The reviews are in
The Australia Survival Guide, my first foray into commercial non-fiction, was published by Puffin Australia on 1 October 2019. And I was nervous. Seriously nervous! After all, I’m known for writing fiction, mostly science fiction, fantasy and OTT action/adventure. Yes, I’ve written loads of educational non-fiction, but that’s a completely different market. So this book was quite a departure for me.
I’ve been holding my breath, hoping that readers will like it, hoping that it will sell well.
But I’m starting to calm down now and feel a little more confident. The book has had heaps of reviews and OMG… the reviews have been amazing. Seriously, I am over the moon.
So, here’s a little taste of what people have been saying, starting with my favourite one…
“George Ivanoff is not just a pretty face. Under that luxuriant mop of ever-changing hair there’s an inventive and clever brain which can produce not only awesome adventures of the fictional kind for readers but now the ultimate field guide to surviving in the harsh reality of the Australian landscape.”
Just So Stories
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“Humour is used to great effect throughout, making this important information entertaining and accessible. You can tell that Ivanoff had more than a little fun writing this book.”
Better Reading
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“The author cleverly uses a fictional 13-year-old boy who’s reluctantly travelling around Australia with his family as the book’s narrator. This highly relatable character plays a large part in dispelling the fear factor for readers 9+ years.”
Reading Time
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“Celebrate all that is Australia with its quirky flora, fauna and environment in this fun yet educational book perfect for primary schoolers.”
Kids’ Book Review
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“From the author of the interactive You Choose series, comes a reference book with a modern twist.”
“Ivanoff has created a reference book that speaks to the screen dominated youth of today.”
Magpies
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“Every page is filled with interesting and sometimes fascinating facts. One could imagine the target market for this book – children aged from nine years plus – spending countless hours reading and dipping into the 175 pages.”
Buzz Words
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“With its practical nature, appealing layout and focus on things that fascinate, it could be the perfect foundation for Term 4 investigations.”
The Bottom Shelf
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“I liked the book because it has lots of fact boxes about different animals. I think this book would suit both boys or girls aged 7 to 11.”
Alphabet Soup – reviewed by 7-year-old Rory
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As well as these fab reviews, here are a couple of interviews/guest posts I did about the book…
And to top it all off, when I attended StoryArts Festival Ipswich, The Australia Survival Guide ended up being the best selling book of the festival.
Keep an eye on my blog for the upcoming announcement about the new Survival Guide I’ve been working on.
