Prior to becoming a children’s author, Brian Falkner had a career as one of New Zealand’s pre-eminent advertising copywriters, receiving national and international awards for his work. In 1999 he began focusing on writing fiction.

A natural and gifted storyteller, he had his first junior novel, Henry and the Flea (renamed The Flea Thing) published in New Zealand in 2003. Since then he has published two further novels for eight to 12-year-olds; The Real Thing in 2004 and The Super Freak in 2005. Walker Books are publishing Brian’s three books in Australia in August 2007.

Brian is a keen advocate of child literacy, and strongly encourages kids to write. In 2005 he developed a game/competition for Intermediate and Secondary school students called StorySports. Brian says, “it’s a bit like theatre sports, but with quick-fire writing games instead of acting games.”

Mind-bending adventures…

Brian’s first novel, The Flea Thing, has drawn unanimous acclaim from reviewers. The story centres on 12-year-old Daniel – a football fanatic who wants nothing more than to play professional rugby league. Of course he is far too young, but to everyone’s amazement he ends up on the team. How? Well that’s a secret – a secret which will turn Daniel into a media sensation! However, Daniel soon learns that being a league superstar is not always fun and games. This book has huge appeal, especially for young boys who have an interest in sport but may be reluctant with their reading. Reviewer Doris Mousdale of Newstalk ZB recognised the wide-ranging appeal of Falkner’s fiction. She describes The Flea Thing as “fun for adults to read without being condescending to serious young readers.” The Flea Thing was nominated for the Esther Glen Medal and was named on the CLFNZ notable books list of 2004.

The Real Thing explores the world of a young boy, Fizzer Boyd, and his unique – but not all that useful – ability to distinguish one soft drink from another. However, when the only three people in the world who know the secret formula for Coca-Cola are kidnapped, Fizzer is in hot demand as the Coca-Cola Company struggles to cover up the catastrophe. From this moment on, the reader is propelled into a world of drama and intrigue as Fizzer and his friend Tupai become embroiled in a dangerous search for the missing recipe. The Dominion Post praised The Real Thing, describing it as “a real bottler of an adventure story.” The Real Thing was named on the CLFNZ notable books list of 2005.