Books with author Mary Elliott

"Did you ever try to do what you thought was the right thing, but ended up getting into big trouble? I did. It was on the night of the riot."‘Snow’ Goodison works in Wanganui [New Zealand] as an errand boy for German pork butcher, Mr Schmidt. His life is care-free and includes playing rugby football and collecting cigarette cards. But, in May 1915, the passenger liner Lusitania is sunk off the coast of Ireland by a German submarine. Shocked by this horror, a group of Wanganui citizens lead a patriotic march to Mr Schmidt’s shop. It is attacked and looted. Snow was seen outside the shop during the trouble and is accused of being involved in the riot. Would he do such a thing?Based on an actual event, NIGHT OF THE RIOT is the riveting story of a 14-year old boy learning about his place in the world and standing up for what he thinks is right.Review from NZ Book Council 'The School Library' e-news: 'This delightful novel follows James ‘Snow’ Goodison from his childhood on a farm to his defining coming of age moment in the Wanganui anti-German riots of 1915. Snow becomes a shop assistant for a German butcher, and this relationship allows him to grow as a person. He learns some hard truths about the world when the shop is looted by rioters caught up in patriotic madness. The text scatters a range of carefully selected details to breathe life and context to the story, such as a tour by the Australian Rugby team and the introduction of the first Ford Model T cars to the town. These details will immerse the younger reader without suffocating them. This is a novel with a historical setting, rather than a historical novel, and the characters remain central. The earnest, upbeat tone of the text will hook young readers in. Reluctant readers will really enjoy reading this as the pages and chapters fly by in a whimsical blur. I have no doubt that anybody reading the opening will go on to read the entire text.Reviewer: Ian StewartPosition: HOD English, St Peter’s College, Palmerston NorthMATT ELLIOTT has written more than a dozen books for readers of all ages. His best-selling collaboration with illustrator Chris Slane - Nice Day for a War: adventures of a Kiwi soldier in WWI – was the 2012 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards Book of the Year, winner of the LIANZA Elsie Locke Medal and a Storylines Notable Book. Two educational stories - Grandad’s Hat and When Grandma Came to Stay - were written for the charity Alzheimer’s Research UK and produced as audiobooks read by BBC radio personality Edith Bowman.

Research scientists Mike Elmwood and Jacob Shields are on the verge of inventing a method for time travel when the U.S. government gets a tip off about their research. The two scientists make a break through in time travel, only to discover they are not the only ones to achieve time travel. An Environmental Protection Agency recruits the two researchers to investigate a time travel experiment that went awry by the government seventy years ago. The mission is to observe and report on what really occurred during history. Jacob and Mike must stay one step ahead of government officials as they travel back in time in order to save themselves; leading them to the real reason behind the Presidential Campaign of 2017. Traveling in time results in dangerous consequences when a Nikola Tesla design is given to Henry Ford, resulting in Mike Elmwood's decision that may alter the fate of his fiancée's late military father. Which could alter the life Mike had built with his fiancée and ultimately to the decision to interfere with the car accident that led to the untimely death of Mike's mother three decades ago. Mike and Jacob realize how far one may go in order to keep true love alive and bring back the mother that died thirty years before.

The civil war has broken out, and Annie Sinclair's Virginia home, Hickory Heights, is right in the line of battle. Caught up in the rising conflict, Annie and her mother tend to wounded soldiers while Annie's older brother, Laurence, enlists in the Confederate cavalry under Jeb Stuart. Even Annie's rambunctious baby brother, Jamie, joins John Mosby, the notorious "Gray Ghost." Faced with invading armies, Annie is compelled into a riskier role to protect her family and farm. She conceals Confederate soldiers and warns Southern commanders of Union traps, and the flamboyant Jeb Stuart dubs her "Lady Liberty." Annie's loyalty is clear until a wounded Union officer is dragged onto her porch. Saved from a bullet by a volume of Keats' poetry he keeps in his pocket, Thomas Walker startles Annie with his love of verse. After several chance encounters, Annie is surprised by her growing interest in the dark-eyed Northerner as they connect through a shared passion for poetry. As the war rages on, Annie begins to question some of the values driving Virginia's involvement. Then tragedy befalls Hickory Heights, and Annie becomes the subject of a shocking accusation. She must confront the largest quandary of all: choosing her own course. L. M. Elliott crafts a stirring novel that carries readers from the Manassas battlefield to fancy-dress balls to the burning of the Shenandoah Valley while capturing the tenacious spirit of a young heroine facing an extraordinary, complex time in American history.

When Henry Forester is shot down during a bombing run over France, the World War II pilot finds himself trapped behind enemy lines. In constant danger of discovery by German soldiers, Henry begins a remarkable journey to greedom. Relying on the kind ness of strangers, Henry moves from town to town--traveling by moonlight, never asking questions, or even the names of the people who help him along the way. Through his journey, Henry gains an understanding of the French and their struggle; and of his own place in a war that will change the face of Europe forever.

For thirteen–year–old Nathaniel, an indentured servant in colonial Virginia, life is hard. Though things improve with the help of a kind master named Basil–who shares music, books, and philosophies on equality–around him the climate is heating up. It's 1775 and colonists are enraged by England's taxation. Patrick Henry's words "give me liberty, or give me death" become the sounding call and the American Revolution is about to errupt. Nathaniel and Basil must make a choice about joining the fight and face a larger conundrum about the true meaning of liberty. L. M. Elliott crafts a stirring narrative for middle grade readers–conveying the hopes and dilemmas of this crucial era in American history.

Ding-How and Ah-So hopped on the Magic Wheel and began to run as fast as they could. As they did so, the wheel slowly began to turn, gradually gaining speed with each turn. Faster! Ding-How urged. We must run faster! The two little friends strained with all their might to increase their speed. At last the Magic Wheel was spinning very fast. Hold on tight, Mi-Tu! Ding-How shouted. Dont let go! By now the wheel was spinning wildly, and everything became a blur. There was a great rushing of air, and suddenly, the Magic Wheel disappeared! What just happened? And where were Ding-How, Ah-So, and Mi-Tu?Have you ever wondered what your pets do when youre away at school or hanging out with your friends? You just might be surprised if you knew about their secret lives! In this fantasy, you will discover what a pet hamster, white mouse, and Siamese cat do while their human children are at school. Meet Ding-How, a very wise hamster; Ah-So, a mischievous little mouse; and Mi-Tu, a most dignified and brave cat. Follow their Magic Wheel into adventure, danger, and discovery. Each new adventure challenges them to work together in order to solve their predicament. In the process, they soon realize how much they depend on each other. Laugh at their encounters with a seagull and a giant nutcracker. Feel the heat of a volcano, and look with them at the awesome dancing lights in the dark northern sky. Marvel with Ding-How, Ah-So, and Mi-Tu as they discover the wonders of the Great Creator, who made the heavens and the Earth. Join them, as they journey to Bethlehem, where they learn the true meaning of Christmas. Come along! Dont delay! Travel with them on their wonderful Magic Wheel of adventure and discovery!

April and Ben are spending their first summer on the homestead. They are looking forward to the arrival of the new farm animals. Before their summer can really begin they have to finish their first homeschooled year and help their Father build a pig pen. The family bible lesson about Noah and the Ark is shown through their childhood adventures where the kid's learn to listen and obey. Will April overcome her stage fright on the last day of school? Will Ben get to take care of a farm animal? Join this close knit family on their homestead where adventure is around every corner and love conquers every obstacle.

March 1945 World War II may be ending, but for nineteen-year-old pilot Henry Forester the conflict still rages. Shot down behind enemy lines in France, Henry endured a dangerous trek to freedom, relying on the heroism of civilians and Resistance fighters to stay alive. But back home in Virginia, Henry is still reliving air battles with Hitler's Luftwaffe and his torture by the Gestapo. Mostly, Henry can't stop worrying about the safety of those who helped him escape—especially one French boy, Pierre, who, because of Henry, may have lost everything. When Henry returns to France to find Pierre, he is stunned by the brutal after-math of combat: starvation, cities shattered by Allied bombing, and the shocking return of concentration camp survivors. Amid the rubble of war, Henry must begin a daring search for a lost boy—plus a fight to regain his own internal peace and the trust of the girl he loves. L. M. Elliott's sequel to Under a War-Torn Sky is an astonishing account of surviving the fallout from war.