[photo: Sue Ratcliffe]
Appearing:
South Tyneside (10th)
Author Website
www.livimichael.com
Publisher
Puffin: www.puffin.co.uk
Livi Michael’s first children’s book, FRANK AND THE BLACK HAMSTER OF NARKIZ, was published in 2002. It’s funny, fantastical and a must for all hamster-lovers. Most hamsters are tame, gentle and seemingly happy to be left alone; Frank is different – he’s a hamster with a mission and his motto is ‘Courage!’ Frank’s adventures continue in Livi’s second book, FRANK AND THE CHAMBER OF FEAR.
The Basics
Born: March 15th 1960
Jobs: University lecturer, Writer of books for adults
Lives: Diggle, Saddleworth
First children’s book: FRANK AND THE BLACK HAMSTER OF NARKIZ
The Books
Livi Michael has written four books for adults and began to write for children in 2000 when she wanted to amuse her seven-year-old son over the summer holidays. She started writing when she was seven years old and never stopped! If she hadn’t been a writer Livi thinks she would have been “a very sad person or, alternatively, an Arctic explorer�?. The FRANK titles are special for their humour and originality and appeal hugely to readers of fantasy fiction as well as to animal-lovers.
What She Says...
“My book (FRANK AND THE BLACK HAMSTER OF NARKIZ) is about my hamster, Frank, who is very adventurous and fond of escaping. This made me wonder where he thought he was going and I looked into the history of hamsters, which was fascinating. Before 1930 they all lived in the wild in Syria. One day a scientist discovered a mother and her twelve babies, and all the hamsters kept as pets in the world today were bred from this original thirteen. Now no hamsters live in the wild at all – they all live in cages in our houses. At this point I knew I had a story…
Livi’s advice to would-be writers:
1. Make time to write.
2. Don’t give up.
3. Keep asking questions.
Livi Michael has two sons, a dog called Jenny – and of course a hamster called Frank!
There are more FRANK titles to come and Livi is moving to a new area with THE WHISPERING ROAD, a historical novel, the story of children on an amazing journey in search of their mother.
Recommended Reads
 | Sky Wolves Puffin 978-0141319247 The wolf was enormous. Its ravenous jaws were open wide, its eyes glared fire. When Sam's aunt rescues a lost dog, Sam knows that something incredible is going to happen. Jenny the Jack Russell may be a stray, but she is no ordinary dog. Jenny is more special than Sam could ever imagine...But Jenny is in danger, and now Sam, Jenny and a gang of fellow runaways face an extraordinary journey. The sky wolves are on their trail, and they won't stop until the rest of the world is destroyed. This is a gorgeously written, mystical adventure that will appeal to fantasy and animal fans alike from 9 years upwards. |
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Whispering Road Puffin 978-0142407240 A moving and powerful story about brother and sister, Joe and Annie, who flee from a pitiful existence as servants. They embark on a tough and perilous journey to Manchester in search of their mother who was forced to leave them at the workhouse when they were very young. Their future is tainted by the horrors of their past and as Annie is increasingly troubled by spirits, Joe is forced to make a tough decision. Driven by the lust for freedom, he sells Annie to a fair owner who plans to use her as a medium, and sets about creating a new identity for himself on the streets of Manchester. But the voices of the past won't leave Joe alone and ultimately he finds himself gravitating back to Annie and their original quest to discover the whereabouts of their mother. |
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Frank and The New Narkiz Puffin 978-0141317007 It's shortly after Christmas and, once more, all is less than peaceful on Bright St. A suspicious couple are knocking on doors, rounding up hamsters to win prizes in international shows. Lured as ever by vanity, Mabel voluntarily goes with Marcia Taylor and Vernon Maid, while Frank is alerted to danger by the black hamste. He manages to infiltrate their clinic and discovers that the steps they take to produce a prize-winning hamster are rather unusual. In Taylor-Maid laboratories hamsters are genetically modified, or scientifically 'improved'. In the horrifying surroundings, Frank not only faces his greatest fear but he is finally reunited with his mother, Leila. Meanwhile, the New Narkiz is under threat as planning permission is granted to build houses on The Wild. Daisy and the new cubs go missing, and it is up to George and Little Elsie to find them. This is a terrifically exciting and poignant story of how the New Narkiz is finally established, and of how one hamster (namely Frank) must pay the ultimate price. |