Imagine carrying around the most sought after element that has the potential to change everything – governments, global energy, lives. Now imagine having that element and you’re 14 years-old. Did I mention that the element was radioactive and could kill you? The longer you’re around it, the more dangerous it becomes!
Now meet Itchingham Lofte, nicknamed Itch, who lives in the seaside town of Cornwall, England. Instead of surfing like all of the other kids at school, he uses his spare time collecting specimens of the periodic table. He even has his own dealer, who brings him things like arsenic covered wallpaper for his collection.
When Itch stumbles upon an element that hasn’t been discovered yet, one of his teachers takes a little bit too much interest. The teacher snags the element and alerts an evil corporation who’s on their way to pick it up. That’s when Itch and his cousin, Jack (short for Jacqueline), decide to steal it back. Once they have it though, what will they do next?
Itch by Simon Mayo is a fast-paced adventure that Splinter published this month. It’s witty, fun, and makes science exciting – even if you’d much rather be reading a book than tinkering away in a lab!
Check out the trailer, discussion guide, and author Q&A here: www.sterlingpublishing.com/itch.
By Katie Connors
