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Hello from New Zealand!
We are so excited to announce that Ben's short film - The Luckiest Man Alive - has won Best Drama at the E Tu Whanau Rangatahi Film Awards by Maoriland Charitable Trust in Otaki, New Zealand. Ben was part of their workshop for young filmmakers this past February, and his group had the opportunity to work together as a team to come up with the script, acting, recording and editing. Ben plays "The Snipper". Time was really tight though with the workshop running only for two days over the weekend, so... well, let's just say... there was not enough time to finish it all as the team had planned! But, what a great opportunity to be able to produce a film and overcome challenges under the supervision of the awesome crew at Maoriland. The Luckiest Man Alive is now running for the People's Choice Award along with other 15 short films created by young filmmakers from Aotearoa. You can watch the movies and vote here. The winner of People's Choice will be announced on April 23. Good luck, Ben! I hope that wherever you are, you and your family are safe and healthy during these Covid times. Unfortunately my beloved country, Brazil, is going through its worse since the pandemic started. To our readers and followers in Brazil, we send our prayers and love. On the other hand, it's great to hear that England and some other countries in Europe, as well as the USA are turning the corner and numbers of cases are coming down. :) As usual, we have put together a few promotions for you and your children below, as well as a reminder of our social media platforms. Please follow us through the links below and if you know anyone who would enjoy Ben's books, please share his Amazon page where they can purchase any of his books! Take care and talk soon. Follow us on social media: Watch "The Luckiest Man Alive" here. Ben plays Demetrius Demarcus Bartholomew James the 3rd Junior - AKA The Sniper If you love reading e-books and have a preferred online store, check out Ben's books in the online stores below: Kobo Smashwords Amazon Nook OUR CURRENT PROMOTIONS ARE FEATURED IN OUR FACEBOOK PAGE. CHECK IT OUT HERE ** LIBRARIES** ** WE HAVE NEW BOOKMARKS ** If you are a library in New Zealand and would like to purchase any of Ben's books, send us an email with your order to: [email protected] We will be sending our new bookmarks along with your order! If you ONLY buy through Wheelers, no problem! You can order here and just give us a call and we will send the bookmarks in the post. Scroll down for more info on Ben's books. For those in Wellington, our books will be available from the markets below this weekend along with some great New Zealand authors as we are part of The Underground Bookstore. If you are not in Wellington check out their website here where you can buy a great selection of books written, produced and printed right here in New Zealand. We are also part of another New Zealand initiative to promote kiwi authors and independent publishers. In the Kiwi Kids Read Kiwi Books online bookstore you’ll find exciting, funny, clever and entertaining novels, non-fiction books, picture books, graphic novels, poetry and activity books written for children and teens by New Zealand authors and illustrators. And... another store selling exclusively New Zealand made products is Chooice. Click below to discover an amazing world of New Zealand artists, crafters, authors and innovative small businesses. Ben's books make great gifts for children aged 7 to 14 years old. His books are available from Amazon and can be delivered to any address worldwide. For a description of each book and recommended reading ages have a look at the blurbs below. BEN'S BOOKS BLURBS HERE: WEIRDO Meet Ugine. He is a right, proper weirdo. But with great weirdness comes great responsibility... Ugine recently lost his parents. He now lives by himself. He has no friends at school, and everyone thinks he is weird... but when a school trip to Brazil ends in disaster, Ugine's weirdness might just come in handy. Will Ugine save his classmates? Or will they all be lost in the jungle forever... 'Weirdo' was written when Ben was just nine years old. Ben started writing his own stories to entertain his peers with the authentic, peculiar and hilarious voice only a child can have. If your children love the funny stories by Dav Pilkey and the Tom Gates series they will enjoy this book. Buy Ben's first book 'Weirdo' here! Ages: 7+ THE MAGIC PENCIL A school boy. A magic pencil. One chance to save the world. When Bob finds an innocent-looking pencil on his way to school, little does he realize his life will never be the same again. Anything it draws magically comes to life. Unknown to Bob, a dangerous gang of villains are not far behind. Desperately searching for the Magic Pencil, the Fakeys want to use the power of the pencil to take over the world, and they will let nothing stand in their way. In a race against time, can Bob and his friends stay one step ahead of the Fakeys to save the world? 'The Magic Pencil' is an extraordinary adventure full of action, unexpected time-travel and imaginative scenarios. If you like Roald Dahl and David Walliams' books, then you'll love this novel by Kiwi young author Ben Spies. 'The Magic Pencil' is written by 10 year old author Ben Spies. 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. Order your copy of 'The Magic Pencil' here and embark on Ben's latest adventure. Ages: 8+ THE WORLD OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Ever wondered what the Greek myths look like through the eyes of a child? Eleven-year-old author, Ben Spies, writes his version of some of the most thrilling tales from Greek mythology. From Titans to Olympians, 'The World of Greek Mythology' delivers an action-packed retelling of the myths, from how the world was created to a personal take on some of the greatest and mightiest gods and goddesses. Ben adds his quirky humour to each chapter as we follow the drama of the legendary Trojan War and the epic voyage of Odysseus. But be warned: the gruesome world of Greek mythology is not for the faint of heart… get ready for bloody battles and horrible deaths. If you love Greek mythology, or you’re keen to learn more, this book is sure to delight and captivate your imagination. The World of Greek Mythology was the bronze medal winner for the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2019. If your children enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan they will love this book! Get your copy of 'The World of Greek Mythology' here. Ages: 10+ 2020 Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate. The spacecraft sent by NASA to find a new home for the human race has been destroyed by an alien force. Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother Susan are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the enemy may not come from outer-space, but from right here among us. Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected. Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world? '2020' is the fourth novel from teenage author, Ben Spies. If you like heart-pounding action, high-stakes drama, and all things alien and sci-fi, you’ll love Ben’s new book. Get your copy today here! Ages: 11+ To our Brazilian readers We have published our first Portuguese book! Esquisito, eu? is the translated version of Ben's first book - Weirdo. We have it in e-book format for ONLY R$4.99 and in print for R$36.00 available from Amazon.com and Amazon.com.br Order your copy today!! Eugênio é um menino de 10 anos que tem vários motivos para estar triste... Ele perdeu os pais recentemente, não tem amigos na escola e todo mundo acha que ele é meio esquisito. Será que Eugênio vai conseguir ser feliz de novo? Embarque nessa divertida e emocionante aventura e descubra o lado doce e companheiro de Eugênio. Esquisito, eu? é o primeiro livro de Ben Spies e foi escrito quando ele tinha apenas 9 anos. Ben tem um senso de humor peculiar e prefere os personagens com nomes engraçados. Mas, acima de tudo, Ben adora fazer as crianças rirem com suas histórias. Ben Spies vive na Nova Zelandia com sua familia. Our next Portuguese book is almost finished!! We are at the last stages of proof-reading the book and we have approved the final cover. What do you think? O Lápis Mágico is the translated version of Ben's second book - The Magic Pencil. Bob encontrou um lápis mágico no caminho para a escola e agora a sua vida nunca mais será a mesma. Os Fajutos querem dominar o mundo e farão de tudo para pegar o lápis de Bob. Será que eles vão conseguir? Junte-se a Bob e seus amigos nesta incrível aventura e embarque em uma viagem extraordinária para salvar o mundo! Ben escreveu seu primeiro livro, Esquisito, eu?, quando tinha 9 anos. O Lápis Mágico surgiu logo depois, aos 10. O que torna os livros de Ben diferente dos outros é que eles são escritos por uma criança e para crianças. As histórias são contadas com a autenticidade da voz de uma criança. We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends and leave a review for Ben!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Click on the button below to get your FREE copy! Your FREE Weirdo Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at [email protected] to join Ben's ARC team. Thanks for reading and following our journey,
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Happy New Year readers and bookworm friends!
I hope you enjoyed some time off over the holidays ideally with family and friends during Christmas and New Year, and found a good book to read in between! It's summer here in New Zealand and it was great to have some hot days by the beach with the kids during the break. I had my own book to enjoy while the kids were braving the waves or playing with their new beach toys by the shore. I can highly recommend "Then She Roars" by New Zealand author Vanessa Evetts. You can find more details below as you read on. I'm so hopeful for the future and I believe this year is the start of something really good where we all will be able to start planning when to travel and see our loved ones again in other parts of the world as many countries start to roll out the vaccine for COVID. Thank you so much to all of you who wrote back to us with Christmas greetings! So very sweet, and Ben was very happy to receive the messages. Thank you. We have put together a few promotions and book ideas for you and your children below, as well as a reminder of our social media platforms. Please follow us through the links below and if you know anyone who would enjoy Ben's books, please share his Amazon page where they can purchase any of his books! Take care and talk soon. ** BACK TO SCHOOL !! ** ** NEW BOOKMARKS ** If you are a school in New Zealand and would like to purchase any of Ben's books for your library, send us an email with your order to: [email protected] We will be sending our new bookmarks along with your order! Scroll down for more info on Ben's books. Follow us on social media through the links below: Introduce the kids to The Super Twins with a fun Activity pack which includes word searches, a maze, colouring sheets, make your own Superhero mask and more! This educational book presents facts along with full color photographs and carefully chosen words to teach children about the 50 States of the USA. This is a FREE book teaching children how to overcome their fears themselves. Click below to get your copy now. ‘Morning or Evening Riddle’ is an excellent choice for little explorative toddlers who are curious about everything under the sun. Get your copy from Amazon clicking below. Below is a children's book about the power of kindness, celebrating diversity, and friendship. 'Jake the Growling Dog' is available from Amazon. For the parents: 'Then She Roars' was my favourite read over the holidays. This is a powerful book. I cried, laughed and raged along with the protagonist. So many emotions from the beginning to the end of the book. Loved it! Learn more about the book and New Zealand author Vanessa Evetts by clicking below. And talking about New Zealand authors, check The Underground Bookstore - a collective of independently published authors from the Wellington region, including Ben's books. Click on image below. Also, by New Zealand authors, there's a new online retailer that we have recently joined featuring great children's books ranging from picture books to young adult. Check out the selection by Kiwi Kids read Kiwi Books below. And... another store selling exclusively New Zealand made products is Chooice. Click below to discover an amazing world of New Zealand artists, crafters, authors and innovative small businesses. Ben's books make great gifts for children aged 7 to 14 years old. His books are available from Amazon and can be delivered to any address worldwide. For a description of each book and recommended reading ages have a look at the blurbs below. BEN'S BOOKS BLURBS HERE: WEIRDO Meet Ugine. He is a right, proper weirdo. But with great weirdness comes great responsibility... Ugine recently lost his parents. He now lives by himself. He has no friends at school, and everyone thinks he is weird... but when a school trip to Brazil ends in disaster, Ugine's weirdness might just come in handy. Will Ugine save his classmates? Or will they all be lost in the jungle forever... 'Weirdo' was written when Ben was just nine years old. Ben started writing his own stories to entertain his peers with the authentic, peculiar and hilarious voice only a child can have. If your children love the funny stories by Dav Pilkey and the Tom Gates series they will enjoy this book. Buy Ben's first book 'Weirdo' here! Ages: 7+ THE MAGIC PENCIL A school boy. A magic pencil. One chance to save the world. When Bob finds an innocent-looking pencil on his way to school, little does he realize his life will never be the same again. Anything it draws magically comes to life. Unknown to Bob, a dangerous gang of villains are not far behind. Desperately searching for the Magic Pencil, the Fakeys want to use the power of the pencil to take over the world, and they will let nothing stand in their way. In a race against time, can Bob and his friends stay one step ahead of the Fakeys to save the world? 'The Magic Pencil' is an extraordinary adventure full of action, unexpected time-travel and imaginative scenarios. If you like Roald Dahl and David Walliams' books, then you'll love this novel by Kiwi young author Ben Spies. 'The Magic Pencil' is written by 10 year old author Ben Spies. 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. Order your copy of 'The Magic Pencil' here and embark on Ben's latest adventure. Ages: 8+ THE WORLD OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Ever wondered what the Greek myths look like through the eyes of a child? Eleven-year-old author, Ben Spies, writes his version of some of the most thrilling tales from Greek mythology. From Titans to Olympians, 'The World of Greek Mythology' delivers an action-packed retelling of the myths, from how the world was created to a personal take on some of the greatest and mightiest gods and goddesses. Ben adds his quirky humour to each chapter as we follow the drama of the legendary Trojan War and the epic voyage of Odysseus. But be warned: the gruesome world of Greek mythology is not for the faint of heart… get ready for bloody battles and horrible deaths. If you love Greek mythology, or you’re keen to learn more, this book is sure to delight and captivate your imagination. The World of Greek Mythology was the bronze medal winner for the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2019. If your children enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan they will love this book! Get your copy of 'The World of Greek Mythology' here. Ages: 10+ 2020 Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate. The spacecraft sent by NASA to find a new home for the human race has been destroyed by an alien force. Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother Susan are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the enemy may not come from outer-space, but from right here among us. Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected. Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world? '2020' is the fourth novel from teenage author, Ben Spies. If you like heart-pounding action, high-stakes drama, and all things alien and sci-fi, you’ll love Ben’s new book. Get your copy today here! Ages: 11+ To our Brazilian readers We have published our first Portuguese book! Esquisito, eu? is the translated version of Ben's first book - Weirdo. We have it in e-book format for ONLY R$4.99 and in print for R$36.00 available from Amazon.com and Amazon.com.br Order your copy today!! Eugênio é um menino de 10 anos que tem vários motivos para estar triste... Ele perdeu os pais recentemente, não tem amigos na escola e todo mundo acha que ele é meio esquisito. Será que Eugênio vai conseguir ser feliz de novo? Embarque nessa divertida e emocionante aventura e descubra o lado doce e companheiro de Eugênio. Esquisito, eu? é o primeiro livro de Ben Spies e foi escrito quando ele tinha apenas 9 anos. Ben tem um senso de humor peculiar e prefere os personagens com nomes engraçados. Mas, acima de tudo, Ben adora fazer as crianças rirem com suas histórias. Ben Spies vive na Nova Zelandia com sua familia. We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends and leave a review for Ben!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Click on the button below to get your FREE copy! Your FREE Weirdo Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at [email protected] to join Ben's ARC team. Thanks for reading and following our journey, Hello readers and bookworm friends!
Welcome to our newsletter! December has to be my favourite month of the year!! Who doesn't love the silly season and running around choosing presents for the whole family (including your own - best part of it!!), organising the Christmas party, inviting friends and family, and most importantly getting some books for everyone!! New Zealand is still virus-free and we are very fortunate to be able to celebrate the holidays and go ahead with all events as planned. I really hope that wherever you are, you will be able to still celebrate with loved ones. It was wonderful to be able to participate in some Christmas fairs and markets this month across town and share the holiday spirit with our readers. Thank you for popping by and purchasing one of Ben's books. Pease keep in touch and let us know of any reviews you have written for us! Keep reading to find great gift ideas this Christmas for the young readers in the household! Talk again in the new year. I hope the holiday season is filled with peace, love and most importantly HEALTH to you all. WE HAVE SOME GREAT BOOKS TO SHARE WITH YOU! Click on images below to be re-directed to each promo. Get these books fast! This promotion ends December 28th! FREE children's books. Available for a limited time. These authors have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of children's books. If you love science-fiction, check out the selection below by sci-fi authors around the globe. New Zealand young author Denika Mead launches her third book in her trilogy! New Zealand author Helen Vivienne Fletcher launches a new book! To all animal lovers and mystery readers, this will be a great book for this holiday season. And talking about New Zealand authors, check The Underground Bookstore - a collective of independently published authors from the Wellington region, including Ben's books. We have recently joined a new online bookstore featuring children's books by New Zealand authors. Check out the amazing selection of books from Kiwi Kids read Kiwi Books below. Ben's books make great gifts for children aged 7 to 14 years old for this Christmas. His books are available from Amazon and can be delivered to any address worldwide. For a description of each book and recommended reading ages have a look at the blurbs below. BEN'S BOOKS BLURBS HERE: WEIRDO Meet Ugine. He is a right, proper weirdo. But with great weirdness comes great responsibility... Ugine recently lost his parents. He now lives by himself. He has no friends at school, and everyone thinks he is weird... but when a school trip to Brazil ends in disaster, Ugine's weirdness might just come in handy. Will Ugine save his classmates? Or will they all be lost in the jungle forever... 'Weirdo' was written when Ben was just nine years old. Ben started writing his own stories to entertain his peers with the authentic, peculiar and hilarious voice only a child can have. If your children love the funny stories by Dav Pilkey and the Tom Gates series they will enjoy this book. Buy Ben's first book 'Weirdo' here! Ages: 7+ THE MAGIC PENCIL A school boy. A magic pencil. One chance to save the world. When Bob finds an innocent-looking pencil on his way to school, little does he realize his life will never be the same again. Anything it draws magically comes to life. Unknown to Bob, a dangerous gang of villains are not far behind. Desperately searching for the Magic Pencil, the Fakeys want to use the power of the pencil to take over the world, and they will let nothing stand in their way. In a race against time, can Bob and his friends stay one step ahead of the Fakeys to save the world? 'The Magic Pencil' is an extraordinary adventure full of action, unexpected time-travel and imaginative scenarios. If you like Roald Dahl and David Walliams' books, then you'll love this novel by Kiwi young author Ben Spies. 'The Magic Pencil' is written by 10 year old author Ben Spies. 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. Order your copy of 'The Magic Pencil' here and embark on Ben's latest adventure. Ages: 8+ THE WORLD OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Ever wondered what the Greek myths look like through the eyes of a child? Eleven-year-old author, Ben Spies, writes his version of some of the most thrilling tales from Greek mythology. From Titans to Olympians, 'The World of Greek Mythology' delivers an action-packed retelling of the myths, from how the world was created to a personal take on some of the greatest and mightiest gods and goddesses. Ben adds his quirky humour to each chapter as we follow the drama of the legendary Trojan War and the epic voyage of Odysseus. But be warned: the gruesome world of Greek mythology is not for the faint of heart… get ready for bloody battles and horrible deaths. If you love Greek mythology, or you’re keen to learn more, this book is sure to delight and captivate your imagination. The World of Greek Mythology was the bronze medal winner for the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2019. If your children enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan they will love this book! Get your copy of 'The World of Greek Mythology' here. Ages: 10+ 2020 Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate. The spacecraft sent by NASA to find a new home for the human race has been destroyed by an alien force. Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother Susan are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the enemy may not come from outer-space, but from right here among us. Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected. Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world? '2020' is the fourth novel from teenage author, Ben Spies. If you like heart-pounding action, high-stakes drama, and all things alien and sci-fi, you’ll love Ben’s new book. Get your copy today here! Ages: 11+ To our Brazilian readers We have our first Portuguese book! Esquito, eu? is the translated version of Ben's first book - Weirdo. The e-book is available now from Amazon.com and Amazon.com.br for ONLY R$4.99!! Order your copy today!! Eugênio é um menino de 10 anos que tem vários motivos para estar triste... Ele perdeu os pais recentemente, não tem amigos na escola e todo mundo acha que ele é meio esquisito. Será que Eugênio vai conseguir ser feliz de novo? Embarque nessa divertida e emocionante aventura e descubra o lado doce e companheiro de Eugênio. Esquisito, eu? é o primeiro livro de Ben Spies e foi escrito quando ele tinha apenas 9 anos. Ben gosta de ler livros de aventura desde pequeno, tem um senso de humor peculiar e prefere os personagens com nomes engraçados. Mas, acima de tudo, Ben adora fazer as crianças rirem com suas histórias. Ben Spies vive na Nova Zelandia com sua familia. Great to see an interview with Ben at the NZ Booklovers website! NZ Booklovers showcases both New Zealand and international titles. It provides a platform for sharing articles, author interviews, reviews, and book-related stories, as well as book news, competitions, and reading and writing advice. Check their reviews for some ideas for Christmas gifts too. Books, books and more books this Christmas!! What would make a better present, right? We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends and leave a review for Ben!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Click on the button below to get your FREE copy! Your FREE Weirdo Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at [email protected] to join Ben's ARC team. Thanks for reading and following our journey, Renata and Ben Hello readers and welcome to our newsletter!
Hello readers and welcome to our Spring newsletter! It's a beautiful start to Spring here in New Zealand! The weather is getting warmer, there is blossom everywhere and I'm already looking forward to long gorgeous sunny days on the beach! I hope you are all well and healthy wherever you are. A month ago, New Zealand had COVID cases again after over 100 days of being virus free. The whole country moved to alert level 2, while the city of Auckland was on level 3. Social distancing and the use of masks, combined with the habit of washing hands has helped to control the spread of the virus and the Government announced yesterday that we're moving back to level 1 which means less restrictions and bigger events are allowed again. All in all, a reminder that the virus can come back and we should all be prepared. Stay safe and look after yourself! We have some exciting news here at the Spies headquarters! Read on for our news, reviews and promotions for this month. Talk again soon. Olá Brasileiros!! We are super excited to bring the Portuguese version of Weirdo to Brazil! Ben wrote Weirdo when he was nine years old. At first, the book was a present for him. A reward to recognize his passion for writing. Everyday, Ben would come home from school and the first thing he wanted to do was to put pen and paper to his stories. Ben is fourteen now and has published four books so far with many others to come. Translating Weirdo to Portuguese was our aim since the beginning. Our family and friends are in Brazil, so publishing our books there is like a dream come true. We can't wait to share it with you! Dates still to be confirmed, but we're aiming for November. Watch this space! More NEWS!!! We have been approached by a few parents asking if we could create a coloring book with the illustrations from Weirdo and The Magic Pencil. So... guess what? We've been working on them!! As some of you know the illustrations for the first two books by Ben were drawn by his father, Robert. The illustrations for Weirdo were all hand-drawn by pencil and The Magic Pencil ones, were a mix of pencil and digital. Your children will have a chance to color the original creations and bring our illustrations to life. Dates for publishing still not confirmed but we are planning to have them ready for November, just in time to be in your stocking fillers this Christmas. To our readers in New Zealand, check out Fishpond.co.nz. They are offering a great price deal for books shipped to New Zealand with the delivery fee included! All of Ben's books are available from Fishpond. You can find more info on Ben's books below: WEIRDO Meet Ugine. He is a right, proper weirdo. But with great weirdness comes great responsibility... Ugine recently lost his parents. He now lives by himself. He has no friends at school, and everyone thinks he is weird... but when a school trip to Brazil ends in disaster, Ugine's weirdness might just come in handy. Will Ugine save his classmates? Or will they all be lost in the jungle forever... 'Weirdo' was written when Ben was just nine years old. Ben started writing his own stories to entertain his peers with the authentic, peculiar and hilarious voice only a child can have. If your children love the funny stories by Dav Pilkey and the Tom Gates series they will enjoy this book. Buy Ben's first book 'Weirdo' here! Ages: 7+ THE MAGIC PENCIL A school boy. A magic pencil. One chance to save the world. When Bob finds an innocent-looking pencil on his way to school, little does he realize his life will never be the same again. Anything it draws magically comes to life. Unknown to Bob, a dangerous gang of villains are not far behind. Desperately searching for the Magic Pencil, the Fakeys want to use the power of the pencil to take over the world, and they will let nothing stand in their way. In a race against time, can Bob and his friends stay one step ahead of the Fakeys to save the world? 'The Magic Pencil' is an extraordinary adventure full of action, unexpected time-travel and imaginative scenarios. If you like Roald Dahl and David Walliams' books, then you'll love this novel by Kiwi young author Ben Spies. 'The Magic Pencil' is written by 10 year old author Ben Spies. 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. Order your copy of 'The Magic Pencil' here and embark on Ben's latest adventure. Ages: 8+ THE WORLD OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Ever wondered what the Greek myths look like through the eyes of a child? Eleven-year-old author, Ben Spies, writes his version of some of the most thrilling tales from Greek mythology. From Titans to Olympians, 'The World of Greek Mythology' delivers an action-packed retelling of the myths, from how the world was created to a personal take on some of the greatest and mightiest gods and goddesses. Ben adds his quirky humour to each chapter as we follow the drama of the legendary Trojan War and the epic voyage of Odysseus. But be warned: the gruesome world of Greek mythology is not for the faint of heart… get ready for bloody battles and horrible deaths. If you love Greek mythology, or you’re keen to learn more, this book is sure to delight and captivate your imagination. The World of Greek Mythology was the bronze medal winner for the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2019. If your children enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan they will love this book! Get your copy of 'The World of Greek Mythology' here. Ages: 10+ 2020 Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate. The spacecraft sent by NASA to find a new home for the human race has been destroyed by an alien force. Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother Susan are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the enemy may not come from outer-space, but from right here among us. Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected. Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world? '2020' is the fourth novel from teenage author, Ben Spies. If you like heart-pounding action, high-stakes drama, and all things alien and sci-fi, you’ll love Ben’s new book. Get your copy today here! Ages: 11+ If you would like to support New Zealand authors and independent publishers, check out The Underground Bookstore. The Underground Bookstore is a collective of independently published authors, based in and around the Wellington region - the capital of New Zealand. We have a great range of genres to choose from, such as: children's books, YA novels, murder mystery, non-fiction, fantasy, romance and thriller. With the country now moving to alert level 1, we will start attending markets and events again! Watch this space for our dates! If you receive the Reedsy Discovery newsletters you might've seen Ben's book - 2020 - featured in there. 2020 received a great review from entertainment critic and author from Canada, William McGinn. Here is the review:"The kind of books I liked to read when I was a child and preteen were fast-paced, not too overbearingly long or complicated, and had a story driven by relatable emotion. That’s exactly what 2020 is, sprinkled with some extra surprises along the way. Unironically, this title is also the coronavirus commencement year, and for the first few weeks when it hit where I live, I wondered if the world was coming to an end, if this was the year I’d die, and what sort of people we’d become as the apocalypse hit. If the virus were much deadlier, or, even better, if the planet were to crash into the sun as it’s to do so in this book, I completely bought the attitude of the bad guys and their army of looters and conspiracy theory followers. (That isn’t to say I was rooting for them or anything.) The story is also extremely convincing. Climate change is something we are aware of, but our whole way of life is built around trashing the planet and there isn’t the joined motivation from world leaders to properly tackle it, and enough “leaders” fight against it for profit. Plus there are loads of secrets out there in the world and loads of possibilities humans aren’t ready for. And the possibility of aliens from space brings in the complete unknown, and a lot of people are too terrified of what they don’t understand to give an honest, non-violent look. Susan and Jacob are terrific main characters. What I like so much about Jacob is he has a good balance between little kid and apocalypse survivor, slowly but willingly accepting the fact his world has shattered and he has to stay strong, like Chihiro from Spirited Away. Susan is devoted, careful and honest, who may even make kids respect their parents a little more. Spies wrote this book without an exact protagonist, giving a feeling any of them could die. Not only did that keep me on my feet, but the book twists itself when we fully expect a death to happen by playing to certain norms. All in all, Ben Spies is a fresh new author who has real intelligence and passion about the world. He deserves to go far." You can follow Ben in Reedsy and see the full review here. And grab your copy here. GREAT READS!! Click on the image below to be redirected to our promo this month. A selection of great children's books and middle grade chapter books for kids going back to school. Check it out! We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends and leave a review for Ben!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Click on the button below to get your FREE copy! Your FREE Weirdo Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at [email protected] to join Ben's ARC team. If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! Click on the image below and choose a book to review!! Thank you!! Thanks for reading and following our journey, Hello readers and welcome to our Spring newsletter!
It's a beautiful start to Spring here in New Zealand! The weather is getting warmer, there is blossom everywhere and I'm already looking forward to long gorgeous sunny days on the beach! I hope you are all well and healthy wherever you are. A month ago, New Zealand had COVID cases again after over 100 days of being virus free. The whole country moved to alert level 2, while the city of Auckland was on level 3. Social distancing and the use of masks, combined with the habit of washing hands has helped to control the spread of the virus and the Government announced yesterday that we're moving back to level 1 which means less restrictions and bigger events are allowed again. All in all, a reminder that the virus can come back and we should all be prepared. Stay safe and look after yourself! We have some exciting news here at the Spies headquarters! Read on for our news, reviews and promotions for this month. Talk again soon. Olá Brasileiros!! We are super excited to bring the Portuguese version of Weirdo to Brazil! Ben wrote Weirdo when he was nine years old. At first, the book was a present for him. A reward to recognize his passion for writing. Everyday, Ben would come home from school and the first thing he wanted to do was to put pen and paper to his stories. Ben is fourteen now and has published four books so far with many others to come. Translating Weirdo to Portuguese was our aim since the beginning. Our family and friends are in Brazil, so publishing our books there is like a dream come true. We can't wait to share it with you! Dates still to be confirmed, but we're aiming for November. Watch this space! More NEWS!!! We have been approached by a few parents asking if we could create a coloring book with the illustrations from Weirdo and The Magic Pencil. So... guess what? We've been working on them!! As some of you know the illustrations for the first two books by Ben were drawn by his father, Robert. The illustrations for Weirdo were all hand-drawn by pencil and The Magic Pencil ones, were a mix of pencil and digital. Your children will have a chance to color the original creations and bring our illustrations to life. Dates for publishing still not confirmed but we are planning to have them ready for November, just in time to be in your stocking fillers this Christmas. To our readers in New Zealand, check out Fishpond.co.nz. They are offering a great price deal for books shipped to New Zealand with the delivery fee included! All of Ben's books are available from Fishpond. Click on the image below to purchase Ben's books. You can find more info on Ben's books below: WEIRDO Meet Ugine. He is a right, proper weirdo. But with great weirdness comes great responsibility... Ugine recently lost his parents. He now lives by himself. He has no friends at school, and everyone thinks he is weird... but when a school trip to Brazil ends in disaster, Ugine's weirdness might just come in handy. Will Ugine save his classmates? Or will they all be lost in the jungle forever... 'Weirdo' was written when Ben was just nine years old. Ben started writing his own stories to entertain his peers with the authentic, peculiar and hilarious voice only a child can have. If your children love the funny stories by Dav Pilkey and the Tom Gates series they will enjoy this book. Buy Ben's first book 'Weirdo' here! Ages: 7+ THE MAGIC PENCIL A school boy. A magic pencil. One chance to save the world. When Bob finds an innocent-looking pencil on his way to school, little does he realize his life will never be the same again. Anything it draws magically comes to life. Unknown to Bob, a dangerous gang of villains are not far behind. Desperately searching for the Magic Pencil, the Fakeys want to use the power of the pencil to take over the world, and they will let nothing stand in their way. In a race against time, can Bob and his friends stay one step ahead of the Fakeys to save the world? 'The Magic Pencil' is an extraordinary adventure full of action, unexpected time-travel and imaginative scenarios. If you like Roald Dahl and David Walliams' books, then you'll love this novel by Kiwi young author Ben Spies. 'The Magic Pencil' is written by 10 year old author Ben Spies. 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. Order your copy of 'The Magic Pencil' here and embark on Ben's latest adventure. Ages: 8+ THE WORLD OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Ever wondered what the Greek myths look like through the eyes of a child? Eleven-year-old author, Ben Spies, writes his version of some of the most thrilling tales from Greek mythology. From Titans to Olympians, 'The World of Greek Mythology' delivers an action-packed retelling of the myths, from how the world was created to a personal take on some of the greatest and mightiest gods and goddesses. Ben adds his quirky humour to each chapter as we follow the drama of the legendary Trojan War and the epic voyage of Odysseus. But be warned: the gruesome world of Greek mythology is not for the faint of heart… get ready for bloody battles and horrible deaths. If you love Greek mythology, or you’re keen to learn more, this book is sure to delight and captivate your imagination. The World of Greek Mythology was the bronze medal winner for the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2019. If your children enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan they will love this book! Get your copy of 'The World of Greek Mythology' here. Ages: 10+ 2020 Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate. The spacecraft sent by NASA to find a new home for the human race has been destroyed by an alien force. Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother Susan are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the enemy may not come from outer-space, but from right here among us. Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected. Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world? '2020' is the fourth novel from teenage author, Ben Spies. If you like heart-pounding action, high-stakes drama, and all things alien and sci-fi, you’ll love Ben’s new book. Get your copy today here! Ages: 11+ If you would like to support New Zealand authors and independent publishers, check out The Underground Bookstore. The Underground Bookstore is a collective of independently published authors, based in and around the Wellington region - the capital of New Zealand. We have a great range of genres to choose from, such as: children's books, YA novels, murder mystery, non-fiction, fantasy, romance and thriller. With the country now moving to alert level 1, we will start attending markets and events again! Watch this space for our dates! Click on the logo below to check our books. If you receive the Reedsy Discovery newsletters you might've seen Ben's book - 2020 - featured in there. 2020 received a great review from entertainment critic and author from Canada, William McGinn. Here is the review:"The kind of books I liked to read when I was a child and preteen were fast-paced, not too overbearingly long or complicated, and had a story driven by relatable emotion. That’s exactly what 2020 is, sprinkled with some extra surprises along the way. Unironically, this title is also the coronavirus commencement year, and for the first few weeks when it hit where I live, I wondered if the world was coming to an end, if this was the year I’d die, and what sort of people we’d become as the apocalypse hit. If the virus were much deadlier, or, even better, if the planet were to crash into the sun as it’s to do so in this book, I completely bought the attitude of the bad guys and their army of looters and conspiracy theory followers. (That isn’t to say I was rooting for them or anything.) The story is also extremely convincing. Climate change is something we are aware of, but our whole way of life is built around trashing the planet and there isn’t the joined motivation from world leaders to properly tackle it, and enough “leaders” fight against it for profit. Plus there are loads of secrets out there in the world and loads of possibilities humans aren’t ready for. And the possibility of aliens from space brings in the complete unknown, and a lot of people are too terrified of what they don’t understand to give an honest, non-violent look. Susan and Jacob are terrific main characters. What I like so much about Jacob is he has a good balance between little kid and apocalypse survivor, slowly but willingly accepting the fact his world has shattered and he has to stay strong, like Chihiro from Spirited Away. Susan is devoted, careful and honest, who may even make kids respect their parents a little more. Spies wrote this book without an exact protagonist, giving a feeling any of them could die. Not only did that keep me on my feet, but the book twists itself when we fully expect a death to happen by playing to certain norms. All in all, Ben Spies is a fresh new author who has real intelligence and passion about the world. He deserves to go far." You can follow Ben in Reedsy and see the full review here. And grab your copy here. GREAT READS!! Click on the image below to be redirected to our promo this month. A selection of great children's books and middle grade chapter books for kids going back to school. Check it out! We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends and leave a review for Ben!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Click on the button below to get your FREE copy! Your FREE Weirdo Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at [email protected] to join Ben's ARC team. If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! Click on the image below and choose a book to review!! Thank you!! Spies Publishing fosters storytelling, creativity and pride. Check our introductory video below for our service - MY FIRST BOOK - and contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories. Thanks for reading and following our journey. Hello readers and welcome to our July newsletter!
How are you all doing? New Zealand has done really well on "eliminating" the virus from our country with only a few cases detected at our borders from citizens returning home who are now in isolation facilities provided by the government. We are extremely lucky to be living in a COVID-free place and not one day goes by where I don't pray that other countries follow this same path soon. My heart breaks to see so many countries struggling with the COVID situation, and others that seemingly had it under control and tried to return to normal activities too soon, just for the virus to spread way to quick again. I hope you are well and safe wherever you are. My beloved country, Brazil, is going through one of its worst moments in its history. They haven't reached the "peak" yet and numbers are still rising. Although the situation there is really bad, and it will be for a while, I did promise you I'd write a few travel tips in this newsletter. (Thanks for reaching out!) So scroll down to find my favourite places in my country and here is to hope, that you will be able to visit it there in the not too distant future... We also have giveaways and must-reads in this newsletter. Read on! Be kind to one another. Stay safe and look after yourself. Talk again soon. CAN YOU HELP? Dear Kindle Unlimited readers! We need your help! Ben's book - The World of Greek Mythology - has been getting great reviews in the industry (have a look here), but we would love to have some reviews in Amazon too!! Can you help? If you are a Kindle Unlimited member you can download the book for FREE. If your children enjoyed the Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan or if they are interested in learning more about Greek Mythology, this is a great book!! Click on image below to get yours. We have a new giveaway happening on our Facebook page!! To celebrate school holidays in New Zealand, we're giving you a chance to win: * a signed copy of THE MAGIC PENCIL by Ben Spies (8+) * a copy of WAATA THE WETA by Josephine Carson Barr (5+) * Whittaker's JELLY TIP chocolate. Yum!! * a silver fidget spinner. Fun!! TO ENTER: - LIKE our Spies Publishing page on Facebook - LIKE the post - COMMENT in the post with your favourite holiday destination in New Zealand with children. (Yes! Let's support NZ businesses on your next trip!!) Entries close 5pm, Sunday, 2nd August 2020. Winner will be randomly drawn and notified on this post. Open to New Zealand residents ONLY. Thank you for following Ben's journey! Ben has published four books so far. His first book - Weirdo - was written when he was nine years old. Ben's books not only make a great gift, but can also show a child that dreams can come true with continued dedication and hard work. Ben writes with an original and authentic voice that other young people can connect to and be inspired by. Learn more about Ben's books below: WEIRDO Meet Ugine. He is a right, proper weirdo. But with great weirdness comes great responsibility... Ugine recently lost his parents. He now lives by himself. He has no friends at school, and everyone thinks he is weird... but when a school trip to Brazil ends in disaster, Ugine's weirdness might just come in handy. Will Ugine save his classmates? Or will they all be lost in the jungle forever... 'Weirdo' was written when Ben was just nine years old. Ben started writing his own stories to entertain his peers with the authentic, peculiar and hilarious voice only a child can have. If your children love the funny stories by Dav Pilkey and the Tom Gates series they will enjoy this book. Buy Ben's first book 'Weirdo' here! Ages: 7+ THE MAGIC PENCIL A school boy. A magic pencil. One chance to save the world. When Bob finds an innocent-looking pencil on his way to school, little does he realize his life will never be the same again. Anything it draws magically comes to life. Unknown to Bob, a dangerous gang of villains are not far behind. Desperately searching for the Magic Pencil, the Fakeys want to use the power of the pencil to take over the world, and they will let nothing stand in their way. In a race against time, can Bob and his friends stay one step ahead of the Fakeys to save the world? 'The Magic Pencil' is an extraordinary adventure full of action, unexpected time-travel and imaginative scenarios. If you like Roald Dahl and David Walliams' books, then you'll love this novel by Kiwi young author Ben Spies. 'The Magic Pencil' is written by 10 year old author Ben Spies. 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. Order your copy of 'The Magic Pencil' here and embark on Ben's latest adventure. Ages: 8+ THE WORLD OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Ever wondered what the Greek myths look like through the eyes of a child? Eleven-year-old author, Ben Spies, writes his version of some of the most thrilling tales from Greek mythology. From Titans to Olympians, 'The World of Greek Mythology' delivers an action-packed retelling of the myths, from how the world was created to a personal take on some of the greatest and mightiest gods and goddesses. Ben adds his quirky humour to each chapter as we follow the drama of the legendary Trojan War and the epic voyage of Odysseus. But be warned: the gruesome world of Greek mythology is not for the faint of heart… get ready for bloody battles and horrible deaths. If you love Greek mythology, or you’re keen to learn more, this book is sure to delight and captivate your imagination. The World of Greek Mythology was the bronze medal winner for the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2019. If your children enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan they will love this book! Get your copy of 'The World of Greek Mythology' here. Ages: 10+ 2020 Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate. The spacecraft sent by NASA to find a new home for the human race has been destroyed by an alien force. Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother Susan are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the enemy may not come from outer-space, but from right here among us. Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected. Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world? '2020' is the fourth novel from teenage author, Ben Spies. If you like heart-pounding action, high-stakes drama, and all things alien and sci-fi, you’ll love Ben’s new book. Get your copy today here! Ages: 11+ MUST-READ SCIENCE FICTION!! Here is another great Ben to read!! :) Ben Archer and the Cosmic Fall by Rae Knightly. When UFOs crash into the fields next to his grandfather’s house, twelve-year-old Ben Archer becomes a cumbersome witness in the eyes of the government. Not only that, but Ben discovers he has been entrusted with an alien power, the significance of which could jeopardize human life on Earth. Government agents rush in to remove all evidence of spacecraft and extraterrestrials. The media are led to believe meteors fell in the area and they dub the event The Cosmic Fall. But when Ben's involvement comes in the spotlight, he is forced to flee with the sole survivor of the crash: an alien man called Mesmo. And while the destinies of boy and alien become inextricably linked, one question hovers above their unlikely friendship: why did the aliens come to Earth in the first place? The Alien Skill Series is a science-fiction adventure series for teens. Readers who enjoy Percy Jackson or Crime Travelers will enjoy this fresh, age-appropriate story with a scifi twist the likes of A Wrinkle in Time and Animorphs. These middle-grade books have won the hearts of young and old alike, turning them into a best-selling, award-winning coming-of-age series filled with alien powers, hidden enemies, shapeshifters and a thought-provoking glimpse into the way we treat our planet. A GREAT SERIES!! Barbara J Gilbert is a new Science Fiction writer with a unique writing style that provides an easy reading experience for teens, young adults and adults. Future Apocalypse: Beginnings is the first book in the series and it follows Paulette Brown, a brilliant scientist who has discovered how to travel through time. Using her travel pod, she arrives in a post-apocalyptic future and now is desperately trying to return home, but a malfunction with her pod means she won't be able to. In the second book, Future Apocalypse: Journey to the City of Technology Paulette continues her saga counting on her friends in the present to help her. Will they succeed in finding and rescuing her or will their efforts be in vain? PROMO TIME Check these children's books for FREE below! Click on image As promised, here are some of my favourite spots in Brazil with clickable links from the travel site Tripadvisor for more info. Praying that the world can be a safe place again for travels, so we can have holidays but most importantly, be able to see our friends and family across the globe. For now, we can do a little dreaming of these beautiful places. :) Corcovado - Christ The Redeemer - Rio de Janeiro Sugar Loaf - Rio de Janeiro Maracana Footbal Stadium - Rio de Janeiro Buzios - Rio de Janeiro Pelourinho - Bahia Porto Seguro - Bahia Amazon Forest - Amazonia Pantanal - Mato Grosso do Sul and of course, Foz do Iguacu - Parana Ben's first book - Weirdo (part 2) - is set in Foz do Iguacu!! Ugine and his friends have a great adventure fighting the poachers to save the endangered animals. You can get a free copy on link below. :) Your FREE Weirdo We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at: [email protected] If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! Click on the image below and choose a book to review!! Thank you!! Spies Publishing fosters storytelling, creativity and pride. Check our introductory video below for our new service - MY FIRST BOOK - and contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories. Thanks for reading and following our journey, Dear Readers,
How are you all doing? As I write this newsletter, New Zealand's government has announced that the country will be moving to Level 1 and life can go almost back to normal. At Alert Level 1, everyone can return without restriction to work, school, sports and domestic travel, and you can get together with as many people as you want. Well done New Zealand! There will still be restrictions on our international borders though. I guess this is a great opportunity for Kiwis to travel domestically and discover their amazing country while supporting local businesses. As much as I'm happy for this incredible achievement in New Zealand, I can't hide that I'm also terribly sad for what's still happening with the rest of the world. As Covid cases top 7 million, places like my beloved Brazil has one of the worse outbreaks during this pandemic. My heart goes out to all families of Covid victims. Sometimes I feel helpless and wanting to contribute in some manner... even if it's a small act. If you too feel this way, and would like to contribute in a positive way during these difficult times, I'm sharing two charities below that we've been supporting and posting on our social media lately. In our last newsletter I mentioned that Ben was born in Brazil and it was great to receive so many replies from readers saying they had visited Brazil! So awesome to learn you had a great time in our country. Brazil is truly a beautiful place with such friendly happy people, and I can only pray that they will get over this soon. I promised a few of you I would write back with some travel tips. I haven't forgotten! I will include these in our next newsletter. Hopefully it won't be long until we can all travel again! Books, books, books! In this newsletter, we have a huge selection of books for you to discover! We have teamed up with many authors from different genres across the world to bring you these great choices. Read on! Be kind to one another. Stay safe. Look after yourself and each other. Talk again soon. . Here is a great opportunity to donate to charities impacted by Covid-19. Our very own kiwi, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, has been reading James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl in full, across 10 episodes - and he is joined by some rather famous faces along the way. All for a good cause! You can find more info and donate here. Enjoy the readings! . Another one of our favourite initiatives - Save with Stories. Charities Save the Children and No Kid Hungry are offering stories read by celebrities to provide fun and education to kids and parents stuck at home during the coronavirus outbreak. Your donation will help both charities make sure schools and community programs have the support they need to keep brains and bellies full. You can donate and find links to the stories here. Thank you for following Ben's journey! Ben has published four books so far. His first book - Weirdo - was written when he was nine years old. Ben's books not only make a great gift, but can also show a child that dreams can come true with continued dedication and hard work. Ben writes with an original and authentic voice that other young people can connect to and be inspired by. Learn more about Ben's books below: WEIRDO Meet Ugine. He is a right, proper weirdo. But with great weirdness comes great responsibility... Ugine recently lost his parents. He now lives by himself. He has no friends at school, and everyone thinks he is weird... but when a school trip to Brazil ends in disaster, Ugine's weirdness might just come in handy. Will Ugine save his classmates? Or will they all be lost in the jungle forever... 'Weirdo' was written when Ben was just nine years old. Ben started writing his own stories to entertain his peers with the authentic, peculiar and hilarious voice only a child can have. If your children love the funny stories by Dav Pilkey and the Tom Gates series they will enjoy this book. Buy Ben's first book 'Weirdo' here! Ages: 7+ THE MAGIC PENCIL A school boy. A magic pencil. One chance to save the world. When Bob finds an innocent-looking pencil on his way to school, little does he realize his life will never be the same again. Anything it draws magically comes to life. Unknown to Bob, a dangerous gang of villains are not far behind. Desperately searching for the Magic Pencil, the Fakeys want to use the power of the pencil to take over the world, and they will let nothing stand in their way. In a race against time, can Bob and his friends stay one step ahead of the Fakeys to save the world? 'The Magic Pencil' is an extraordinary adventure full of action, unexpected time-travel and imaginative scenarios. If you like Roald Dahl and David Walliams' books, then you'll love this novel by Kiwi young author Ben Spies. 'The Magic Pencil' is written by 10 year old author Ben Spies. 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. Order your copy of 'The Magic Pencil' here and embark on Ben's latest adventure. Ages: 8+ THE WORLD OF GREEK MYTHOLOGY Ever wondered what the Greek myths look like through the eyes of a child? Eleven-year-old author, Ben Spies, writes his version of some of the most thrilling tales from Greek mythology. From Titans to Olympians, 'The World of Greek Mythology' delivers an action-packed retelling of the myths, from how the world was created to a personal take on some of the greatest and mightiest gods and goddesses. Ben adds his quirky humour to each chapter as we follow the drama of the legendary Trojan War and the epic voyage of Odysseus. But be warned: the gruesome world of Greek mythology is not for the faint of heart… get ready for bloody battles and horrible deaths. If you love Greek mythology, or you’re keen to learn more, this book is sure to delight and captivate your imagination. The World of Greek Mythology was the bronze medal winner for the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards in 2019. If your children enjoyed the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan they will love this book! Get your copy of 'The World of Greek Mythology' here. Ages: 10+ 2020 Earth's orbit is moving closer to the Sun and our planet is heating up at an alarming rate. The spacecraft sent by NASA to find a new home for the human race has been destroyed by an alien force. Twelve-year-old Jacob and his mother Susan are fighting for survival while witnessing the horrors of an apocalyptic world. With so many threats to our planet, the enemy may not come from outer-space, but from right here among us. Susan and Jacob are quickly running out of time. However, hope might be on its way after all... just not from where they expected. Will Susan and Jacob survive? Or will they fall prey to this dreadful, chaotic world? '2020' is the fourth novel from teenage author, Ben Spies. If you like heart-pounding action, high-stakes drama, and all things alien and sci-fi, you’ll love Ben’s new book. Get your copy today here! Ages: 11+ NEW PROMOS We have teamed up with authors across the globe from different genres to bring you a selection of great books. Click on images below to purchase yours! The children's books below are FREE. Click on the image and choose your book to download! Love reviewing? The book images below are for review copies! If you love writing reviews this is your chance! To review a book, click on one of the images and choose your copy. COOL READS FOR THIS MONTH! Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at: [email protected] If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! Click on the image below and choose a book to review!! Thank you!! A GIFT FOR YOU!!! Your FREE Weirdo We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Spies Publishing fosters storytelling, creativity and pride. Check our introductory video below for our new service - MY FIRST BOOK - and contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories. Thanks for reading and following our journey, Dear readers,
How are you all doing? Ben and I just wanted to check on you and send lots of positive energy and vibes to you all around the world! New Zealand is moving away from lockdown soon to level 2 and we are very grateful to the government and to the people who made huge sacrifices staying at home, but we are aware that the reality is very different in other countries. If COVID 19 has taught me anything, it's the importance of human connection. We've been trying to keep in touch with families and friends around the world through video calls. Aren't they great?! While our experiences of lockdown may differ, the feeling that we are all in this together helps. Thank you so much for all the emails received with ideas for kids activities during lockdown!! Great to see that so many of you are keeping active! I will be sharing them below. :) As you know, Ben was born in Brazil and recently he was honoured to be part of a very special issue by Toitoi Magazine that showcased stories, poems and art about the vibrant culture of Latin America. The Toitoi Special Issue has been delivered free to every school and public library in New Zealand along with the Asia Pacific issue. Check out below a video of Ben reading his story. Be kind to one another. Stay safe. Look after yourself and each other. Talk again soon. Here is Ben reading his short story - Brazil - published in the special issue of ToiToi - Latin America. You can check other amazing stories by young authors and illustrators on their website. And here is the story if you would like to keep for your child: Brazil I look out at the sea and breathe in the salty spray. The waves crash down on the kids as they play in the water. They emerge laughing. I see people sunbathing on the sand, relaxing with their eyes closed. This is Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - a masterpiece. It’s beautiful. The seawater is the colour of jade and warm like a bath. There are amazing views all around. For me, the best part is the delicious Brazilian food that is dished up in the restaurants opposite the beach. While its beaches are an undeniably incredible part of Rio, the place I love to go most is Sugarloaf Mountain - one of Mother Earth's magical creations. To reach the very top of Sugarloaf, you ride on cable cars that dangle high above the city. The views are magnificent. At the top, you have monkeys for company! These small agile creatures jump from tree to tree and sometimes come within arm’s reach. They are just the cutest things ever. Another remarkable aspect of Rio is the statue of Christ the Redeemer that stands tall and mighty over the city. I attended a school directly below this grand statue. All you needed to do was gaze up and there it was with open arms, a symbol of peace. There's one special thing that makes me want to go back to Rio again and again - my family. It doesn’t matter if we live in different countries, we will always be there for each other. We make the most of every visit, whether it’s marching down the streets at carnival time, having a big family barbecue during the hot summer days or watching soccer with my cousins. Family is one of the most important things in life. My family is in Brazil and I’m proud to say that. Ben Spies Ben has published four books so far. Ben's books not only make a great gift, but can also show a child that dreams can come true with continued dedication and hard work. Ben writes with an original and authentic voice that other young people can connect to and be inspired by. Thank you to everyone who shared with us some ideas for activities during lockdown. Here they are: Headspace Meditation Site West End Show Performances Auckland Zoo Kids Activities Online NZ Writers Read their books Virtual Online Tour - The Louvre Virtual Online Tours - Google Arts & Culture Virtual Online Tour - Ancient Rome Free Online Karaoke PE with Joe Enjoy! BOOK LAUNCH!!New Zealand author Helen Vivienne Fletcher has launched her new book - Reactive - a novella with short, punchy chapters - perfect if your concentration span has been affected by the stress lately. Helen lives in Wellington and has written various children's books and YA fiction. You can get to know more her and her books in her website: https://www.helenvfletcher.com/ NEW PROMOS Love dystopian books? This promotion still has a few days running!! Click on the image to see collection And for the adults!! If you are a member of Kindle Unlimited in Amazon, check out the books below. A great selection ranging from thrillers, romance, crime and Young Adults fiction. Ben's book - The World of Greek Mythology - is also available from KU. Check out the full collection on image below. Ben's latest book - 2020 - is available from a selection of online retailers for ONLY $2.99 Choose your preferred retailer here and get yours: https://books2read.com/u/4XZdv7 Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at: [email protected] If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! Click on the image below and choose a book to review!! Thank you!! A GIFT FOR YOU!!! Your FREE Weirdo We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Spies Publishing fosters storytelling, creativity and pride. Check our introductory video below for our new service - MY FIRST BOOK - and contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories. Thanks for reading and following our journey, Dear readers,
I hope you and your family are doing well and looking after yourselves during this surreal time... Here in New Zealand, we start lock down from today and we praise the government for taking this decision as social distancing is the best response to slowing the spread of COVID-19. But social distancing and self-isolation can be also difficult, especially when you have little ones at home to keep entertained. So, Ben and I decided to put a list together for some free activities we've found on the internet. We were quite surprised by how many institutions, museums, schools, courses and people just like you and me are offering free services and ideas, all coming together in the difficult weeks and months ahead of us. If you have any ideas too that have worked well for you and your kids at home, please reply to this email and I can share them with everyone in our next newsletter. It's also important to remember to find time for physical activity too in your household and with the kids. Physical activity has proven benefits for mental health. At a time like this it is important that we look after not only our physical well-being, but also our mental and emotional well-being. First and foremost, look after your family during this time. We're in all this together. Be kind to one another. Talk again soon and stay safe everyone. We hope you will enjoy the list with links below that we have compiled for you: Free science webinars for kids at home from Mel Science Free audio books from Audible Free courses from Free Code Camp Free audio books by David Walliams Free Opera from the Metropolitan Opera of New York Free Concerts from the Berlin Philharmonic FREE BOOKS FREE BOOK Ben's second book - The Magic Pencil - is FREE from today for 5 days at Amazon Kindle. A great read for kids 8+. When Bob finds an innocent-looking pencil on his way to school, little does he realize his life will never be the same again. Anything it draws magically comes to life. Unknown to Bob, a dangerous gang of villains are not far behind. Desperately searching for the Magic Pencil, the Fakeys want to use the power of the pencil to take over the world, and they will let nothing stand in their way. In a race against time, can Bob and his friends stay one step ahead of the Fakeys to save the world? Click on image to get your copy FREE BOOK! "Author Jessica Renwick has crafted a highly engaging tale about the love of family and the true bonds of friendship. This enchanting tale offers a thrilling adventure for young readers who are sure to be entertained by this first book in the Starfell Series." - Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews Click on image to claim your copy FREE BOOK Fellow New Zealand author Rodney Strong's book - Poker Chips and Poison - going to be FREE from 29-31 March in anticipation of the next book's release on 31 March - Hip Flask and Hanging. "If old age doesn't get her..the murderer will. 97 year old Alice Atkinson should be comfortably living out her days at the Silvermoon Retirement Village. But she's bored. A lifetime of living in the grey area between right and wrong means that winning money off her friends at poker just isn't satisfying. Then her friend is murdered, and she's the only one who thinks it's foul play. And even she has her doubts. With the help of Vanessa her newly appointed and occasionally reluctant sidekick, Alice is determined to find out the truth. One thing is for sure, Alice is going to need to dust off some old skills to come through this in one piece." Click on image to grab your copy. BOOK LAUNCH!!New Zealand author Vanessa Evetts launches her new book - Then She Roars - on the 31st of March!! Vanessa lives in Wellington and has written three novels. OUT OF THE ASHES and BEAUTIFUL FRAGMENTS were released in 2018. THEN SHE ROARS will be released in March 2020. Her books are raw, honest, heart-wrenching and beautiful. Vanessa will be giving a LIVE interview for the Underground Bookstore tomorrow night at 7.30pm (Pacific Time). You can listen to Vanessa's interview in their Facebook page here. The children's books below are also FREE until 15th of April!! Click on image to see collection The other thing we've started doing during the lockdown was to re-visit our old toys.... I was surprised by how my 10-year-old still had fun playing with the train track and magic sand - toys I had already put away... Best of all, was just watching him playing... :) So, check those boxes (I'm sure you still have them lying in the attic or rumpus room!) with toys you thought your children wouldn't play anymore! Take the time to sit down and join them in the play. Sending much love to you all. Ben's books are available from Amazon and Book Depository. You can purchase the e-books for as low as $2.99 from Amazon!!! And Book Depository is delivering worldwide for FREE!! Both retailers sell our paperback versions. Click on your preferred retailer to get Ben's books now! Ben's books not only make a great gift, but can also show a child that dreams can come true with continued dedication and hard work. Join our ARC team and receive Ben's books first! If you love reviewing and would like to receive free early copies of Ben's books, let us know! Reviews help our books get noticed and seen when people are searching on Amazon! We would love for you to review Ben's books! Contact us at: [email protected] If you have already read one of of Ben's books and enjoyed it, please leave a review on Amazon!! Leaving reviews helps Ben's books get discovered in searches and it would mean the world to us!! Click on the image below and choose a book to review!! Thank you!! A GIFT FOR YOU!!! Your FREE Weirdo We value your support and Ben would like to gift you his very first book! You can now choose your favourite e-book format. PDF, E-PUB or MOBI. Weirdo is a great read for children aged 7 and older. If you like his book, feel free to recommend it to your family and friends!! You can join us on Facebook and Instagram to follow our news and events! Spies Publishing fosters storytelling, creativity and pride. Check our introductory video below for our new service - MY FIRST BOOK - and contact us if you would like to create a book with your children's stories. Thanks for reading and following our journey, |
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