The Loblolly boy wants his old life back and his plight is all the more poignant for his searching. In this stunning junior fiction fantasy sequel to The Loblolly Boy, Michael convinces the unhappy boy at the Great Hall to Exchange with him once again, and Michael begins a magical journey home. Complications, twists and stunts abound once the mischievous and perverse Sorcerer and the bumbling but well-meaning Gadget Man decide to assist in the bizarre turn of events. This is a poignant yet magical and inventive tale written with the sure hand of a writer whose characters are as much grounded in the real world as the fantastic and whimsical whirl he creates around them. The rich narrative moves along at a good pace and is woven throughout with plenty of clues, leads and surprises, and much treacherous magic to keep young readers engaged.

Author Biography

James Norcliffe is a poet, editor and the author of several fantasy novels for young people, the most recent, The Loblolly Boy, won the 2010 NZ Post Award for Junior fiction. The book has been published in Australia by Allen and Unwin and is to be published in the US by Egmont as The Boy Who Could Fly. The Loblolly Boy was shortlisted for the LIANZA Esther Glen Award, also for the Sir Julius Vogel Award Festival held earlier this month. James is also a poet and editor. James lives at Church Bay, Lyttelton Harbour. He teaches at Lincoln University's Foundation Studies department.