| Helen Chapman |
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Eight weeks on the Australian best-seller lists confirmed what teachers, librarians and students have long known: that Helen Chapman is a writer that delivers for both publishers and teachers with her deliberate appeal to young readers. With sixty books to her name and published in the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand as well as Australia, Helen is a respected and established writer. Her range covers fiction and non-fiction. As far as Helen Chapman’s readers are concerned, her books are loved for their humour. ‘I love to read, but some children don't,' Helen said. 'From the very beginning, I wanted to write fun but informative books packed with exciting facts that would turn children on to reading as well as being a good read for keen readers.' She uses humour as a way of drawing children in; she is meticulous in her research, so that her readers may learn to trust the information they find in books. With her popular fiction Helen’s mission is to inculcate a love of reading as great as that which she remembers from her own childhood. Her Ripper Reads Chapter Books are varied in genre - Nobody’s Photo and Nobody’s Revenge are ripping mystery adventure yarns; The Clutching Hand reveals that Helen’s spent way too much time watching old B-Grade horror movies; The Spider that Barked is a fun filled adventure with its genesis in Helen’s discovery that Queensland has barking spiders and as such has been crossed off her travel itinerary and When Maps Go Bad shows her love of science fiction combined with humour. Helen Chapman’s latest non-fiction books Save the Planet:The Aussie Kid’s Guide, Dealing with Danger: The Smart Kid’s Guide to Dodgy Situations and The Aussie Kids Survival Handbook are destined to have the same success as 101 Cool Science Experiments which jumped the classroom walls and found its way into vast numbers of Australian homes and onto the Best Seller list. Parents as well as children delighted in the book: in its clear instructions, its intriguing experiments, and its humour. Most of all they relished not being talked down to. The quality of the information the book offered in its explanations of the science behind the experiments was outstanding. Even adults who had no direct involvement with children or with teaching bought the book for pleasure - and found themselves unable to put it down. The two new books by Helen Chapman are a reflection of the high standards that she has already set for reference books and are destined to be as popular with readers at home or in the classroom. www.helenchapman.com |
