Christine Morton-Shaw (born 1957) is a British writer of

children's books A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''chi ...

and books for teens. These include picture books and educational and novelty titles (most notably the popular 'Stringalongs' series). She is perhaps best known for her more recent work as a Young Adult and Middle-Grade novelist. Her novels to date are The Riddles of Epsilon (which received, among other praise, the VOYA (

Voice of Youth Advocates ''Voice of Youth Advocates'' (''VOYA'') was a bimonthly magazine that provides book reviews and information for librarians with a focus on young adult materials. History and profile ''VOYA'' was established in 1978. The founders were Dorothy M ...

) 'perfect ten' rating in June 2006) and The Hunt for the Seventh. Her works are notable for their spooky atmosphere, an emphasis on mystery and the solving of clues (often in the form of puzzles) and surprising plot twists (or 'paradigm shifts')

Background

Christine Morton-Shaw grew up in

Blackburn Blackburn () is an industrial town and the administrative centre of the Blackburn with Darwen borough in Lancashire, England. The town is north of the West Pennine Moors on the southern edge of the River Ribble, Ribble Valley, east of Preston ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

where she reportedly had several spooky or supernatural experiences. She later moved to

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, England to study at university, later gaining a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

(MA) in Creative Writing from

Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield station, Sheffield railway station, whil ...

. Before this, she had already had several children's picturebooks published, starting with her debut ''The Pig that Barked'' (illustrated by

Angie Sage Angie Sage (born 20 June 1952) is an English author of children's literature, including the ''Septimus Heap'' series, the ''TodHunter Moon'' trilogy, and the ''Araminta Spook'' series (''Araminta Spookie'', in the United States). Life According ...

, who shares Morton-Shaw's agent and publisher). After success with several picture book titles, Morton-Shaw's career took a turn in 2003, when she signed a publishing deal for the teenage fantasy novel The Riddles of Epsilon with HarperCollins Children's Books UK and US arms. The book, published by the Katherine Tegen imprint in 2005 received much pre-publication

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. A sequel was published in 2008.

Work for younger children

Morton-Shaw's books for younger children include the following; * The 'Stringalongs' series (as Christine Morton) * The Pig that Barked (as Christine Morton) * Don't Worry William (as Christine Morton) * Picnic Farm (as Christine Morton) * Run, Rabbit, Run (as Christine Morton) * Itzy Bitzy House * Magoosy * Mr Jack: a little dog in a big hurry * Wake Up, Sleepy Bear * Bears for Bedtime Storybook Collection (with Joan Stimson) Morton-Shaw has received prizes and honours for her work in this area. ''Picnic Farm'' was awarded the Silver Honors by the Parents Choice Foundation, while ''Wake Up, Sleepy Bear'' is among the books chosen by the Dollywood Foundation for use in promoting reading among children. ''Run Rabbit, Run'' was awarded best children's illustrated work for four- to eleven-year-olds by the English association (2001).

Works for older children and teens

* The Riddles of Epsilon (2005, Katherine Teen Books) * The Hunt for the Seventh (2008, Katherine Teen Books)

Personal life

Morton-Shaw is married with six children.

References

External links

Myspace page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Morton-Shaw, Christine Living people British children's writers Alumni of Sheffield Hallam University Year of birth missing (living people)