Justin Christopher's Blog

Nanas With No Manners Out April 1st 2023

Nana Bonita the very noisy eater…Nana Martini in a bright pink bikini…And Nana McCartan who couldn’t hold a fart in…Will these nanas find their manners when they find themselves in trouble?I’m very proud of this book which I dedicated to my two nanas (since passed) and ALL nanas everywhere. The paperback is released on April 1st though you can pre-order via the links below. This book is for kids or anyone who acts like a child!Mighty Ape Time Out Book StoreBook Depository

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New covers and a new price for my titles for 9-12 year olds!

My bad. It has been far too long since I posted.

I have great news – new covers for my titles by the fabulous Mark Beech.

AND…my four books – My Best Worst Year, The Underers, Stowaway Daze, and Freakout Island are 99c for the month of November. Please remember to review the books if you got them through Amazon so other readers like you can find these stories.

Click on the link of your favorite book above and you’ll head to that book’s page on my site and you’ll be able to read the first chapter to see if that particular book is for you.

Happy reading, friends.

Justin

 

 

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Stowaway Daze is out NOW!

Stowaway Daze is out now!

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO SAVE YOUR HEROES? When homeless teen Max Stripe’s favourite band performs in Detroit, he brazenly jumps aboard their tour bus and drags his little bro Axel along with him. A magical road trip awaits until the band’s tyrannical manager arrives and creates hell. Fearful of being kicked off at any minute and being thrown back to his decrepit hut, Max charms and cajoles, and ultimately saves the careers of his musical heroes.

Stowaway Daze is written for ages 10+, or anyone with a sense of spirit and adventure.

I like this story a lot. You will love it!

Here is the link to buy the ebook for just 99c! (until Jan 17th, 2022) by which time I’ll release the paperback.  If you have trouble reviewing on Amazon, please head over to Goodreads and you can leave one there. Please feel free to share this post, I hope you enjoy the story!

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Don’t miss the wonderful Suzy Cato reading Freakout Island!

Suzy Cato is a Kiwi treasure and has entertained and educated children for decades.

In short, she is cool.

So when she offered to read Freakout Island in its entirety for all of us during another lockdown I was honoured.

Tonight, it’s chapter 6, but you can catch all of Suzy’s readings on her youtube channel.

ANNNNNNDDDD – Freakout Island the ebook is FREE until Sunday 29th August so you can read along with Suzy. Please remember to leave a review on Amazon so other readers like you can discover Leo Wriggly and his disastrously funny adventures on Freakout Island. Here is the magic link.

Thanks, readers – and stay safe.

Justin

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Publishers Weekly reviews The Underers

Here is a lovely review of the Underers from Publishers Weekly

After moving seven times in seven years due to her cop father losing his job, Journee Blake expects Millwater to be no different from every other place: she’ll be sharing a room in a strange new house with her obnoxious younger brother, school bullies will make fun of her weight, and they’ll soon leave yet another town.

But a secret door at 88 Cabbage Tree Avenue leads down 101 steps to Shadow Edge, a sewer-laden land home to Chime, Panic, and Memory, three white, bloblike sentient creatures with antennae called Underers. As Journee navigates both frustrating classmates and gaining a new friend at school, she learns that the Underers are linked to the home’s ancient alarm—and that Shadow Edge houses dangerous secrets that threaten their realm and the human one above.

Christopher’s supporting cast is one-note and the parental figures are comically absurd, but Journee’s burgeoning relationship with her new underground family makes for an endearing tale.

Younger readers will delight in the creatures of Shadow Edge, along with the abundant crude humor, as Christopher’s whimsical narrative grounds itself in themes including grief, loss, and the occasionally scary nature of change. Ages 9–12.

Click here for places you can buy the book!

 

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Save the date! April 15, 2021!

April 15-21 is World Creativity and Innovation Week. I’ll be interviewed by @bridgetphetasy about my creative process. We’ll talk about taking risks and daring to fail greatly. We’ll also talk about how I got into writing and how creativity helped me survive lockdown. I will have to sound clever! Join me…

Thu. Apr 15, 2021
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM (NZ time)
https://wciw.org/spotlight-celebrations/

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Thanks to the Reading Jack Daw for this review!

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A photo of my dad at school

 

It’s hard to imagine but once upon a time, your parents went to school, just like you! Here is a photo I found of my father at school in New Plymouth, New Zealand. I’m guessing the year is 1960. I wonder why he has a plaster on his finger? Did he get into a fight at lunchtime? Was he bitten by a rabid dog? Or maybe he cut himself chopping a carrot? I’ll ask him, shall I?

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There’s no such thing as an inappropriate question if you’re seven-years-old

It’s Book Week here in New Zealand and yesterday I spent two wonderful hours with Ellerslie School.

As usual, my favourite part of the talk is question time:

Where do you live, exact address? How old are you? When did you write your first book? What if I can’t think of an idea? Have you ever written a book about a zombie pigeon with rabies? Are your mum and dad dead?

Thanks, Ellerslie School, I had a great time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Meet Toby from My Best Worst Year

Toby is the main character in My Best Worst Year, a hilarious story about a boy who is promised a Gamebox V3 by his dad if he scores 20 wickets in cricket and 10 tries in rugby, but is foiled at every turn by the class bully.

Here is an entry in his diary.

You might have figured out my name is Toby, but you won’t know my surname.

It’s Gilligan-Flannigan.  There, I said it. I blame my parents. Thanks to both their stupid names, I’m stuck with the stupidest, longest name in the school. Sometimes all I want is to be called Jones or Smith. Then I wouldn’t stand out like a chicken with no head every morning when Mrs Martin-Edge does the roll call.   I’m the middle one in the family. Claire is four years older than me, and my brother Max is seven years younger. They’re both annoying, but at least Max doesn’t use all the hot water in the shower.

Then again, Claire doesn’t poo her pants.

No matter where you live in the world, you can buy the paperback here.

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