Books with author Margaret Mahy

A legend is born. Heriot has always known that he was different with his terrifying dreams and psychic powers. Ripped from his family farm, he is forced to serve as the King's magician in the capital city of Diamond. Isolated and lonely, his only friends are the 'mad prince' Dysart and Cayley, a mysterious wild city child. But their friendship is about to be tested to the limit when chilling violence and ambition threatens to crush Diamond and its King.Heriot's psychic abilities hide a deeper power that has the strength to bring Diamond's enemies to their knees. But will he be able to control this power without becoming a monster himself?'Margaret Mahy is outstanding in the richness of her ideas and in her great story-telling ability. She has a fresh and vivid imagination, which speaks directly to the imagination of the child and an ability to use language to increase the force of her imagery to great effect.' Twentieth Century Children's Writers'The queen of children's fiction...her plots are complex, her language is both rich and precise.' Independent on Sunday'A prolific and versatile writer.' The Times'Few writers can match Mahy in her ability to exploit the exuberant possibilities of the playfulness of words.' Irish Times'Mahy displays a deep understanding of the emotions and conflicts of growing up.' Independent on Sunday'Sympathetic, unsentimental, effortlessly funny.' Jan Mark, TES

Previously published as Maddigan's Fantasia (ISBN 1869505611), this book ties in with a 13-part children's series, screening in the UK on BBC TV, Channel Nine in Australia and TV3 in NZ in 2006, and includes a colour section of stills from the series. In a time not too far from our own, a colourful and bizarre group of travellers brave a post apocalyptic landscape - the acrobats, clowns, trapeze artists, jugglers and musicians who make up Maddigan's Fantasia. At the centre of the troupe is 12-year-old Garland, daughter of the late Ferdy Maddigan, Fantasia's ringmaster. Garland has made this trip many times, but this time the journey offers frightening new challenges - including three mysterious children who join with no explanation of their origin, who become a dangerous enigma for Garland who slowly unlocks their secret. The story is vintage Mahy - a stunning and imaginative story with superb characters. The television series was filmed in New Zealand, with award-winning Australian producer Ewen Burnett (Bootleg BAFTA 2003 award for Best Children's Television Drama) and John Barnett of South Pacific Pictures, the company that produced Whalerider, and is destined to become an international classic. The book is scheduled to release just before the television series screens.

When Mama tells Baby that she’ s made a lovely lunch for him, she doesn’ t know that the animals are listening at the window. And they are much hungrier than Baby. While Mama bangs on her drums - boom-biddy-boom-biddy-boom-boom-boom - the yellow cat, the brown dog, the red rooster, the black-faced sheep and the brown-and-white cow each eats a titbit thrown on the floor by Baby. Good Baby gets a banana for pudding and, this time, he eats it all up. Boom-biddy-boom-biddy-yum-yum-yum!