Fans of teen element hunter and chemistry aficionado, Itchingham Lofte, will be delighted to see him back for another adventure, and they won’t be disappointed: this is another gripping page turner. As ever the MacGuffin is the coveted chemical element 126: Itch and his accomplices Jack and Chloe must find the last pieces of it and destroy them. The plot takes them to exotic locations, and the action is typically explosive! Mayo keeps great control of his material though, uses humour well, and it’s great to watch the development of the main characters throughout the stories. Perfect for fans of Horowitz, this is a smart, well-written thriller. ~Andrea Reece
The first two books in the series - Itch and Itch Rocks - have sold over 100,000 copies combined. Itchcraft is the latest breath-taking instalment combining Alex Rider-esque action with a cool scientific edge. Fun, likeable male and female main characters Itch and Jack make this story appealing to both boys and girls.
Simon Mayo says, "As soon as I came across the fact that a small number of people like to collect elements from the periodic table—they call themselves ‘element hunters’—I knew I had got my story... I wanted to make sure that everything in the book is technically accurate; even if this new element doesn’t actually exist, in theory it could."
Itchingham Lofte, teenage element hunter and unlikely hero, has had anough excitement to last him a lifetime. Stumbling across an unknown radioactive element and trying to keep it out of the hands of those who want to use it for their own ends was hard enough. But when a school trip to Spain ends in exploding currency and rioting locals, he knows that he has to continue to look for answers. Itch knows the lives of those closest to him are at risk. He must track down a deadly enemy who will stop at nothing to take his vengeance...
You can follow Itch on Twitter @itchingham. Click here to download an iPad app to bring the elements to life or here for the Android App.
Simon Mayo is best known for his BBC Radio 2 Drivetime show. He began writing four years ago, when he decided to create something for his son Joe, an avid reader and science nut. Having spent ten years interviewing scientists for his Radio 5 Live show he had plenty of ideas, and was soon consumed by ITCH and his story, waking up in the middle of the night to write. Simon has spent the last three years juggling his broadcasting job with visiting schools and talking about the ITCH series. During this time he’s met over 10,000 children as well as having appeared at literary and science festivals. Simon has worked on BBC radio since 1981 and runs a Book Club on his Radio 2 show. He is also the co-presenter of "Kermode and Mayo's Film Review" on BBC Radio 5 Live. In 2008, Mayo was recognized as the "radio broadcaster of the year" at the 34th annual Broadcasting Press Guild Awards and the "Speech Broadcaster of the Year" at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.
