bonus that her son seems to be as fascinated by photographs as her! The author and critic Amanda Craig told her: ‘your writing will be slowed but not stopped’ and she thinks her stories have benefitted from more time to breathe even as she has far less time to write. She has also found the bravery to tackle a portal novel, like those that were her childhood favourites and to create a totally imaginary world. The new Unmapped Chronicles are built on the ‘what if’ rather than experiences and specifically in the gaps in scientific knowledge that imagination can fill. What if our climate was actually created magically in another world linked to ours? Rumblestar is the first of a planned series of four books, each set in a different Unmapped Kingdom, and which are all very different, beautifully wild places. She is currently researching rainforests for the next book set in Jungledrop. Each book will stand alone, but will link to the others as the World Book Day prequel novella Ever Dark does to the story of Rumblestar and each will continue the battle against the evil harpy Morg to save both the Kingdoms and the future of our own world, known there as the Faraway.


The wonder of seeing the world anew through baby eyes has certainly made Abi more angry and passionate about its fragility (She is an ardent campaigner for Authors 4 Oceans) and she wants her new series to make children think themselves ‘so lucky to have this beautiful world’ and ‘amplify the voices of children marching for environmental action.’ But Rumblestar also struck me as funnier than previous books. Abi confessed to a love of Dahl and you can certainly see that reflected in the names of the


school bullies terrorising our hero Casper at the book’s opening: Candida Cashmere-Jumps and Leopold Splattercash! It’s there too in wonderful new words such as stormgulpers to describe how some people internalise grief and pain – the ‘storm’ they have been through. Casper’s first encounter through the portal is with a female engineering genius and stormgulper called Utterly. They have their own internal battles to fight, as well Rumblestar and the Faraway to save. Confrontation was something Abi has always hated (the product of a parent’s divorce she thinks) and she wanted to show that ‘forgiveness and humility can be stronger than anger and discord’. The nuanced and relatable characters are certainly now as much of a strength as the spellbinding magic and exciting adventure we are used to, from an author who is clearly going from strength to strength. With a beautiful picturebook abridged version of The Snow Dragon, her short story from Winter Magic publishing in October, this is a busy year for Abi, but personally I will now be counting down the days till Jungledrop publishes in 2020 and I can enjoy more of the remarkable Unmapped Chronicles.


Formerly Learning Resources Manager at Coventry Schools Library Service, Joy Court is a consultant on reading and libraries, Chair of the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenway Medals, and reviews editor of the School Librarian.


Books, all published by Simon and Schuster The Dreamsnatcher, 978-1471122682, £6.99 The Shadow Keeper, Simon & Schuster, 978-1471122705, £6.99 The Night Spinner, Simon & Schuster, 978-1471146053, £6.99 Winter Magic, Simon & Schuster, 978-1471159824, £6.99 Sky Song, Simon & Schuster, 978-1471146077, £6.99 Ever Dark, Simon & Schuster, 978-1471178351, £1.00 Rumblestar, Simon & Schuster, 978-1471173660, £6.99 The Snow Dragon, illus by Fiona Woodcock, 978-1471172465, £6.99


Formerly Learning Resources Manager at Coventry Schools Library Service, Joy Court is a consultant on reading and libraries, Chair of the CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenway Medals, and reviews editor of the School Librarian.


Books for Keeps No.236 May 2019 9


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