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Puffin swoops for space adventure from Fletcher
Puffin has swooped for Space Band, the new standalone middle-grade novel from Tom Fletcher and illustrator Shane Devries.
Editorial director Natalie Doherty acquired world rights from Stephanie Thwaites at Curtis Brown. Space Band will be published in hardback on 13th October 2022.
Fletcher’s last middle-grade novel — The Christmasaurus and the Naughty List (Penguin Children’s) — was his fastest selling children’s book ever and The Danger Gang (Penguin) was shortlisted for the British Book Awards Children’s Fiction Book of the Year 2021.
The synopsis reads: "George, Neila and Bash are the worst band on Earth. George wants them to be brilliant – but Neila has stage fright, and Bash is too distracted by his obsession with stars, aliens and faraway planets. But what they lack in talent and confidence, they make up for in heart. They’re determined to blow their friends away at their school Battle of the Bands contest. But the moment they start to play… They’re beamed up into space!!!"
"Now the kids face an even bigger challenge: Battle of the Bands, but the intergalactic version! They’re competing against alien bands from every galaxy! And if they don’t win, they might never make it home again… Can the worst band on Earth become the best band in the universe?"
"Tom is a true superstar of children’s publishing and with Space Band, he shines more brightly than ever before," commented Doherty. "Every page of this story sparkles with adventure, humour, warmth and wisdom. It’s a true celebration of difference, friendship and believing in yourself, and it brings together for the first time two of Tom’s greatest passions – space and music! Tom writes about the magic of being in a band like no one else can, and I’m so thrilled that readers will get to experience that magic first hand. The team at Puffin are so proud of our long-standing partnership with Tom and we can’t wait to launch this book in the biggest way in October."
Fletcher added: “I am so excited for readers to discover Space Band - I had an absolute blast writing it! It’s the first time I have used my experience of being in a band as inspiration for a story, so this definitely feels like my most personal book yet. Uniting my limitless passion for music, my enduring friendship with my band mates and my life-long fascination with all things space in a book feels like an absolute dream come true. I can’t wait for lift off this autumn!”
