Christine Morton-Shaw is a British author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

 of books for children and young adults (teenagers). These include picturebooks 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

The Riddles of Epsilon

The Riddles of Epsilon is a young adult or teenage fantasy novel by the British author Christine Morton-Shaw. It was first published in the USA by the Katherine Teegan imprint of Harper Collins publishers...

 (which received, among other praise, the VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates) 'perfect ten' rating in June 2006) and the forthcoming The Hunt for the Seventh(due for publication in September 2008). 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, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

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

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

, England to study at university, later gaining a Masters Degree (MA) in Creative Writing from Sheffield Hallam University

Sheffield Hallam University

Sheffield Hallam University is a higher education institution in South Yorkshire, England, based on two sites in Sheffield. City Campus is located in the city centre, close to Sheffield railway station, and Collegiate Crescent Campus is about two miles away, adjacent to Ecclesall Road in...

. 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

Angie Sage is the author of the Septimus Heap series which includes Magyk, Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren, and Darke. She is also the illustrator and/or writer of many children's books, and is the new writer of the Araminta Spook series.Angie Sage grew up in Thames Valley, London and Kent. Her...

, who shares Morton-Shaw's agent and publisher).

After success with several picturebook titles, Morton-Shaw's career took a new turn in 2003, when she signed a publishing deal for the teenage fantasy novel The Riddles of Epsilon

The Riddles of Epsilon

The Riddles of Epsilon is a young adult or teenage fantasy novel by the British author Christine Morton-Shaw. It was first published in the USA by the Katherine Teegan imprint of Harper Collins publishers...

 with Harpercollins Children's Books UK and US arms. The book, published by the Katherine Tegen imprint in 2005 received much pre-publication hype

Hype

Hype may refer to:*A media circus*Hype , 1981 album by Robert Calvert*Hype , American comedy television series*Hype!, documentary about the popularity of grunge rock in the early to mid 1990...

. Over the following years the book has built-up something of a cult following amongst teenage readers on the internet

Internet

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.

Morton-Shaw's second novel The Hunt for the Seventh is due out from Harper Collins US in September 2008. Little is known about the book's contents at the moment, though Morton-Shaw has hinted on her Myspace page that it is another spooky or supernatural tale involving statues and a stately home.

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

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, Run Rabbit, Run was awarded best children's illustrated work for four to eleven year olds by the English association (2001), while Wake Up, Sleepy Bear is among the books chosen by the Dollywood Foundation for use in promoting reading among children.

Works for Older Children and Teens

• The Riddles of Epsilon
  The Riddles of Epsilon
  The Riddles of Epsilon is a young adult or teenage fantasy novel by the British author Christine Morton-Shaw. It was first published in the USA by the Katherine Teegan imprint of Harper Collins publishers...
  
   (2005, Katherine Teen Books)
• The Hunt for the Seventh (2008, Katherine Teen Books)