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Lindsay J. Sedgwick - Mischievous Magical Maia Malone, Häftad

Häftad, Engelska, 2026

Mischievous Magical Maia Malone

Av Lindsay J. Sedgwick

Del i serien Janey Mac Books

156 kr

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Broomsticks, alligators, gargoyles, and a lighthouse stretching up totouch the sky. When nine-year-old Maiadescribes her drawings, they come to life with comic and chaotic results - butcould losing the family she loves be the price she has to pay?After finding herself transformed one time too many, Maia's older sisterNeeta snaps and tells Maia she's adopted. Maia's world crumbles. Thinking herfamily would be better without her, she sets off on a daring and dangerousquest armed only with her pencils, her notebook and a faded photo of a womanshe resembles.A rollercoaster ride full of surprises, with themes of adoption, bullying, friendship, identity, and the scary responsibility of having a powerfulmagical gift. Richly illustrated by Abigail Hicks. WhyThis Book Belongs in Your School or Library1.Themes: Family, cross cultural identity, diversity: The book is arealistic story about siblings, about families that don't fit the 'traditional'mould. The father works with refugees, the mother is a writer and bothdaughters are adopted. Use/ Misuse of power: Maia's gift gives her great power,but she doesn't always think of the consequences. Neeta uses knowledge about Maia's beingadopted in a spark of rage - and the cost, emotionally, to her as well as toMaia and the family, is huge. Then there's the villain, Uncle Morgan whomisuses his power as a detective inspector.Identity: The question of what family means, who we are,how we define or find ourselves. Maia's best friends are a talking mouse whothinks he's an elephant (identity) and Graham who's autistic (neurodiversity).She and Neeta (11) are both adopted, with different cultural backgrounds. 2. Strong,credible charactersMaia is a feisty, courageous female lead whose magic power comes directlyfrom her creativity and imagination - writing and drawing. This book tellsevery child who loves making things that their imagination is a superpower. The sibling dynamic between Maia and Neeta isauthentic. They bicker, protect each other, misunderstand each other, and - atthe end - hold each other tight. Uncle Morgan (aka "Morg the Borg")is a gleefully awful villain. Mamma Nupp, their great-aunt, is a wonderful,independent elderly character who lives alone, paints, and never needsrescuing. 3. Anaccessible, but genuinely ambitious readThe story moves fast and the writer never talks down to herreaders. Chapters are short enough to assign or read aloud in class. Thevocabulary is rich, but context driven. Age range: 7-10; ideal read-aloud for 6+; independent readfor 8+SuggestedLinks To School CurriculaEnglish/ Literacy 1. Oral Language* Chapters are short, dialogue-rich, and full of comic timing;great to read aloud. Teachers can model expressive reading, character voices,and pacing.* Discuss: What would YOUR power be if you had a magic powerand how would you use it? If you could make something you drew come to life,what would you draw? * Hot-seating activity: students interview Maia, Neeta, orUncle Morgan in character.2. Reading Comprehension* Predicting outcomes (Maia draws something - what mighthappen?)* Inference and deduction (Why does Neeta forbid Maia fromdrawing? What does that tell us about her?)* Author's intention (Why is the villain a corrupt detectiverather than a monster?)* Theme: the difference between using a gift and misusing it.3. WritingSedgwick is a screenwriter so the book has a very clearthree-act structure with a satisfying resolution that will be useful indiscussions about creating stories, developing dramatic characters. * Maia's power works because she describes what shehas drawn. Students could be encouraged to write about what they might draw into(temporary) existence. This has potential to open up topics across many areasdepending on what they choose to draw.* Students could write a diary page from different points ofview: eg, How did Neeta feel on the day she realised Maia had this gift? * Descriptive writing: Maia experiences Dublin's streets, alighthouse, a cinema that looks like something from a fairy tale, a museum fullof Egyptian gold. Students could write a description of a special place theyknow.4. Media LiteracyNear the end of the novel, Morgan's arrest becomes a newsstory. This opens a conversation about how stories are shaped by who tells them- a key media literacy concept for upper primary. They could be asked to write anews story of their own or start their own class magazine.SPHE(Social, Personal and Health Education)* Bullying and bystander behaviour: The characterBonzo appears early, and Neeta refuses to be intimidated. The book consistentlyshows both Maia, Neeta and other characters standing up to bullies and thelimits of aggression.* Family diversity and belonging: Maia isadopted. She looks different from her parents and sister. The book handles thiswith beautiful lightness - she looks through old family photographs wonderingwhere she comes from. In a flash of frustration, Neeta weaponizesthis knowledge, without realising the damage she is doing. This can only happenbecause the parents haven't told Maia yet. The discussion when they sit down asa family at the end and talk it all through would be a good discussion topic.(Neeta is also adopted, but Maia doesn't know at the start.)* Self-worth and identity: Maia feels"weird" and is frequently told not to draw. Learning to trust her ownvoice is the emotional core of the book.* Emotions and empathy: Multiplecharacters (including Uncle Morgan in his final moments) are shown to havecomplex reasons for who they are. The book models nuanced emotional thinkingwithout being preachy.VisualArts* Maia draws and draws. It makes her happy and helps her feelsafe. This is a book that validates visual artists and invites children to seeillustration as storytelling.* Abigail Hicks's illustrations are a craft model: studentscan study how character is conveyed through line, expression, and composition.History/ SESEGiven the family tin of photographs in Chapter Eight Maia looksat pictures of a suffragette great-grandmother and a young man killed in the WW2.This is a natural bridge to lessons on: * Women's suffrage and voting rights* Family history and oral tradition - with an exercise to goand record the stories by older people in their family or community* How photographs tell stories across generations- and whatthey don't say. (Maia thinks the handsome soldier has a faraway look "as ifhe'd been promised hot chocolate cake and had been given bran flakes instead".In terms of locations, the museum is full of Egyptianantiquities and ancient armour, the old cinema might have been a music hall,the old TB hospital at the end was once an asylum...
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Lindsay J Sedgwick isan award-winning playwright, screenwriter and author who lectures in MaynoothUniversity, Co. Kildare, Ireland.She was the creator of the globally award-winningseries Punky, recognised as the first mainstream animation serieswhose main character had special needs (Down's syndrome). It ran to two series(2011, 2014), was aired in 100+ countries and has 5+ million hits on YouTube.This book has its roots in the same short animationfilm script that birthed Punky.She also wrote the four-book Wulfie series (LittleIsland Books, ages 6-9+ years) which also featured a female lead, but with amagical shapeshifting Wulfen friend, and had a wide readership.Her other books include novels, non-fiction andcollections of flash-fictionA former journalist, Sedgwick's stories recentlyfeatured in the Citron Review, the Journal of ExpressiveWriting and the From The Well anthology. She has beenawarded an Arts Council of Ireland Literature Bursary and an Agility Award, andhas had residencies in Maynooth University, Cill Riallaig (Co. Kerry) and theTyrone Guthrie Centre (Co. Monaghan). She has been a speaker and panellist atwriting festivals in Ireland and the UK and has a degree in Screenwriting fromLeeds Beckett University, UK. You can find her online at www.instagram.com//lindsayjsedgwick and www.lindsayjsedgwick.comAbigail Hicks is an American illustrator anddesigner based in Ireland for the past 20 years. Working primarily inwatercolour and pencil, she creates illustrations for the children's bookmarket as well as painting commissions and the occasional freelance graphic design.She holds a BA in Fine Arts and anMA in Art History and worked as a production artist and graphic designer formany years before becoming a full-time artist. She is drawn to stories andimagery grounded in history and a sense of place. She is always seeking toexpress the magic of everyday moments through her work. She lives in Dublinwith her family and the best cat in the world, Reggie. She is a member ofSCBWI, CBI, and 12x12. You can find hero nline at www.instagram.com//abigailehicks and www.abigailhicks.com Other books by Lindsay J. Sedgwick1. Dad'sRed Dress (YA): Janey Mac Books, Feb 2017. 2. TheAngelica Touch: Janey Mac Books, Feb 20183. WriteThat Script - a guide to screenwriting: Janey Mac Books: April 2018. 4. Wulfie:A Ghostly Tail: Little Island Books, March 2022.5. WulfieSaves the Planet: Little Island, Books Oct 2021.6. Wulfie:Beast in Show: Little Island Books, Mar 2021. 7. Wulfie:Stage Fright: Little Island Books, Oct 2020.8. Sparks- a Collaboration of Art & Storytelling with Margaret Woods Moore, May 20269. GlimpsesBeneath, a book of flash fiction with Silver Locust Press. June 2026

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Children's Books Ireland:This is a charming, energetic children's novel that combinesfantasy and humour with emotional depth. The story follows Maia, a 9-year-oldgirl who can make her drawings come to life! When Maia discovers that she isadopted, she embarks on a perilous adventure to discover who she really is -with her pencils in tow!Lindsay J. Sedgwick has created a fun, fast-paced andlight-hearted story that explores meaningful themes such as identity,belonging, family and friendship while being fun to for young readers. The moredifficult themes are handled with warmth and sensitivity, allowing theemotional elements to evolve naturally within an exciting adventure storyrather than ever becoming preachy. The short chapters and lively pacemake this book appealing and readable. A lovely balance is struck between thefantastical and the heartfelt, ensuring that this book has both entertainmentand substance.The well-rounded characters make this book especiallyengaging. Maia, the protagonist, is a believable and relatable heroine -imaginative and spirited, yet vulnerable, with a few imperfections, making iteasy for young readers to root for her character. Her sibling dynamic withNeeta is realistic and humorous - any reader with siblings will relate to this.Abigail Hicks' illustrations really bring the story to life,adding to the book's charm and breathing life into the characters. Theillustrations reflect Maia's own drawings, creating a sense that herimagination has spilled onto the page. This makes the artwork feel integral tothe storytelling, reflecting a central theme of this book - the power ofimagination.Highly recommended.Fallen Star Stories blog: Mischievous Magical Maia Malone is pure magic in book form.It taps into one young girls' amazing talent and spins us into an incrediblejourney to find family, friendship and the truth...This is a truly fantastic story! With a rollicking,attention-grabbing pace and an intricate plot, it rockets the reader along onan incredible journey that is filled with wonderful characters, eachwell-developed and described whether playing a large or small role. Neeta isthe stereo-typical big sister, just wanting to be 'normal' and embarrassed byher family, especially her unusual little sister who draws more attention toher than Neeta can bear. Uncle Morgan is just despicable; mean, cruel, completelyself-centred and self-serving. Maias' friend Graham is autistic, clever,practical. He doesn't take to many people, but he is a brilliant, devotedfriend to Maia. His character is drawn with exceptional understanding andrealisation of his perspective. But Maia is the shining star of the story;bright, imaginative, brave, determined and utterly, purely herself, whatevercomes her way. The story itself is written with real heart; very visualdescriptions that place you in the centre of all the action. The beautifullittle black and white illustrations scattered throughout the pages are theperfect accent to the tale, adding humour and heart. They move you alongthrough the story, helping you understand where you are, how everything isunfolding. They bring light and life to the words on the page. Not only is this book brilliantly imaginative, it is genuinein its telling. You will not be able to put it down. The issues it deals with;adoption, family, bullying, diversity and inclusive, acceptance; are handled ina light but very impactful way. An incredible story that asks and answersquestions about identity and believing in yourself. It is the perfect story toread alone, read in family story-time or (and especially) for class reading inschools. Creative, funny, delightful, exciting, moving, heartwarmingand wondrous. I could say much more, but simply...it's one of the best books I'veread in a long time. S Ganly, primary school teacher:As a teacher, I'm always on the hunt for books withopportunities for discussion and linking into all areas of the curriculum andthis ticked all the boxes! So many important themes such as identity, bullying,diversity can be explored through this story. Paired with its rich language,this book provides a myriad of opportunities for learning. Lots of silly andfun images too - I loved it!K. McNiece, Hardback Films:We gobbled this book up in two sittings! Mischievous Magical Maia Malone is a wild, exciting and moving adventure from a top class writer. You have to read this book.Teresa Quinn, Bookline, Liffey Sound 96:An amazing, exciting, magical adventure - as well as a loving tale of friendship, sisters and family bonds. Abigail Wicks illustrations are inspired.Dee Barragry, The Moon Seeker:A fizzing tale about friendship and what family trulymeans.

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