Combined Book Launch by Ben Spies and Isa Pearl Ritchie

Local authors Ben Spies and Isa Pearl Ritchie invite you to their combined book launch at the Children's Bookshop in Kilbirnie, Welington. Drinks and nibbles provided.

Book: Awa and the Dreamrealm

Life is already complicated enough for Awa Bryant when she starts having weird dreams—waking dreams—and strange coincidences start appearing in her real life. She meets dreamcharmer, Veila, a quirky glowing creature who helps to guide Awa through the mysterious Dreamrealm.

At first the Dreamrealm is a glorious escape from Awa's daily struggles but something is not right... Soon Awa discovers she has a bigger quest, and everything she cares about is at stake. Will she be brave enough to face her fears and save her friends?

About the author:
Isa Pearl Ritchie is a Wellington-based writer. As a child, she loved creating imaginary worlds. She grew up in the Waikato as a Pākehā child in a bicultural family and Māori was her first written language. She has completed a PhD on food sovereignty in Aotearoa. Her second novel, Fishing for Māui, was selected as one of the top books of 2018 in the New Zealand Listener and was a finalist in the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction Book 2019. Awa and the Dreamrealm is her first book for young people.

Book: 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 true 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?

About the author:
​Ben Spies is a young author living on the beautiful Kapiti Coast in New Zealand. Ben’s passion for writing led him to become a published author at the young age of nine with his first book, Weirdo. The Magic Pencil followed soon after at age ten, and The World of Greek Mythology at age eleven. Ben is thirteen years old now and is not showing any signs of slowing down. His fourth book - 2020 - is an action packed sci-fi novel for older children and young teenagers.