when a catastrophic incident means that only they can help prevent a terrible tragedy. Lorraine has a talent for creating characters that you can’t help but fall in love with and are desperate for them to overcome their fears. At the heart of this marvellous tale is the power of kindness and friendship to inspire and transform you in the darkest of times. Her world-building is exceptional creating a highly visualised setting that she brings to life magnificently. Filled with bravery and heart, thrills and danger, this story is an absolute joy from start to finish.
To find out more about, ‘The Maker of Monsters,’ we talked to the author Lorraine Gregory…
Lorraine Gregory
In this book I wanted to explore monsters in many guises. From the obvious vicious monsters stitched together and brought to life using necromancy, to the monsters in human form who do terrible deeds for revenge or power. I also felt it was really important to include creatures that may look like monsters but on the inside they are kind and good.
My favourite characters have to be the experiments gone wrong – Tingle and Sherman. I love their relationship with each other and with Brat and hoped that children would too.
It was huge fun certain the broken world of Niyandi Mor and tying current themes of conservation into narrative. Molly and the other outcasts are great examples of people living with the land and trying to heal it while those inside the dome have cut themselves off from it entirely.
There are sad scenes in this book and it does explore death and loss and fear but overall I believe, it’s far more about finding your way, loving your friend and embracing life.
Children’s Book Award
The Children’s Book Award is the only national award voted for solely by children from start to finish. It is highly regarded by parents. teachers, librarians, publishers and children’s authors and illustrators as it truly represents the children’s choice. Thanks to the support of the publishers over 1,000 new books are donated to be read and reviewed by our Testing Groups across the country every year, with over 150,000 total votes being cast in the process. At the end of each testing year, nearly 12,000 books are donated to hospitals, women’s refuges, nurseries and disadvantaged schools by our groups. To vote in this year’s awards head over to the website…
Thank you to FCBG for inviting me to take part in the blog tour. To find out more about all the nominees, why not join in with the blog tour…
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