Abigail Hicks – illustratör

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...