Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks.
Lucas Maxwell - Editorial Expert
Originally from Nova Scotia, Canada, Lucas Maxwell grew up on Nintendo, comic books and Dungeons and Dragons. He has failed at many jobs throughout his life, including fisherman, door-to-door salesman and slaughterhouse droid.
As a librarian, he has been working with youth for over fifteen years and is passionate about promoting the freedom to read and providing safe and welcoming spaces for everyone.
In 2017 he was named the UK's School Librarian of the Year by the School Library Association. In 2022 he won the UK Literacy Association's Reading For Pleasure Champion Award. In 2024 he was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for his services to libraries & education.
He is the winner of the 2024 Times - Chicken House Children's Fiction Competition. He is very proud to be a neurodivergent writer and very grateful to be adding his voice to the world of children's literature. He currently resides in the UK with his amazing family and the laziest chocolate lab in the world.
Reading through Stuck on Hard Mode by Erin Philips made me wish I had something like this twenty years ago.
Written with gamers in mind, it’s a truly useful guide for anyone feeling overwhelmed with being neurodivergent. The book is crammed full of useful advice, tips and anecdotes that, as a neurodivergent person, was like weight off my chest. I love the analogy that being neurodivergent is like playing a game stuck on hard or Legendary mode all the time. It fits perfectly with how many ND people feel on a daily basis. And to be clear, the ... View Full Review
Last summer, Nan and her three friends embarked on one last boat trip for the summer. The idea was simple, take a swim in the sweltering summer heat and have some fun. Simple. The problem is, only Nan returned home from that trip. And what happed to Edie, Jane and Luce is a complete mystery. Nan’s story has always stayed the same, she doesn’t know what happened.
One year later, as the town is holding a somber vigil for the missing teens, Luce emerges from the river, breathing and fully alive. Nan is surprised, because she&... View Full Review
***TRIGGER WARNING for child neglect and abuse****
A memoir and call to action all in one, this is a truly devastating and hard-hitting story that will strike you to your core. The story of her life, Jaz dives deep into the poverty she experienced growing up. Neglected and abused by her own mother and stepfather, she was seemingly destined to fall between the cracks and disappear like so many who share the same kind of experience.
However, this all changed for Jaz because of five people, five teachers that saw her and the potential she carried. Each chapter focuses on ... View Full Review
Dean Atta has once again delivered a powerful, emotional YA novel in verse that makes the reader feel they are peeking into someone’s diary. Kai is ready to come out as gay at his high school, and he wants his friend Matt to be on board. However, Matt is very worried about the negative backlash that is bound to descend upon them both if Kai does this.
Matt’s parents are religious and deeply homophobic, so his plan is to come out as gay only after he’s left their clutches and tucked himself away at ... View Full Review
Xavier Oak is a thirteen-year-old who’d rather be doing anything besides embarking on a summer trip with his father and pregnant stepmother. He’d much rather stay home with his brother and mother or play Dungeons and Dragons with Selena, the coolest girl around. Despite all of this, Xavier resigns himself to his fate and goes on the trip to the cottage by the lake.
The problem? When he wakes up on his second day at the cottage, the lake is…gone.
It’s like the cottage itself has been plucked ... View Full Review
Join Our Community
Join our community for the latest bookish news, reading recommendations, exclusive opening extracts, author events and competitions. It\'s all free. And enter a monthly draw to win a £50 Gift Card. See past winners here
