Melvin Burgess is a British author celebrated for his bold and realistic explorations of young adult life. He has gained recognition for tackling controversial themes such as teenage drug use and sexuality with unflinching honesty. Burgess skillfully weaves polyphony into his narratives, creating complex layers of experience for his readers. Beyond gritty realism, he also ventures into fantastical realms, consistently offering a distinctive and impactful voice in children's and young adult literature.
Fifteen-year-old Sigurd, son of King Sigmund, is the last surviving member of the Volson clan. His father's kingdom - the former city of London - is gone. And his father's knife, a gift from the gods, has been shattered to dust.
Billy Elliot's tough, funny and heart-warming story is given new depth by best-selling author, Melvin Burgess. Billy's mother is dead, and his father and brother are fiercely involved in a bitter miners' fight that has split the local community. Billy's father wants his son to learn boxing, like he did and his father before him. But Billy is fascinated by the grace and magic of ballet and is determined to dance his way to a different future. Told from the differing viewpoints of Billy, his father and brother and his friend Michael, Melvin Burgess has captured the spirit of the original film screenplay while demonstrating the skill and inspiration he showed in his award-winning novel, Junk.
When Nick's mother dies suddenly, the fourteen-year-old is sent straight into a boys' home, where he finds institutional intimidation and violence keep order. After countless fights and punishments, Nick thinks life can't get any worse - but the professionally respected deputy head, Mr Creal, who has been grooming him with sweets and solace, has something much more sinister in mind. The scarring, shaming experience he suffers at the hands of Mr Creal can never quite be suppressed, and when the old hatred surfaces, bloody murder and revenge lead to an unforgettable climax.
The story of a group of young people addicted to drugs told in many different voices, from the addicts themselves to the people around them
Set in northern England during the 1984 miner's strike, "Billy Elliot" tells the story of a young working class boy who chooses not to follow his widowed father's instructions to train to be a boxer. Instead, fascinated by the ballet class sharing the same building as his gym, Billy hangs up his gloves to pursue dreams of being a dancer. But even as he discovers his virtuoso gift for ballet he must hide his triumph from his father and brother -- both miners on strike struggling to keep food on the table. A hit at last years Cannes Film Festival and a smash success in the UK just one week into its premiere, "Billy Elliot" is being hailed as one of the best films of the year.
Someone mad was screaming at them from the upstairs window of a house next to the station. It was a girl. "Oh, that's April. Don't mind her... deaf and dumb, see." Abandoned by his father to a life of poverty, Tony is angry with everyone, and desperately lonely. April Dean, the deaf girl, needs friends too. But their growing relationship arouses deep prejudices which threaten to engulf not only Tony and April but also the whole village. This moving and powerful love story is about two very different people, worlds apart.
In this spirited retelling of Norse mythology, the trickster god Loki takes center stage, offering a fresh perspective on ancient legends. The narrative begins with the creation myths and follows Loki's journey through the rich tapestry of Norse tales, including the gods' triumph over monsters, Odin's sacrifice on the World Tree, and the tragic murder of Baldr, the god of love and the Sun. As an outsider born from fire in a tree-trunk, Loki embodies cleverness and wit, yet he grapples with his place among the powerful patriarchal gods, particularly in his contentious relationship with Thor. The story delves into Loki's many loves and familial ties, highlighting his nurturing of Odin's horse and his intense, tumultuous romance with Baldr. This relationship unfolds as a poignant tale of love, jealousy, and societal constraints. The prose is lively and engaging, blending humor with deeper themes of love and intelligence while challenging the old gods of authority. The retelling resonates with contemporary readers, making the ancient myths feel both amusing and relatable, and advocating for a new era governed by compassion and wisdom.
'We're the rubbish kids, losers and orphans. Everyday we go out on to the Tip to sort rubbish for Mother Shelly.' For Sham, Fly Pie and his sister Jane, this is the grim reality of their lives. Then one day everything changes when they find a baby on the Tip - a baby worth seventeen million pounds . . . This discovery takes them into a savage, lonely city and so begins an endless fight for survival.
Step into the ancient fir-tree forests of Scandinavia and bear witness to legends as epic as those of the Greeks and the Romans. Loki, born within the heart of a fire in the hollow of a tree-trunk, arrives in Asgard as an outsider. Over time, he goes on to become one of Odin's closest allies and plays an integral role in the rise of the Golden Era of the Gods - and their eventual destruction. This book - told from the perspective of Loki, the trickster god - charts the history of Norse mythology, starting with the creation of heaven and earth and leading to the eventual downfall of the gods. Told deftly with complexity and nuance, we hear the famous stories of Odin's self-sacrifice on the World Tree and the murder of Balder the Beautiful, and how Loki fathered Odin's horse Sleipnir. This is a retelling of the cycle of Norse myths for modern times, written with the vividness and earthy, sometimes shocking humour for which this prize-winning author is famous.
At first the marriage seems to have been blessed by the gods, but betrayal and deceit are never far away in this violent world, and the lives of both families are soon to be changed for ever .