Finn and the Pen

When Finn buys a magic pen at a market stall, it seems like all his problems are solved… but the good times don’t last in this action-packed adventure featuring life on the run, basketball battles, family secrets and more moral conundrums than you could shake a pen at.

Eleven-year-old Finn lives with his four foster siblings and the TERRIBLE Mr. and Mrs. Grimshaw. Everything might look okay from the outside, but at home the Grimshaws lock Finn in the basement, and reign terror over his little brothers and sisters. Will the power of a magic pen help Finn save himself and his siblings from their nightmare foster parents, and find out the truth about his past?

Join Finn on an adventure beyond his wildest dreams, armed with a pen that makes everything he draws come true. From defeating a bully in a basketball match, to stealing the limelight and serenading the guests at a fancy hotel, Finn discovers he has the power to do anything! But soon, the consequences to his actions start to mount up.

Can Finn resist the temptation of an easy fix and save the day without the increasingly dangerous help of the pen? Find out in this fast-paced, engaging story about family, jealousy, morals, and the importance of being kind to others.

Like most children’s authors, David Lawrence started out as a financial analyst! He went from creating profit-and-loss statements to performing stand-up comedy and TV writing, including comedy festival shows in 2002 and 2003 about running the Melbourne marathon.

David penned his first book in 2007. Since then, he has written another 13 fun-filled children’s books aimed at engaging reluctant readers. Titles include the Ball Stars series written in collaboration with Basketball Australia, and the Maxi the Lifeguard books, written with Trent Maxwell, aka Bondi Rescue’s Lifeguard Maxi.

David is passionate about children’s literacy and is a proud ambassador of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. As an ambassador he works with children in remote communities to help them tell their own stories and write their own books.
David lives in Melbourne, Australia.

PJ Reece is an Australian illustrator whose past work includes illustration for Blake Education, and designing greeting cards which sold at various retail outlets. His traditional pen/pencil and wash style illustrations have evolved into digital illustrations using an iPad and drawing app.

PJ’s previous picture books include A Boy, His Bear and a Bully and The Humongous Humdingle Family and the Tiny House, both with EK Books.

PJ lives in Tomerong, Australia.

Cherie Dignam has always loved drawing and works in a variety of mediums including coloured pencils and watercolour. However, she is at her happiest with a good old-fashioned dip pen and ink. When she’s not working to keep her pet cat Boris supplied with endless tins of tuna, Cherie creates from her home, a short walk from the beach in sunny Perth, Australia.