Kia ora,

Summer is here and not long until Christmas now!
We are delighted to be sharing with you all of our latest achievements here at Spies Publishing.
A huge welcome to our new retailers in the Wellington region - Almo's Books in Carterton and Arty Bees in Wellington City. We've been working hard and will be adding new stores in 2018 so it will be easier for you to access our books. You can see our locations by clicking here. And remember, you can order our books from our website too!
This month, we have been featured in the Wairarapa News and Stuff.co.nz with an article about Ben's passion for writing and the workshop that we gave at the Big Book Bash in Carterton, Wairarapa on the 2nd of December. You can click on the link below to see the full article.
The “Create Your Book” workshop started as a desire to reproduce what I had done for Ben when I published his first book - Weirdo.  An initiative to reward and encourage his writing. When children create their own books and take them home, they feel proud and recognized. They also have a beautiful book to remind them of their achievement forever. We have been visiting libraries with the workshop and have been overwhelmed with the feedback from parents. If you would like us to come to a library near you, check out our website for more information here.
I also would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us this year, including readers, distributors and retailers. We're planning an awesome 2018 and it's a privilege to have you on board.

With best wishes for a safe and happy Christmas,
Renata Spies

Enjoy reading our article in Stuff.co.nz 

We were so happy to receive this review from The Booksellers website!
"Full of imaginative scenarios, this is a children’s story written by a child and as such features much of the things they love – action, narrow escapes, good guys and bad guys, and lots of high energy!"
Read the full review here.

Still looking for a Christmas present for a child between 7-12 years old? Our books are sure to delight the young and take them on a action-packed adventure! See below:

The Magic Pencil
$18.00
Buy Now
Our books are available for purchase through our website or click on the links to be directed to our online shop
Weirdo
$13.00
Buy Now

We had an amazing day in Auckland for the NZ Book Festival. Thanks to everyone who came and saw our stall and thank you to the organizers.
We will be back next year!
You can see photos of the day by visiting their
facebook page.

We had so much fun with our school visits recently. We spent one full day visiting three schools in Wanganui! Thank you for having us - St Johns Hill School, Durie Hill School and Churton School. We visited Wanganui for the first time as a family and had a great time at Kowhai Park.
Thank you also to Waikanae school for having us earlier this month. If you would like us to visit your school, please email us at info@spiespublishing.co.nz

We are super excited to be part of this amazing festival coming to New Zealand for the first time in February 2018!  This will be a family event not to be missed!
Check out their website for more information: http://justsofestivalnz.org/

And last, but not least.... we're working on a new edition for our first book Weirdo! We've hired the same designers from The Magic Pencil to re-design Weirdo with all the cool fonts and elements that our young readers love so much! Watch this space. We will publish the new edition in the New Year!

​Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

The Magic Pencil was launched a few months ago, but we're loving this Press Release written recently. Enjoy.

Eleven-year-old author wields magic pencil to publish second book

Many eleven-year olds love to read novels, but not many can say that they have written and published two of their own.

Ben Spies’ debut book, Weirdo, was written when he was just nine years old. His latest book, The Magic Pencil, has just been published and the young author says he has no plans of stopping there.

“I’m so excited to publish The Magic Pencil. I hope the children reading it enjoy following Bob’s awesome adventure to save the world from the horrible Fakeys as much as I do. My favourite part of the book is when Bob travels back in time to ancient Egypt and meets a rather nasty pharaoh.”

Inspired by the latest generation of comedic fiction authors for young readers, such as Andy Griffiths, David Walliams and the Tom Gates series by Liz Pichon, Ben says he aims to make his peers laugh.
“I think The Magic Pencil is even funnier than Weirdo, and I hope readers agree. My friends and I love to crack each other up with a kind of random, silly, sometimes gross humour that kids seem to get and parents roll their eyes at. That’s what I try to put into my books.”

Ben’s passion for creative writing showed through at an early age, and his parents Renata and Robert Spies did everything they could to encourage him. When he showed not just creativity, but the dedication to complete a 54 page story at age 9, the Spies took the plunge and had Weirdo published in 2015, with illustrations by his Dad, Robert. Renata Spies says the book’s popularity took them all by surprise.

“With Weirdo, we really just wanted to reward Ben for this amazing project he’d taken on, and give him a real, professionally printed book to keep. We printed a small run to share with friends, family and schools in the area and the response has been amazing. It seems like kids connect with an author who genuinely shares their point of view on the world, their challenges and their sense of humour. Ben started getting invitations to visit classrooms who’d read and loved the books, which is an incredible experience. I think it was the reaction of other kids which got him excited about writing The Magic Pencil, and sharing it with even more readers.”

As well as classroom visits, Ben and his mum also host ‘Create Your Book’ workshops at libraries around Wellington designed to inspire more young Kiwi authors.

While Ben’s books are still a labour of love for the Spies family, the young author says he’s been energised by some personal encouragement from one of his literary heroes.

“I was lucky enough to meet Andy Griffiths, who writes the Treehouse series, talk to him about my books and writing, and give him a copy of Weirdo. That was cool enough, but a few weeks later I got an email from him, and that just blew my mind. His advice to me was to keep writing and that’s absolutely what I’m going to do!”

The Magic Pencil is currently available for purchase via www.spiespublishing.co.nz
​

We are delighted to be sharing with you all of our latest achievements here at Spies Publishing.
Over the past few months, since the launch of "The Magic Pencil",  we have been growing our distribution slowly throughout the Wellington region and we now have eight locations selling our books. This is such a big steps for our little business! Added to that, we also have a few locations nationwide and we're working hard to have as many bookstores as we can on board in different cities, so it will be easier for you to access our books. You can see our locations by clicking on the link below. And remember, you can order our books from our website too!
This month, we have been featured in the Spring Issue of Family Times magazine. It was great to see the magazine celebrating the young talents in New Zealand and an interview with Ben. The Magic Pencil was chosen as the editor's pick for the issue. See full article below.
We've been overwhelmed recently with all the requests from schools for Ben to talk about his book.  However,  as much as we would love for Ben to attend all of these, he is still a school child and cannot miss his school days. With this in mind, I've developed a program where I visit the schools and share my experience of publishing Ben's books. I also talk about how I've nurtured and motivated him to keep writing. Children will also watch a video of Ben himself giving some writing tips and answering previously arranged questions. This is a great opportunity for students to relate to a young author and be inspired like many others have been. If you would like to arrange a school visit please contact us using the form on our website.

With best wishes,
Renata Spies


Thank you to all bookshops supporting Spies Publishing and stocking our books. A special thank you to "The Children's Bookshop" in Kilbirnie, Wellington for including us in their newsletter and doing a review of The Magic Pencil last month. You can see full review here.

Enjoy reading our article at Family Times parenting magazine
​





Remember, our books are for sale
through our website:

The Magic Pencil
$18.00

Weirdo
$13.00






Spies Publishing is going to the NZ Book Festival
We will have a stand at the NZ Book Festival celebrating young authors and nurturing reading from a young age. Come and see us in Auckland on the 11th of November between 10am - 4pm at the Mt Eden War Memorial Hall. We hope to see you there!

Thanks to our local schools in Kapiti for having us. Raumati Beach School, Raumati South School, Te Ra School, Paraparaumu Beach School, Kapanui School, Kena Kena School and Te Horo School. We hope we have inspired your young authors! I can't wait to start visiting schools further afield!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Spies Publishing launches The Magic Pencil, the latest new children’s book by young author Ben Spies

Introducing the fantastic new book for children, actually written by a child! Young eleven-year old New Zealand author, Ben Spies, publishes his second fiction title for children

Wellington, NEW ZEALAND (June 12, 2017) – We at Spies Publishing are absolutely thrilled to announce the publication of The Magic Pencil, the eagerly anticipated new children’s novel from young New Zealand author Ben Spies.

The Magic Pencil is eleven-year old Ben’s second fiction title for children. It tells the exhilarating story of London school boy, Bob, who finds a magical pencil one day on his way to school and now his life will never be the same again. Bob, with the help of his friends, must keep the magic pencil away from the clutches of the villainous Fakeys who will stop at nothing to take the pencil from Bob. But will they succeed?

Featuring a cast of memorable characters, such as the Old Man, The Magic Pencil is sure to delight young readers as they are taken along on a breathtaking and hilarious adventure through space and time as past, present and future collide.

Talking about his new book, Ben said “I’m so excited to publish The Magic Pencil. I hope the children reading it enjoy following Bob’s awesome adventure to save the world from the horrible Fakeys as much as I do. It’s my funniest book yet. My favourite part of the book is when Bob travels back in time to ancient Egypt and meets a rather nasty pharaoh.”

Commenting on the new book, Spies Publishing’s Renata Spies (also Ben’s incredibly proud mother) said, “We’re hugely delighted to be publishing this spectacular new book by Ben. The Magic Pencil is a 160-page action packed book full of adventure and fun aimed at children aged 8 to 12. Written from the point of view of a child, Ben has his own unique style of humour and a wild imagination that all his readers will love. You get to see Bob’s world through a child’s eyes and have his story told with an authentic child’s voice.”

It’s been a family joint effort to publish The Magic Pencil. The book’s characters have been brought to life with illustrations from Ben’s father, Robert Spies, who also illustrated Ben’s debut book Weirdo. The Magic Pencil by Ben Spies will be published in paperback by Spies Publishing and is available to purchase at www.spiespublishing.co.nz.

# # #

Notes To Editors:

ABOUT BEN SPIES
Most eleven-year old boys cannot say that they have published two books. Ben Spies authored his debut book, Weirdo, when he was just nine-years old. Now Ben has written a second book, The Magic Pencil, and has no plans of stopping there.

Ben’s creative streak and flair for storytelling has seen him write two books already, with another on the way, and many more in the works. All before becoming a teenager!

He has a quirky sense of humour that shines through in his writing. Ben’s loves to make his readers laugh, and take them on an adventure with his writing. The true point of difference in Ben’s books is that they are written by a child, for children. Through a child’s eyes and with a child’s voice.

In this digital age, Ben wants to inspire children to read with his books. He also wants other young authors to realise their dreams and write their own stories. If he can do it, so can they.

Because people love the heart-warming story and the authentic child’s voice in Weirdo, it is gaining a lot of attention. Ben has been interviewed by newspapers and magazines, as well as appearing on the radio and visiting local schools to share his stories with other children.
You can learn more about Ben and his books by visiting www.spiespublishing.co.nz

ABOUT SPIES PUBLISHING
When young author Ben Spies showed a passion and skill for writing at a very young age, his parents Renata and Robert did what great parents do – they encouraged him. Ben’s determination to write didn’t waiver and over time his stories became more interesting and really funny!

His parents were so inspired by his passion for writing and wild imagination that they wanted to keep encouraging his writing and bring these stories into books they could share with other children. So at age 9, Ben’s parents rewarded his writing efforts by publishing his first book Weirdo in 2015, and then in September 2016 Renata and Robert took the plunge and launched Spies Publishing.

They have since compiled a dream team of editors, book designers, illustrators and printers. In December 2016, Weirdo was relaunched and is now available for purchase. Spies Publishing will continue to publish Ben’s books and aims to help other budding young authors to become published also.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES
If you would like to know more about The Magic Pencil, you can head to our official website www.spiespublishing.co.nz or contact us at:


Renata Spies
Spies Publishing
T: +64(0)210 756239
E: info@spiespublishing.co.nz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SpiesPublishing/
Twitter: @SpiesPublishing

​

​Ben Spies: All the Interviews
 
Most nine year old boys cannot say that they have written a book that has been enjoyed by hundreds of children internationally. Ben Spies can say this though. Ben’s creative streak and flair for story-telling, has seen him create one book already, with another on the way, and many more in the works. All before becoming a teenager!
Because people love the heart-warming story and the authentic child’s voice in Weirdo, it is gaining a lot of attention. Ben can proudly say that because of Weirdo, he has been interviewed by newspapers and magazines, as well as appearing on the radio. Here are some of the recent interviews he has had…
 
Coast Access Radio
Ben appeared on Coast Access Radio on 31st March 2017 with his mother Renata. Straight away, the host Graham was fascinated by the fact that Ben wanted to write, and called it a ‘formidable task’ to be a published author by just 9-years-old!
They discussed how the words just flow out of the keys, and how the story creates itself as Ben sits down to write. Ben gets some inspiration for his book’s characters from the people he knows, but he tweaks their personalities first.
 
Ben summarised the plot of 3 of his books and the big ideas that he deals with in each:
​
Weirdo: Ben’s first book, published in 2016 and available now [https://www.spiespublishing.co.nz/book/weirdo/]
Plot:  It’s about a boy who doesn’t have a family, and lives in a run-down house. He gets bullied a lot and everyone says he is weird. He turns the tables around and finishes with a happy ending.
Theme: Ben tackles the big issue of bullying in schools. He was very emphatic when he said, “I really don’t like bullying”.
The Magic Pencil: Ben’s second book, due to be published in mid-2017
Plot: A boy finds a pencil and when he uses it in art class he discovers that whatever you draw with the pencil comes to life. The pencil is then stolen from him and he goes on a big adventure to get it back.
Theme: Creativity and Imagination, “What kid wouldn’t want a pencil that brings things to life?”
The Book of Evil: Ben’s third book that he is currently writing
Plot: An adventure story where mythical creatures come to life, inspired by Percy Jackson.
 
Graham loved how “Ben’s talent in writing has been a real stimulus for the whole family.” As a family of four, they all contribute to the project. Ben’s younger brother helps to make the books great by being Ben’s toughest critic. And Dad, Robert, has been able to realise his dreams of becoming an artist by illustrating all of Ben’s books.
The interview finished with a look to the future:
“How many more books are hiding away in that head of yours?” - Graham
“One, two, three, four… five!” All different people, plots and settings - Ben
“Where do you see this taking you in the future?” - Graham
“I am enjoying it for what it is now, I really love doing it” – Ben
You can listen to the whole interview here [http://www.accessradio.org/ProgrammePage.aspx?PID=1c867513-5233-4c0a-9214-02c296f4e2df]
 
Kapiti Now 
Ben was interviewed by the Kapiti Now and they too were fascinated by Ben’s passion to write and create stories for his peers to enjoy.
They loved the fact that Ben’s books have an authentic child’s voice:
“Most books written for children are authored by adults, the true point of difference in Ben’s books is that they are written by a child, for children. Through a child’s eyes, and with a child’s voice.   The irreverent humour and story-telling from a young person’s perspective mean that these books really speak to their audience in an authentic tone that they understand and enjoy.”
Read the full write-up here [http://www.kapitinow.co.nz/news/post/introduction-ben-spies-junior-author]
 
Revista MBA
Not only has Ben’s work gained fans in New Zealand, but due to his Brazilian roots, he is gaining a following on the international stage also. He was interviewed by popular Brazilian magazine Revista MBA in early 2017.
Everyone that Ben speaks to about his journey is fascinated by the process he goes through to create a book. Where his ideas come from, what his inspiration is, his passion for reading and writing, and his hobbies outside of writing.
Ben is always humble about his amazing imagination, his passion for devouring books and creating stories, and proves he truly is a 10-year-old boy with his love of climbing trees!
Read the full article here http://www.revistamba.co.nz/revistas---magazines
 
Review: Balmoral School Librarian
Weirdo has recently been reviewed by the assistant librarian at Balmoral School. Anita was blown away by Ben’s language, imagination and sense of humour.
“For example, to shake off the boss poacher who’s hanging off their escape helicopter, Ben sings a horrible song on loop until the poacher drops off with the torture of it. Everyday speech packed with dialogue propels the action (Quick, swing! Take cover!) Ben uses present tense to heighten the reality, and there are jokes and laughs on every page. “Claire hits Max where it really hurts for a boy…”
Read the full review here [http://booknotes-unbound.org.nz/weirdo-by-ben-and-robert-spies/]
 
With all the attention surrounding Spies Publishing [http://www.spiespublishing.co.nz/], no one can wait to see what the future holds for Ben and his talent for writing. I think we can safely say that there will be a lot more books for children to enjoy if Ben has anything to do with it!

 
When 9 year old Ben Spies showed a passion and skill for writing at a very young age, his parents Renata and Robert did what great parents do… they encouraged him.

 Ben’s determination to write didn’t waiver and over time his stories became more interesting and really funny! His parents were so inspired by his passion for writing and wild imagination that they wanted to keep encouraging his writing and bring these stories into books they could share with other children. So at age 9 Ben’s parents rewarded his writing efforts by self-publishing his first book “Weirdo” and now at age 10 he has another in editing and many more ideas for the future!

 Most books written for children are authored by adults, the true point of difference in Ben’s books is that they are written by a child, for children. Through a child’s eyes, and with a child’s voice.   The irreverent humor and story telling from a young person’s perspective mean that these books really speak to their audience in an authentic tone that they understand and enjoy.

 In Ben’s first book “Weirdo” we meet Ugine, a ten year old boy who recently lost both of his parents. He lives by himself. He has no friends at school and everyone thinks he is weird. We follow Ugine though an amazing and funny adventure as he finds happiness again.

 “What is really special about Ben’s books is that we kept exactly how he wrote it, the stories are funny, as told by a child. With a child’s perspective of the world… with very little interference from an adult” said Ben’s mother, Renata Spies.
​
 Ever supportive Ben’s family have created a publishing company to ensure young people everywhere can continue to enjoy these fabulous stories and be inspired by Ben.

 
Introducing the fantastic new book for children, actually written by a child! Weirdo tells the tale of Ugine, a boy who is navigating adolescent life, trying to feel accepted, and does some pretty weird things sometimes. 'Weirdo' is 53 pages of fun and adventure. You get to see Ugine’s world through a child’s eyes and have his story told with an authentic child’s voice.
Ben Spies is the genius author behind 'Weirdo'. He first wrote the book when he was only nine years old. Since then Ben has written a second book and has no plans of stopping there. He has a quirky sense of humour that shines through in his writing. Ben’s loves to make his readers laugh, and take them on an adventure with his writing.
 
Ben’s Story
In this digital age, Ben wants to inspire children to read with his books. He also wants other budding authors to realise their dreams and write their own stories. If he can do it, so can they.
Renata Spies is Ben’s incredibly proud mother and two years ago, she was confronted with a problem. How do you keep nurturing and recognising a child who loves reading and writing?
‘When Ben started showing a passion for writing and wanting to write at home everyday, I started looking for an after-school writing class to develop his talent. But I couldn't find any. Our society rewards many children’s activities. Sports have games throughout the year, certificates for the best players, and medals at the end of the season. If your child loves dancing or playing an instrument, you can enrol at a dance studio, or you can find music lessons with competitions and concerts in the end of the year. These children are being trained, are improving their talents, and somehow getting recognised and rewarded.
There is nothing like this for children who love to write. In 2015 I decided to self-publish Weirdo - as Ben’s reward and recognition. It was like giving him his certificate, his medal.’
 
Publishing 'Weirdo'
In September 2016, Renata and Robert Spies took the plunge and began a publishing company. They have compiled a dream team of editors, book designers, illustrators and printers. In December 2016, Weirdo was relaunched and is now available for purchase. Ben’s next book, The Magic Pencil, is currently being finalised and will be released soon.
Spies Publishing will continue to publish Ben’s books and aims to help other young, budding authors to become published also.
If you would like to know more about 'Weirdo', then contact Renata on 0210 756 239 or info@spiespublishing.co.nz.

www.spiespublishing.co.nz
​

Dear friends and family,

As some of you know, since Ben wrote his first book 'Weirdo', when he was 9 years old, we
decided to self-publish it as a reward and a gift for Ben to keep for himself. Ben’s determination to write didn’t waiver and over time his stories became more interesting and really funny! We were so inspired by his passion for writing and wild imagination that we
wanted to keep encouraging his writing and bring these stories into books he could share with other children. Since Weirdo, Ben has written another two books and is showing no signs of slowing down. In September 2016, we decided to start our own business publishing Ben's books. It is a real family business and Ben is the inspiration behind it. We all work together as a family to see his dreams come true - Robert is the illustrator, Renata the project manager and Daniel, an avid reader like his older brother, is the first one to read the manuscripts and give us his opinion.

In “Weirdo” we meet Ugine, a ten year old boy who recently lost both of his parents. He lives by himself. He has no friends at school and everyone thinks he is weird. We follow Ugine through an amazing and funny adventure as he finds happiness again. Ben is inspired by books by David Walliams, Roald Dahl, Andy Griffiths and Enid Blyton. He likes to write funny books full of action and adventure. We are very excited to be launching his
next book The Magic Pencil in February 2017

Recently, Ben was awarded a sponsorship for a new website. We would like to invite you to visit www.spiespublishing.co.nz. You can find more information there and purchase the book Weirdo - a great gift for children between 7-12 years old. We would love to share Spies Publishing stories and journey with friends and family on these emails but we totally understand if you choose to unsubscribe. For now, we wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas and a New Year filled with peace, happiness and good health.

Take care,
Renata, Robert, Ben & Daniel
Spies Publishing

NEW ZEALAND, 30 NOVEMBER 2016
 
Explore the concepts of bullying, courage, friendship and self discovery through the eyes of a child in “Weirdo” by 10 year old Ben Spies of the Kapiti Coast.
 
In “Weirdo” we meet Ugine, a ten year old boy who recently lost both of his parents. He lives by himself. He has no friends at school and everyone thinks he is weird. We follow Ugine through an amazing and funny adventure as he finds happiness again.
 
Most books written for children are authored by adults, the true point of difference in Ben’s books is that they are written by a child, for children. Through a child’s eyes, and with a child’s voice.   The irreverent humor and story telling from a young person’s perspective mean that these books really speak to their audience in an authentic tone that they understand and enjoy.
 
 
About the Author
When Ben showed a passion and skill for writing at a very young age, his parents Renata and Robert did what great parents do… they encouraged him.
 
Ben’s determination to write didn’t waiver and over time his stories became more interesting and really funny! His parents were so inspired by his passion for writing and wild imagination that they wanted to keep encouraging his writing and bring these stories into books they could share with other children. So at age 9 Ben’s parents rewarded his writing efforts by self-publishing his first book “Weirdo” and now at age 10 he has another in editing and many more ideas for the future!
 
Ben’s work has drawn the attention of other children’s authors such as Australian, Andy Griffiths.  "Hi Ben, Thanks so much for the copy of Weirdo, it’s a really cool book with lots of action and surprise and I really like the fun way you’ve presented it with plenty of pictures and interesting fonts. I hope you continue to enjoy your writing…! Your pal, Andy Griffiths"
 
For more information about Weirdo, please visit www.spiespublishing.co.nz or contact Renata Spies at +64 210 756 239
 
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