Shrewsbury kids author hopes his new sci-fi adventure tale will get youngsters to put down their phones and read
A children’s author has released his fourth book for young readers - an “action-packed sci-fi adventure”.
Shrewsbury writer Jamie Russell has penned Mech Brigade, which is for readers aged nine to 12.
It tells the tale of 13-year-old Miles, who joins an army of child soldiers in the far future, piloting giant robot ‘mechs’ to protect Earth from enormous alien spiders known as the Spinners.
When Miles is assigned a rebellious AI mech named Ironclad, the new recruit will be forced to question his mission and everything he’s been told by his superiors - with explosive results.
Jamie said: “I grew up in the 1980s reading action-packed kids’ sci-fi novels like StarStormers and The Tripods.
“If it had a spaceship or an alien planet on the cover, I would be instantly hooked. “Those books were my gateway into grown-up literature.
“Mech Brigade is my take on that kind of adrenaline-charged reading experience – giant robots, even bigger alien spiders, and a story about when it’s right to follow orders, and when it’s time to rebel.
“As an author, I know that young readers face lots of competition for their eyeballs – from videogames, to TV shows, to TikTok. That’s why Mech Brigade is written with even the most reluctant reader in mind. It’s a real page turner.”
Jamie is the author of the Skywake trilogy which, like Mech Brigade, is also published by Walker Books.
The first novel, Skywake Invasion, was picked for the prestigious BookTrust School Library Pack, which saw 20,000 copies sent out to schools across the UK to encourage reading among pupils from years seven to nine.
The Skywake books were published internationally and adapted into English-language audiobook versions.
Since then, Jamie has travelled across the UK from the south coast to Scotland, delivering talks to schools, libraries, festivals, and even at Villa Park, the home of Aston Villa Football Club, at an event organised by the National Literacy Trust.
“I never planned to become a children’s author, so it’s been a real privilege talking to young readers and encouraging them to start writing their own stories,” Jamie said.
“Children’s publishing in the UK is in rude health right now, with the most diverse range of books we’ve ever seen.
“I always say a ‘reluctant reader’ is just a reader who hasn’t been given the right book yet. Nothing beats the feeling of reading a book that you just can’t put down and as study after study shows, reading for pleasure is a key indicator of a child’s future success, impacting everything from academic achievement, to employment, to emotional wellbeing.
“I hope Mech Brigade encourages young readers to turn off their phones and gamepads and join Miles on an adventure featuring giant mechs, sarcastic AI, and out of this world action.”
Mech Brigade is available at Waterstones, the Walker Books website and Amazon, as well as other bookshops.
