Itchcraft

“Collecting stamps is boring. Why not start a more exciting collection, like dangerous elements?Itchingham Lofte never meant to get himself, his cousin, and his sister sick with radiation poisoning. He never meant to attract the attention of heartless corporations and evil terrorist groups. He certainly never meant to provoke his science teacher into attack mode. But Itch has an unusual, dangerous hobby–he collects the elements from the Periodic Table. And when one of his contacts delivers an unusual rock, Itch is thrilled. Instead of being afraid, he’s excited when the Geiger counter at school goes wild in reaction to the radioactive rock. But then begins the complicated task of finding a safe place for the amazing rock–and seven more just like it–while avoiding the ruthless people who want to use the element toward disastrous ends. British radio host and debut novelist Mayo delivers a fun, frightening, gutsy adventure story populated by heroic young people who refuse to back down from their save-the-world mission, even as their treasure renders them sick. These kids are smart enough to worry about their choices but moral enough to know their choices will make a political difference on a global scale.Fans of science will love its central role, and those readers who crave adrenalin[e] will appreciate the view from the edge of their seats.” –“Kirkus Reviews” (STARRED REVIEW) “It’s an action-packed adventure with some chuckle-worthy moments, appealing protagonists, and a premise derived from plausible scientific theory. Readers will never look at common household objects the same way again.” –“Publishers Weekly”“” “Mayo tells a good story with a mix of action, characters with verisimilitude, and a painless dose of science. This rollicking adventure should have appeal far beyond chemistry geeks.” –“School Library Journal”“A great debut. You’ll be itching to read more!” –Anthony Horowitz, “New York Times” bestselling author of the “Alex Rider” series “You’d have to work quite hard not to like Itchingham Lofte… amid the teenage intrigue and heart-in-mouth escapades there are sequin flashes of real science… the story [moves along] in a high-speed Hitchcockian manner…” –“The Guardian ““A 2013 Parents’ Choice Award Winner ““A great debut … You’ll be itching to read more.” –Anthony Horowitz, “New York Times” bestselling author of The Alex Rider Adventures”Mayo delivers a fun, frightening, gutsy adventure story populated by heroic young people who refuse to back down from their save-the-world mission, even as their treasure renders them sick. Fans of science will love its central role, and those readers who crave adrenalin[e] will appreciate the view from the edge of their seats.” –“Kirkus Reviews” (starred review)“In this fast-paced debut … Mayo tells a good story with a mix of action, characters with verisimilitude, and a painless dose of science. This rollicking adventure should have appeal far beyond chemistry geeks.” –“School Library Journal”“[An] entertaining and mature middle-school book … Younger sister Chloe and cousin Jack (Jacqueline) are character foils with refreshing depth and nuance. For the Harry Potter fan, advanced middle-school reader, or teen with an interest in markedly different characters and situations than typical to the genre.” –“Booklist”

Simon Mayo MBE is a writer and broadcaster. His previous books include the Sunday Times bestseller Knife Edge, Mad Blood Stirring, Blame and the Itch trilogy, filmed for TV by the ABC. He hosts Drivetime on Greatest Hits Radio and hosts the ‘The Take’ film-review podcast with Professor Mark Kermode.

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