Toppsta - Childrens Books – Reviews

Malorie Blackman is one of the UK’s most influential authors for young people. From 2013-2015, she was the eighth Children’s Laureate and she has been awarded an OBE as well as several literary awards. The exciting yet relatable plots that feature in many of her books have millions of readers of all ages hooked on her stories.
 
Blackman started out life as a systems programmer following a degree in Computer Science and switched to writing aged 28. Since the publication of her first book in 1990, she has written over sixty books, as well as several TV episodes including for the latest series of Dr. Who, starring Jodie Whittaker. In addition to her own writing, Blackman also did a lot of work during her time as Children’s Laureate to inspire young people to write. She was instrumental in setting up the first YALC (Young Adult Literature Convention) and ran a nationwide creative writing competition for teens.
 
Blackamn is probably best known for her series for young adults Noughts and Crosses. Published in 2001, Noughts and Crosses was critically acclaimed and won the Red House Children’s Award. The dystopian novel is set in an alternate reality where African people who have made Europeans their slaves, turning traditional racial prejudice on its head. The story follows star-crossed lovers Callum and Sephy: two young people divided by their colour in the racist society they live in, but who cannot live without each other. Blackman went on to write three more books in the series, with a highly anticipated fifth book – Crossfire -  due out this year. The series caught the imagination of young people everywhere and quickly became a bestseller. It is currently running on the West End stage and is being adapted into a BBC series coming later this year starring Stormzy, amongst others, who describes himself as “a diehard fan of Malorie's novels”. Although social issues run throughout many of Blackman’s book, this was the first time she had written about racism, inspired by personal experiences, such as needing a plaster one day and realising that they are pink so that they don’t show on white skin. 
 
Malorie Blackman’s thought-provoking books are often studied or recommended at school. She is not afraid to write about the big issues that young people can face – we love Boys Don’t Cry from 2010, a tale about teenage fatherhood and Pig-Heart Boy from 2004, the moving story of a boy waiting for a heart transplant, which many people know from its BAFTA winning TV adaptation.
 
Whatever your age, she has a book for you. Try picture book Jessica Strange for the very young,  Hacker for kids aged 9-12 and adults and teenagers should definitely start the Noughts and Crosses series before it comes to TV.