In a short book of less than 80 pages Malorie Blackman delivers an exciting, incisive story with a credible, interesting central character and powerful message about the importance of taking a stand and fighting for what you believe in. Michela travels through space with her people on an Alliance spaceship commanded by her mother. Like all her friends she wears a Peace Maker non-aggression gadget. But Michela loves reading stories – Treasure Island, the Hunger Games – and can’t help dreaming them up herself, stories about fighting. When an apparently hostile spaceship demands they put forward a champion or face destruction, Michela steps up, with surprising results. Exciting, thought-provoking stuff. ~ Andrea Reece
Michela knows the law - everyone must wear a Peace Maker device at all times, and it must never be tampered with. Non-aggression is her society's founding principle, and the Peace Maker the means by which is it enforced. But Michela is desperate to experience the full range of human emotions in her own fantasy world of books and games, and the Peace Maker is the only thing stopping her. And when her mother captains their ship into enemy airspace and they come under attack, it seems that Michela's freedom from the Peace Maker may be the only thing that can save them.
Particularly suitable for struggling, reluctant and dyslexic readers aged 8+
A World Book Day Author 2019| Children's Laureate 2013-2015
Malorie Blackman has written over sixty books for children and young adults. Many of her books have also been adapted for stage and television, including a BAFTA-award-winning BBC production of Pig-Heart Boy and a Pilot Theatre stage adaptation by Sabrina Mahfouz of Noughts & Crosses. There is also a major BBC production of Noughts & Crosses, with Roc Nation (JayZ's entertainment company) curating and releasing the soundtrack as executive music producer.
In 2008 Malorie received an OBE for her services to children's literature, and between 2013 and 2015 she was the Children's Laureate. Most recently, Malorie wrote for the Doctor Who series on BBC One, and the fifth novel in her Noughts & Crosses series, Crossfire, is published by Penguin Random House Children's.
