The Adventures Of Freddie Malone

By Clive Mantle

Welcome to the online home of Freddie Malone. Remember- The more you Read, the more amazing your own adventures will become.

Welcome to the online home of Freddie Malone. Remember- The more you Read, the more amazing your own adventures will become.

STOP PRESS. HOLD THE FRONT PAGE NEWS JUST IN.

*** FREDDIE'S 3RD ADVENTURE WILL BE PUBLISHED ON OCTOBER 14th***

"IN THE CITY OF FORTUNE AND FLAMES" 


IT REUNITES OUR HEROES, FREDDIE, RUBY AND CONNOR IN A THRILLING JOURNEY OF INTRIGUE AND DANGER DURING PLAGUE AND FIRE RAVAGED LONDON IN 1665 AND 1666. THEY ENCOUNTER THE PESTILENCE FIRST HAND, AND THEY FIGHT NOT ONLY THE FLAMES, BUT ALSO A MERCILESS CRIMINAL GANG, AND WITH THEIR NEW COMRADES MINGOE AND JACK, THE EVIL THAT IS SLAVERY.


IT IS WITH EXTREME PLEASURE THAT I'M ABLE TO REMIND YOU THAT MY FIRST BOOK 

'THE TREASURE AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD' 

 WON THE 'PEOPLES BOOK PRIZE 2019'

THIS IS A MAJOR COMPLIMENT AS THE AWARD IS CHOSEN BY THE PUBLIC.

THANK YOU FOR BUYING THE BOOK, READING IT AND VOTING FOR IT.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT


 You can order from websites like Amazon and Waterstones, or why not try your local bookshop, who will be happy to take an order from you if they don't have a copy in stock. 

IT MAY HELP KEEP THE HIGH STREET ALIVE.

Best Wishes, Clive.




BOOK 2.

11.7.2019

'A JEWEL IN THE SANDS OF TIME' 

PUBLISHED.




Freddie's second adventure is out and ready to buy online from outlets like Amazon. It is also available to order from your local high street bookshop.

This tale sees our hero immerse himself in ancient Egypt midway through the reign of King Tutankhamen. Full of pyramids, sphinxes, crocodiles, tombs, intrigue and breathless escapes from terrifying adversaries, 'Jewel' sees Freddie joined by Connor and their new neighbour Ruby on another amazing journey through Time.






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The Treasure At The Top Of The World

The Treasure At The Top Of The World

In his first adventure, Freddie Malone receives an intriguing and unusual thirteenth birthday present from his Uncle Patrick. The ancient world map goes straight up on his wall, but Freddie fast discovers that the map is much more than just a decorative historic artefact.  With his best friend Connor holding the fort as best he can in the present day, Freddie is plunged into an action packed mountainous adventure, righting the wrongs inflicted on a peaceful Kingdom and it's people, all the while pursued by ruthless adversaries who’ll go to any lengths to get what they want. On his journey he rescues the weak and endangered, restores lost artefacts and uncovers clues to a century old mystery, but will their discovery be enough to provide a much sought after answer to a burning question?

The Treasure at the Top of the World is an Adventure, a Love Story and a Mystery - with Villains, Yaks and Yetis. Freddie Malone is placed in actual Historic situations and his tale is woven around real people and events.

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To Buy Your Copy Just Click on This Link

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Treasure-World-Adventures-Freddie-Malone/dp/1782703217/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526846711&sr=8-1&keywords=the+treasure+at+the+top+of+the+world


If you've already read the book and have enjoyed it, you might like to write a review and read what other people have said about Freddie's first adventure on -

https://toppsta.com/books/details/the-treasure-at-the-top-of-the-world
https://toppsta.com/books/details/the-treasure-at-the-top-of-the-world


2018 SAW THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST ASCENT OF EVEREST. 29TH MAY 1953. 

SHERPA TENSING NORGAY AND SIR EDMUND HILLARY REACHED THE SUMMIT AT 11.30am. 

AN ATTEMPT THE PREVIOUS DAY BY CHARLES EVANS AND TOM BOURDILLON HAD NEARLY SUCCEEDED. BUT FOR A TURN IN THE WEATHER AND FAULTY OXYGEN EQUIPMENT, THE FAMILIAR PHRASE OF 'HILLARY AND TENSING' MIGHT HAVE INSTEAD BEEN 'EVANS AND BOURDILLON'.

'THE LINE BETWEEN SUCCESS AND FAILURE IS SO SMALL IN LIFE'. THE  DRAMATIC EVENTS SURROUNDING THE SUMMITING OF THE WORLD'S HIGHEST PEAK FOR THE FIRST TIME IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TRUE THAT PHRASE IS. 

MANY HAVE BRAVELY CLIMBED IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS SINCE, AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT ADMIRATION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ACHIEVED THEIR GOAL. I HAVE EQUAL ADMIRATION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TRIED AND FAILED AND ESPECIAL ADMIRATION FOR THE BRAVE SOULS WHO DIDN'T RETURN FROM THE MOUNTAIN ALIVE. 

TO REACH THE PINNACLE IN ANY FIELD MEANS YOU PERCH ON THE SHOULDERS OF OTHERS AND YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AND STRONG AS THE PYRAMID BENEATH YOU. I SALUTE ALL THOSE WHO LOOK UP AND WONDER IF THEY CAN TEST EVERY 'NERVE AND SINEW' AND ATTEMPT SOMETHING DIFFICULT IN WHATEVER FIELD OF LIFE THEY CHOOSE. 

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About the author image
About the Author
 
It was a close call between wanting to be a sport’s journalist and pursuing a career as an actor. However, there was only going to be one winner after I spent my first glorious summer with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain in 1974. I was seventeen. I completely fitted in for the first time in my life and I’ve never looked back, even though at times it is a ridiculously unpredictable profession. I went on to a drama school called The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, from which I graduated in 1980 and have been working ever since, on TV in ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Casualty’, ‘Holby City’, ‘Vicar of Dibley’ and my favourite, ‘Robin of Sherwood’. A lot of my work is on stage in plays like ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘A Streetcar named Desire’, and on film in ‘Alien 3’ and ‘White Hunter Black Heart’.
I’m also a voice over artist doing dozens of commercials, scores of talking books like the ‘Grk’ series and even voicing ‘Gator’ in ‘Thomas the Tank Engine’.
The idea for writing ‘The Treasure at the Top of the World’ came to me in Nepal during a month long charity trek [Hope and Homes for Children] to Everest Base Camp and beyond. Nepal is such an amazing country and the wonders of the Himalayas and the people who live there are with me every day. I have been back since and completed the Annapurna Circuit, crossing the highest pass in the world and if my legs and lungs will allow, I hope to return one day soon with my son to journey again in that majestic mountain kingdom.
When I’m not acting or writing I spend my time walking with my wife, son and spaniel in the glorious Wiltshire countryside thinking of more adventures for Freddie and his friends. Book 2, published in 2019, and  book 3 in 2020.

Keep safe and well in these uncertain times. Xc


Award Publications, the Nottinghamshire based award-winning independent children’s publisher, to release actor Clive Mantle’s debut novel for children on the 24th May 2018


Please click on the link below to read the latest Press Release!


Press Release_Clive Mantle_The Treasure at the Top of the World.pdf


Author's blog for 'Treasure'


Clive Mantle. ‘The Treasure at the Top of the World’



I have long held the dream of writing to inspire the young in the way I was bewitched as a young boy by one of my Literary heroes, Oliver Postgate.

‘The Treasure at the Top of the World’is the first in a series of commissioned adventures for my leading character Freddie Malone. It was published in June 2018 and was the Winner of the prestigious Peoples Book Prize 2019. [peoplesbookprize.com]

“The idea is everything”– is a phrase I am well used to hearing in the film and TV business. It’s a general truism that camouflages a mountain of hard work. But it doesn’t matter how well you write, if the idea isn’t good, people won’t read it.

My idea took many years to filter through and it came to me as I walked away from Mount Everest.

Having completed the gruelling but wonderful trek to Everest Base Camp and beyond, my thoughts turned to ‘What’s next?’

The idea came in a flash. Boy receives World Map for his birthday, hangs it on his wall and disappears through it to any destination on earth, at any period in History.

Freddie can go anywhere, at any time. He can observe History happening and bring it to life for a modern audience. Living history.

‘The Treasure at the Top of the World’ takes place in 21st Century England and 20th Century Nepal.

Mallory, Irvine, Yaks and Yetis, First love, Treasure, Disasters and Adventure. The mountain kingdom hosts the quest to return stolen relics from a ruthless adversary and is counterpointed with Freddie’s best friend Connor stranded at home in the present day. He has to deal with his own problems in the shape of persistent bullies, as his weight makes him an easy and soft target. Both boys have many great lessons to learn and adventures to experience. The strong female role model in the story is Mindhu, a funny, strong and captivating Sherpana who steals Freddie’s heart.

The challenges for me were mainly those of paring down my original completed first draught, which weighed in at a hefty 125,000 words! Too long, as even I knew. My fantastic agent and guide in the process Penny Luithlen, set me incredibly helpful targets. A paragraph was about 8 sentences on average and she asked me to turn those 8 into 5 without losing the essence. I went away and dutifully did that and in the process fell in love with editing.

Then Penny encouraged me to turn those revised 5 sentences into 3. It can be done. It was published at 52,000 words. Less is more.

All those precious adjectives and wordy cul-de-sacs we think are vital can be [radically] pruned. I found it liberating. Suddenly the story and characters were allowed to leap off the page. As a consequence, my second book was 60,000 when I finished the first draught and will be 52,000 when it emerges in June 2019. I had saved myself a lot of work being economical.

I have read countless testimonies from the great mountaineers safely returned from tackling Everest, but was not aware of a book like mine introducing the younger reader to the majesty and miracle that is Nepal. Not only the visual splendours, but the magnificence and generosity of its people.

I want my books to plant the seed of travel and adventure in young minds. Freddie is placed in Nepal during a real historic event and can communicate what that feels like as he relates his tales to Connor on return. My aim is always to inspire and encourage, both to read and to explore. We must enthuse the young mind with reading before the ‘You Tube’ generation lose the ability to pick up and enjoy books.

Freddie Malone’s second adventure is published in June 2019. ‘A Jewel in the Sands of Time’is set in two periods in Ancient Egypt and the present day. Pharaohs, Intrigue, Tombs, Chariots, Pyramids, Slavery and of course the story of a long dead Boy King whose name resonates louder today than ever. Tutankhamun.

Book three, due for release in October 2020, is set in London, with the backdrop of The Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of 1666. Freddie will be a witness to these huge events.

Freddie can’t change History in the grand scale of things, but he can operate on a human level to make an important difference in the thick of the action.

It is a joy for me to enter Freddie’s universe and retreat for hours at a time from a modern world that often baffles and confuses me. Emerging blinking into the harsh realities of our complex society often comes as a shock.

I hope you enjoy the series as it unravels. Your comments and feedback would be very much appreciated.

It is published by Award [awardpublications.co.uk] and available via the usual online outlets. On Amazon it has the very handy ‘Look inside’ feature which means you can browse before you buy. Try it, it’s very helpful.

It can of course be ordered via local bookshops if they haven’t got it in stock. There’s nothing like holding the book before you buy it in my opinion.

There is a Kindle version and I have recorded the Audiobook version, which will be available from 1st April 2019. [oakhillpublishing.com]



THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT




clivemantle.com 

freddiemalone.com

@MantleClive 

clive.mantle752


An extract from ‘The Treasure at the Top of the World’



12:01 a.m. Was he still dreaming?

Freddie sat up. He felt a tremor of anticipation and then a crackle and surge of energy in his bedroom that made his eyes grow wide in alarm. From the silence of the rest of the house he started to hear something; music and voices swelling with increasing urgency, as they began swirling invisibly around him. Dozens of different people seemed to be talking in snippets of strange languages, like frenzied ghosts trying to impart crucial messages. Snatches of orchestras, rock bands, opera and bagpipes came and went, mixed chaotically with television and radio excerpts, as if someone was spinning a gigantic tuning dial. It was utterly bewildering. Freddie sat, open mouthed, trying to work out who was playing this trick on him. It wasn’t some sort of birthday surprise, was it? If so, it was backfiring badly. He was scared stiff.

Light cut into the bedroom around the heavy curtains from the full moon outside, illuminating the wall opposite and the vivid colours of his majestic World Map. Freddie’s gaze was drawn to India. He tried to look away, but it felt like his eyeballs were being dragged by magnets back towards the map. All about him the tumult increased. The sounds were searing his eardrums and now there seemed to be a growing wind coursing around the room as well.

As Freddie continued to stare at the map, it suddenly started to pucker, showing the relief of cities, mountains and rivers. Freddie could not believe his eyes. His gaze was drawn upwards over the northern border India shared with Nepal. Completely against his will and with no control, his focus shot towards the capital, Kathmandu. Freddie blinked, trying to clear his head. He had to be seeing things, surely. The map appeared to be completely alive. Elephants and buses, people, planes, boats and trains sprang to life and began streaming across it, like ants in a forest. It was like his whole bedroom wall had become a vivid projection of the earth from the sky. It was alive. Freddie began backing away towards his pillows and clutched at the mattress.

Then, with a sudden and irresistible wrench, an unseen force ripped him away from his bed. He tried to hang on by clawing at the wooden headboard behind his pillow, but his body was stretched horizontally a foot above his duvet, which suddenly shot out from underneath him and joined the tornado of socks, pants and dirty washing dancing frantically around his room. Try as he might, he could not shift his gaze from Uncle Patrick’s map. It appeared to have an absolute and unbreakable hold over him.

“Help! Stop it now! I’ve had enough. It’s not funny any more. Dad! Mum! Stop it. Please!”

Now the map seemed to grow until it filled his entire field of vision. His eyes were drawn roughly eastwards, from Kathmandu to a place called Namche Bazaar, the letters of which dissolved, as tiny mountain tops thrust through the parchment in their place. Freddie’s desperate last grip on the pine frame was broken and he hurtled towards the wall.

“No! Please ... No! Help!”

There was a thundering crack, like ice splitting on a frozen lake, as a huge tear appeared in the map. Beyond it, Freddie could see a tunnel; an endless vortex of swirling bright lights. The wall of his bedroom was melting and splitting, creating a gaping hole. The plaster and brickwork had become fluid.

“Help!” he tried to scream, but the sound was lost among a thousand other shouts. “Help me!” he cried again, but all the voices seemed to echo and mock him simultaneously. Freddie was speeding feet first towards the widening gap and it parted just enough to allow him through, accompanied by a truly deafening sound, as if a thousand sheets of paper were all torn at once.

He desperately tried to hang on to the jagged edge of the hole in his bedroom wall, but the bricks dissolved in his grasp……..



 


About image
July 2019 saw the publication of the second in the Freddie Malone Adventure series.
'A JEWEL IN THE SANDS OF TIME' sees Freddie travel back in time to the magical and mysterious surroundings of Ancient Egypt, where he becomes a vital jigsaw piece in the story of King Tutankhamun.
Here is a blog I wrote for the release of the book. I hope you enjoy the article - and, don't forget to purchase your copy to immerse yourself in a world of amazing characters and adventures 3,500 years ago.

‘A Jewel in the Sands of Time’. July 2019.

 The notorious second novel.

I’ve been very lucky and suffered few nerves writing my second book. The pressure was always there, as the reaction to ‘Treasure’ was so positive. I was always gunning for a standard below which I knew I must not drop, but I planned more thoroughly and researched in great depth, and most importantly laid out the chapters and the adventures progression far more professionally than before.
When I occasionally ‘research dumped’ my agent was very clear in her instructions. It’s an adventure set in an amazing historical period, not a 272 page book showing us how much you’ve read about Egypt. Enough said.

Luckily by the time ‘Treasure’ had won the ‘Peoples Book Prize 2019’, ‘Jewel’ had been with my publishers for 4 months, and the final tinkering and proof reading, layouts, trims and polishes were all that remained. So that helped a great deal. I was never sat contemplating a blank page thinking, ‘Oh No! What shall I write? How do I follow that?’
I am very lucky that I really like my characters, including a feisty new addition called Ruby, who is a major force to be reckoned with. The ability to place them anywhere and at anytime in History is a glorious luxury. I’m not confined to the present, although about a quarter of the books are set in the 21stcentury. It is a formula that I’m pleased to continue and a very handy device to compare their present day experience with their existence placed in another ‘Time’, contrasting the pressures of modern day life and all that brings, with life as it was.
In ‘Jewel’ we travel to ancient Egypt in two bursts. Firstly to 1328 BC, midway through the short 10 year reign of King Tutankhamun, and secondly to 1125 BC. Here, Ramesses 1X is pharaoh, and the Egypt Freddie finds 203 years later is very different from before.
Again, Freddie, Connor and now Ruby, are faced with a world of wonder, but also intrigue and danger, as the reason for Freddie’s adventure becomes clear. He is always called to champion someone not best placed to help themselves, and through his actions he becomes an integral and loyal friend to the young pharaoh and his wife Ankhasenamun.

Pyramids, temples, tombs, power struggles, goodies, baddies, golden chariots, crocodiles, plots uncovered, rescues, riots survived, and fiercely forged loyal friendships are the backdrop to maybe the first Nile tourist cruise ever! Hopefully I’ve placed the reader deep in amongst Egyptian society and they will emerge with a strong sense of life as it felt, tasted and smelt.
We travel through the Egyptian seasons as well as the centuries, as ‘Ahket’, the ‘Inundation’, raises the water level of the Nile 35 feet at Waset [modern day Thebes] then the most populous and powerful city in the world. Karnak is close by, still to this day the largest religious structure ever built.
‘Jewel’ is set in two main Egyptian locations. In and around the Valley of the Kings, and then some 400 kilometres north up the River Nile to the Great Pyramid and Sphinx complex at Giza.

Immersing myself in all things ancient Egyptian was a real pleasure. It is such a vast and glorious period, spanning three and a half thousand years. It is a complicated process picking a spot to land on with a story.
But the one person that young and old want to know about, is Tutankhamun.

I read two complete histories of all the dynasties to make sure I wasn’t missing someone or something more interesting, and as amazing as the whole period is, I was inevitably drawn back to the golden Boy King.
His Tomb plays a large part in the book and I feel like I know where each of the 5000 relics and precious possessions were laid to rest with the king. But it’s the simple things almost that touch me most. The positioning of the statue of Anubis – in the form of a reclining hound, as near to the foot of the sarcophagus as possible, maybe echoing the loyalty shown to Tutankhamun by his own Tesum hunting dog called Dedu. Did Ankhasenamun command it to be placed there as close to it’s royal master as possible?
On the West wall of the Burial chamber, the wonderful depiction of the Solar barque on it’s journey towards Osiris, and underneath the 12 baboons each marking an hour of the night through which the world travelled until the rebirth of the God Amun as the sun rose again.
The position of the Scarab in Egyptian society was highly respected. The example of the dung beetle pushing its burden ever onward, was seen as displaying the great qualities of diligence and perseverance. The tiny insect was often celebrated in the form of jewelry and paintings, and I have placed one at the heart of my book.
The latest research on Tutankhamun’s physical limitations and illnesses and the DNA clues as to his age and the likely ways that his untimely death occurred, helped me to piece together the image of a boy. Or rather, the image of a boy he might easily have been. And ultimately the boy I could imagine he was.
It is now thought that he suffered from Temporal lobe Epilepsy. He certainly had a club foot and cleft palate from birth, but the previously held theory that a mark on a neck vertebrae thought to suggest foulplay, has now been marginalized as his possible cause of death. More likely is the far more mundane – Septicaemia – resulting from a badly broken leg, which ended his 10 year reign at the tender age of 19.
He had fathered two children by then, but neither had survived beyond birth. Ankhasenamun was more than likely his half sister, and so the disastrous policy of the royal family inter marrying continued. Little did they realize that the process severely weakened any offspring. The short reigns of most pharaohs would have been dramatically extended had they married into outside families and different blood lines, rejuvenating the health and longevity of the royal line.
Ankhasenamun was six years older than Tutankhamun, and after his death and against her will, she was forced to marry Ay - who succeeded the Boy King. Ay had been one of his joint Viziers, like prime ministers, along with Horemheb who controlled the Army.
On Tutankhamun’s death, Ankhasenamun pleaded by letter to the Hittite King to send one of his sons for her to marry, which he did. But Prince Zannanza was murdered on his way to Egypt. With facts like these to provide a secure backbone, it is exciting to then imagine the intrigue and plots, the loyalties and double dealings, and whilst never altering History in any way, provide a realistic glimpse of what the state of play was.
To me, Kha and Ankha [as I call them] were like ornate trapped birds in a golden cage. Gilded and bejewelled, but powerless, friendless and vulnerable…
Until… Freddie Malone arrives.

So that’s how I’ve spent the majority of the last year, and now my attention turns to all things London and 1665 and 1666. More of that another time. Safe to say it’s just as fascinating to research, and just as much fun to write.
I will be recording the Audiobook of ‘Jewel’ soon, to accompany ‘Treasure’ which is already available either through Amazon or from ‘Oakhill’ directly.
Thankyou to all those who have bought the books so far, and those who voted in the Peoples Book Prize 2019. Your support is very much appreciated. Xc.

Extracts from ‘A Jewel in the Sands of Time’. Published by Award. July 2019.

Prologue
 

In a cold, dark basement, a long way from where you are reading these words, the Collector sat at his writing table inspecting a huge yellow gemstone under a solitary light. The elderly man scrawled on a piece of folded white card, using a quill dipped in a vivid turquoise ink.
And many years ago, in a silent and ancient tomb, also a long way from where you are reading these words, there lay a King in his dark resting place. Along dead Boy King who was always at the mercy of those who would seek to possess his impossible wealth.
Close by the King, a precious jeweled trinket guarded the Pharaoh through the twelve stages of night on his journey to the next life.
The Collector wanted to turn back time and steal the priceless artifact for himself and deny the joy of its discovery to the rest of the world. He also craved a precious liquid, a legendary medicine, which if taken would prolong his life - the seconds, minutes and hours of which were trickling through his twisted fingers like fine desert sand as he neared his worldly end. He calculated that the two treasures could easily be collected together, or so he hoped.
Around him in the large basement were dozens of illuminated cabinets containing many of the world’s missing wonders, which he had acquired by one foul means or another. He moved towards the furthest display, stroking the glass of several others as he passed.
Even now, after all these years, there was still room for a treasure yet to be stolen. He unlocked the door of the last cabinet and with a shaky hand smoothed the velvet interior.
On it he placed the huge yellow ‘Florentine Diamond’, tinkering with its position until he was satisfied that it caught the available light. Almost immediately his eyes moved from the priceless gemstone to the empty expanse to its right. He lovingly stroked the velvet cloth and whispered,
“Of course, be patient. Not long now. You will soon have a treasure.”

clivemantle.com
freddiemalone.com
@MantleClive

clive.mantle752

IF


If you can keep your head when all about you  

    Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,  

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

    But make allowance for their doubting too;  

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,

Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,

    And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:


If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;  

    If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;  

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

    And treat those two impostors just the same;  

If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken

    Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

    And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:


If you can make one heap of all your winnings

    And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

    And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

    To serve your turn long after they are gone,  

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

    Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,  

    Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

    If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

    With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,  

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,  

    And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!


Rudyard Kipling 1895


Bullying.png


Bullying

If, like Connor, you have been the victim of bullying in any shape or form, you will find help, practical advice and most importantly, you will be listened to by people who understand, if you contact:

www.childhelplineinternational.org/child-helplines/child-helpline-network/

www.nationalbullyinghelpline.co.uk

www.youngminds.org.uk/find-help/feelings-and-symptoms/bullying/

www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/types-bullying/

www.channel4.com/4viewers/help-support/bullying-harrassment

These websites and helplines provide help, supportand guidance for children and parents dealing with bullying, wherever it occurs.

 Bernadette Brady 5.0 out of 5 starsThis is an absolutely superb, enthralling and captivating book which I thoroughly recommend to readers of all ages, everywhere! 30 June 2018 Verified Purchase Absolutely enthralling and captivating, from the first page to the last. This is a book which you just do not want to end. Suitable for readers of all ages from 8 to adulthood. Readers join young adventurer Freddie Malone as he embarks on a thrilling time-travel adventure which takes him from his usual everyday life in England to Nepal, with stunning Mount Everest in the background. It will make you laugh. It will make you gasp as the next twist and turn in the adventure emerges. It will melt your heart as you read about Freddie and his beautiful new friend Mindhu. You will thoroughly enjoy accompanying Freddie on the adventure of a lifetime. You will be mesmerized as you read and learn about Mount Everest. You will love every single page of this excellent book. There is also a very powerful message for readers about bullying as Freddie's best friend Connor is bullied by a group of his peers. An excellent list of recommended websites and helplines for those who are experiencing bullying, which offer help, support and advice, is provided. This is a beautiful book with I thoroughly enjoyed and I highly recommend it to readers of all ages, everywhere. 3 people found this helpful Witch 5.0 out of 5 starsThe Treasure at the Top of the World 4 August 2018 Verified Purchase Loved this little book - and further books have a lot of potential - it's a cross age kind of book that will be read by more than one age group though 8+ it's going to appeal to many.. It has a moralistic story with the Freddie Malone adventure. Freddie receives an unusual present on this thirteenth birthday from his Uncle. A Map! This leads to a wholesome mountain adventure of mystery. I must admit though, I am a fan of the writer, so I might be a little biased in this review however so forgive me when I do say that I loved the book and will be buying future ones if Clive Mantle publishes them. Check out the Clive Mantle Fan Page on Facebook. 2 people found this helpful L. Cannon 5.0 out of 5 starsGo Time Travelling and Open Up a World of Discovery 15 November 2018 Verified Purchase This is more than just a tale to tell. This a story of (in no particular order) adventure, social and land geography, history, present day, travel and friendship. It is indeed a fictional book, but also seems part travelogue in a way, although not strictly written like one. There are relics and treasures to be had, people to meet and a country to explore, all within the safety and comfort of your own home. This is an impressive story that will grip children from the age of 8 years old and teenagers alike. It will send them on a terrific journey of exploration within their imaginations as they read and delve further into this book. The cover is brilliantly conceived. It looks exciting and instantly eye-catching, with the swirly writing going into Mount Everest. It is very fitting to the content within the book. The characters are well developed – they are realistic, relatable and likeable. Readers will be able to care about these characters enough to want to find out more about them. In the beginning of the book is the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling. It’s not as random as it first appears. Read further into the book and all becomes apparent and makes complete sense as to why it is cleverly featured right there. It’s a fantastic, attention grabbing beginning to this novel! The story begins at the beginning of the school summer holidays with Freddie and his best friend Connor joining together for Freddie’s birthday party. One of the gifts is an ancient map. This is where the adventure begins… After feeling unwell, he mysteriously finds himself in Kathmandu, Nepal. The map is definitely no ordinary map! The map illustrated within the book, featuring all the locations within the story. Children and teenagers would absolutely be able to get a sense of the sights and sounds of the city as well as a sense of emotions. They will find themselves transported to this country through the map, photos and descriptions given. There are great photos of Mount Everest and Namche Bazarr. The photos are a brilliant way of enhancing children’s knowledge of these two iconic places in Nepal in a very visual way. Infact, throughout the book, each location in Nepal is wonderfully descriptive, which for children and teens (or anyone unsure of what anything in Nepal looks like), would be very useful for them. Clive Mantle weaves facts about Mount Everest and famous exhibitioners/mountaineers and other people Freddie comes across living in Nepal, into what is essentially a fictional story, very effectively. There is enough to create a fascination and to enhance knowledge, but not so much that readers will feel overwhelmed with it all. There is a very good balance between fact and fiction as well as a good pace being mantained throughout. The book twists and turns between two worlds. It’s not all plain sailing for our intrepid explorer as the story moves along at a good pace. The transition between the two worlds are written clearly, ensuring the book is accessible to all within the age group, avoiding confusion. It also effectively mantains a natural flow. The book may well contain the much used method of time-travel, but the concept and the map, which is used as a device here to tell the story has a freshness about it. There is a real sense of adventure and danger within this book that will excite any young reader. There are large themes of friendship, adventure and bullying all interweaved within the narrative and dialogue of the story. Clive Mantle has handled it all very well and has evidently given a lot of thought, sensitivity and care to this. Within the back of the book are several useful websites which children and their parents/carers etc can access for support. On a lighter note, he has also given further reading books for teenagers. His choices are good, they will resonate with teens who want to find out more about Nepal, Mount Everest and adventure. There are also a few pages at the end of the book, devoted to explaining the facts behind the story. This is informative and also age appropriate and connect beautifully with the story. All of this additonal information is definitely worth reading and back-up the book very well. They are also as well written as the main story itself. This book will excite, inform and educate children and teenagers in a way that will spark their imagination, curiosity and interest. The fictional story itself is absorbing. It can be read within a home, a school and there is plenty of content within it that schools, parents, children, teenagers can use to encourage both private reading and to spark conversations with each other. Overall, I was impressed by the content and the way it was all semlessly handled within this book and how well it is written as a whole, especially since so much is covered within those pages. Clive Mantle’s writing is very good, the language used is age appropriate for the suggested marketing age of 8+. His passion, that he has had since childhood really comes through within this book, as does the desire to share tales with others, as his father did with him. Children and teens generally like to learn about different parts of the world and Nepal, certainly in my experience of previously working within a voluntary children’s group, is one of those countries which does fascinate them. So, this book certainly feeds into their natural curiosity very well. Read more review image 

 Ms Sian Davies 5.0 out of 5 starsA great, fun adventure! 15 July 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase What a fantastic book. A tale of two stories - the real life world of a young boy battling the nightmare of bullying, and also his trip through a magic map, back in time to Nepal, to help locate and return a rare treasure to its rightful owners. The vista of Everest and the surrounding area are painted in such intricate detail, and with the knowledge of someone who knows the area personally, that you can’t help but finish the story and want to travel there yourself!! One person found this helpful Karen Bateson 5.0 out of 5 starsA cracking good read 16 September 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase This book is excellent, it hooked me immediately. The characters leap from the page & into the heart & mind captivating you & taking you the reader on a remarkable adventure. The book is for 8 years olds upwards, but I think this book is an ageless classic that crosses the age range of the readers. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to be truely entertained review image Wendy A 5.0 out of 5 starsAn engrossing read for all ages 4 June 2018 Verified Purchase I only received this book today and I quite simply couldn't put it down until I had finished. It drew me in from the first paragraph and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. Although aimed at young readers, the time travelling adventures of Freddie Malone will be enjoyed by all ages. Can't wait for the next book. 2 people found this helpful Del Cahill 5.0 out of 5 starsWow just wow ! 31 July 2018 Verified Purchase I can’t recommend this book highly enough, for children and adults alike, I loved it and I’m 50 ! It draws you in from the word go and takes you on the most wonderful journey and a really exciting adventure. With wonderful characters, some good, some bad, but all essential in their own way ! To sum up, congratulations Mr Mantle, I loved the book and can’t wait for the next instalment ! One person found this helpful Tracey C 5.0 out of 5 starsA great read for all ages 25 June 2018 Verified Purchase This book is a great read. It’s fast paced, full of adventure,time travel, thrills and daring deeds. It’s also a story about friendship, bravery and even love. The story grips you from the first page, and I found it hard to put down! (Family, feed yourselves, I’m reading!) It’s a story for young and old alike. My daughter struggles with reading but has been eager to read what happens next. I look forward to reading more of Freddie’s adventures. One person found this helpful Amanda Jane Dolan-Harrison 5.0 out of 5 starsI Ioved it and would highly recommend to children young and old alike 16 June 2018 Verified Purchase This book was my summer holiday read whilst in Athens sightseeing but I didn’t finish the last few chapters until home which seemed apt. I Ioved it and would highly recommend to children young and old alike. I’m clearly still just a big kid at heart! Very much looking forward to Freddie’s next adventure and totally agree, spoiler alert, that tinned peas are the best... review image 2 people found this helpful Allynellie 5.0 out of 5 starsI love this book - can’t wait for the next one! 25 July 2018 Verified Purchase Finished this book at the weekend. I absolutely love it. It is written so well. I love the overlapping stories of the friendship between the two boys and the friendships Freddie makes in Nepal. Bullying is such a topical issue and handled very sensitively throughout. I am plugging your book everywhere I go Clive. Can’t wait for the next one! 

 Blusoop 5.0 out of 5 starsAn inspiring adventure story, for children & adults alike! Bring on the next Freddie Malone book! 7 September 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase My 11 yr old was totally captivated by it. He usually switches between books and has 6 books on the go at once. But as soon as he opened the pages of The Treasure at the Top of the World, he didn't pick up another book, he literally couldn't put it down. He 'sold' it to his teacher, who bought a copy to read over the summer, with a view to adding it to the school reading challenge. He also gave a copy to his best friend for his birthday, and he has me reading it to his younger brother as well! Amazon Customer 5.0 out of 5 starsgreat time travel story 21 August 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase I & my daughter loved this book. I cried, I cheered, I held my breathe in anticipation. Looking forward to book 2 please! :-) One person found this helpful S N. 5.0 out of 5 starsLoved the book 13 June 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase Loved the book, couldn't put it down.....just wanted to know what happened next...it took me on a great journey with laughter and tears on the way....look forward to the next one... 2 people found this helpful Helen Glover 5.0 out of 5 starsEveryone from 8 to 80 will love this. 18 September 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase Wonderful! And can see why this appeals to all, from 8 to 80. Brilliantly written, literally couldn't put it down. Urs 5.0 out of 5 starsSuch a suitable read for 8/9/10 year olds! 6 July 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase Amazing book!! My 8 year old nephew loved it and is very keen to read the next book in the trilogy! Tanya Peters 5.0 out of 5 starsImaginative and fabulous. 21 August 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase Enthralling and very hard to put down. Amazing read.. rennej 5.0 out of 5 starsSmashing adventure story. 9 July 2018 Format: Paperback I enjoyed this a lot. It’s a cracking adventure story, clearly written by someone absolutely in love with his characters and their adventures. Very warm hearted too. Something tells me this series of books will get better and better as they progress. elizabeth tait 5.0 out of 5 starsBest book of the Year so far 18 September 2018 Format: Paperback I absolutely loved this book. It appeals to all ages. Bought for a relative - and kept! Another one ordered! The messages sent out in this book are almost palpable. I can't wait for the next one - please...... Ms. M. Woods 5.0 out of 5 starsImaginative and Fun 2 July 2018 Format: Paperback This book was so engaging...really enteraining for all ages! Clive is a wonderful writer and I can't wait to read more about Freddie Misha Bakker 5.0 out of 5 starsFantastic book! Absolutely gripping! Amazing fantasy adventure! 1 October 2018 Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase Absolutely amazing and brilliantly written adventure book full of friendship, geography, history and problems of bullying. I read the book in just two days and the story absolutely swallowed me as I couldn't put the book down and needed to know what happens next! It's really extremely gripping, very well written and full of history and geography teaching about Mount Everest while telling an adventurous story. It's for anyone over the age of 8 and the story is so well written and described that you can almost imagine yourself being within the setting and with the characters. It's better than Narnia and I cannot wait for more adventures of Freddie when he's sharing them with his best friend Connor! A truly wonderful story that should be in every school library and is right up the road of Harry Potter and Narnia! ;) 

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