Clay

Description

With fascination, Davie and his best friend Geordie watch the arrival of a new boy, Stephen Rose, in their town. He seems to have come from nowhere, and when he arrives to live with his distant aunt, the local loony , Crazy Mary , no one envies him his new home. But perhaps he s the answer to Davie and Geordie's prayers - a secret weapon in their war against monstrous Mouldy and his gang? Intrigued by him, gradually Davie and Geordie befriend Stephen. But they are heading innocently down a dangerous path that brings with it a monster of an entirely unexpected nature. Their encounter with the mysterious Stephen is as incredible as it is menacing, and as the true shocking story of Stephen s past slowly emerges, Davie s life is changed forever.

David Almond is the author of Skellig, My Name is Mina, Counting Stars, The Savage, Island, A Song for Ella Grey, The Colour of the Sun and many other novels, stories, picture books, opera librettos, songs and plays. His work is translated into 40 languages, and is widely adapted for stage and screen. His major awards include the Carnegie Medal, two Whitbread Awards, the Eleanor Farjeon Award, the Michael L Printz Award (USA), Le Prix Sorcieres (France) and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. In 2010 he won the Hans Christian Andersen Award, the world's most prestigious prize for children's authors. David speaks at festivals and conferences around the world. He is Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University. He is widely regarded as one of the most exciting, inspirational and innovative children's authors writing today. He has one amazing daughter. He lives in Bath and in Newcastle, the city in which he was born. www.davidalmond.com

'! a work of art out of the simplest words !' -- Amanda Craig, The Times '! funny, mysterious, moving, frightening, and so deftly constructed as to be fiercely compelling. ! not beneath the attention of adult readers.' -- Nicolette Jones, The Sunday Times 'He weaves a story web, spiderlike, that holds the reader spellbound while he spins new thought-threads on universal themes' -- Carousel, Autumn 2005 '... lilting prose and a seamless blending of primitive magic with discerning realism. ! elegiac lyricism of a lament for lost innocence but punctuated by moments of sharply observed humour, this adroit and perceptive novel has both immediate appeal and long-lasting resonance.' -- The Guardian '! his deepest, darkest yet and perhaps his best.' -- The Sunday Herald 'the most lyrical children's author now writing' -- The Guardian, July 06 '... another gripping read from one of the master storytellers.' -- Books Quarterly '...this story is totally accessible...an involving and thought provoking read.' -- The Carnegie Medal Website 'Focusing on good and evil, love and desire and the supernatural, Clay "transcends the limitations of some writing for children.' -- Catriona Ferguson