I’m delighted to be kicking off THE GREAT FOX ILLUSION blog tour with this post for Books For Topics.
There is a lot of magic in children’s books. The shelves are filled with protagonists with special powers, and characters who discover they are part of a hidden world filled with the supernatural. The Great Fox Illusion isn’t like that. There are no special powers in this book. No shortcuts to success. Flick is a girl with a prosthetic leg who cannot wave a wand to solve her problems. The Great Fox Illusion is about a different kind of magic.
In this story, Flick and Charlie have to enter a house that used to belong to the world-famous illusionist The Great Fox, and he’s left behind some very challenging puzzles for them to solve. They need to work out the method behind a series of magic tricks. All the answers are right in front of them, but the whole point of a magic trick is to hide the secret of how it works. It wouldn’t be much of a trick if it was obvious how it was done, would it? So, Flick and Charlie are faced with what appear to be impossible challenges. Where do you start in working out how a trick is put together? There may be many elements to the performance, each hiding a different secret. As the story progresses, we watch them break the puzzles down, isolate the details they understand and then work from what they know to try and figure out what they don’t. They do not rely on casting a spell or using their powers as the ‘chosen ones’. They learn how to solve problems for themselves. More than that, they acquire skills in overcoming difficulties that seem impossible to surmount – as problems so often do. They gain an understanding that will help them cope with all sorts of everyday challenges. That method – break it down, isolate the details you understand and then work from what you know to try and figure out what you don’t – works everywhere. I think it’s the kind of magic that we all need.
We are very pleased to announce our April Children's Book of the Month is 'The Great Fox Illusion' by @justynedwards! pic.twitter.com/jaPr4BbklH
— Blackwell's (@blackwellbooks) April 4, 2022
The Great Fox Illusion is Blackwell’s Children’s Book of the Month, listed by Waterstones as one of their Best Children’s Books of the Month, and a Toppsta Best Book of the Month.
Waterstones says: “With a magnificent magical concept at its heart, Edwards’ enchanting adventure of courage and revenge pits young illusionists against each other in a reality TV show to claim the legacy of the Great Fox.”
When I think about the amazing stories that have been Blackwell’s Book of the Month, I’m so excited that The Great Fox Illusion gets to join that illustrious list. Wow. 🙂
The Great Fox Illusion is featured with a full-page extract and a Q&A in the ‘Ones to watch’ section.
Where did the idea for The Great Fox Illusion come from?
I have always loved books where the reader can solve the puzzles alongside the characters. Then it occurred to me it would be fun if the puzzles were magic tricks, especially as the method behind every trick is always so well hidden. This thought then crashed into lots of other ideas that I had lying around in my head (it can get pretty noisy up there at times), and The Great Fox Illusion was born (well, there was the small matter of sitting down and writing it, but I had a start).
How would you describe it for new readers in one sentence?
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory meets Dynamo.
Do you have a favourite scene or character that was most fun to write?
I loved writing the way the friendship develops between Flick and Charlie. They’re such different people, but they combine in such a fascinating way. I don’t want to give away too much, but I also loved writing a book that unfolds like a magic trick.
Can you do any good magic tricks yourself?
I try. If I practice a lot, I can do some pretty good ones.
How does it feel to have your debut book published?
It’s amazing. It’s a bit surreal to think that a lot of words I typed into my laptop in the early hours of the morning before going off to work are to be read by actual humans. I’m a unique combination of nervous and excited to see what they think.
What are you working on next?
I’m currently editing the second book in the series, and any day now, I’m about to start writing the third – this will involve lots of cups of coffee and a long run-up from the end of the garden.
