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  • Published: 16 July 2019
  • ISBN: 9781760892548
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $16.99

Grimsdon




Bestselling author Deborah Abela brings us a heroine to love in this thrilling adventure filled with flying machines, sword fights and sea monsters.

Grimsdon is in ruins. Three years ago a massive wave broke its barriers and the sea flooded this grand city. Most were saved, some were lost – and some were left behind.

Isabella Charm and her best friend, Griffin, live with three other children in the top of an opulent mansion. They’ve survived with the help of Griffin’s brilliant inventions, Isabella’s fighting skills and their vow to look after each other.

But what will happen when a newcomer arrives in his flying machine? Grimsdon is full of hidden perils, from bounty hunters to sneaker waves. Could Xavier’s daredevil risks put all their lives in danger?

  • Published: 16 July 2019
  • ISBN: 9781760892548
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $16.99

About the author

Deborah Abela

After training as a teacher, Deb travelled to Africa, where she was trapped in a desert sandstorm, harassed by monkeys and thrown in jail twice. She trained as a teacher before becoming writer/producer of a national children’s TV show at Network TEN. She’s since written 30 internationally published and awarded books, including the Max Remy series, her climate change trilogy, Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm and The Stupendously Spectacular Spelling Bee. Her CBCA Notable, The Book of Wondrous Possibilities, is about the power of books to save us when we feel lost. Her latest books are, The Kindness Project, a verse novel about how even the smallest act of kindness can change the world and her picture book, No More Room in the Bed. www.deborahabela.com

Also by Deborah Abela

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Praise for Grimsdon

Grimsdon is a novel which refuses to be categorised. It is part dystopian science fiction, part fantasy and part adventure - and altogether delightful … It is a rollicking adventure with heaps of good fights with pirates, attractive and memorable characters, unexpected twists and mysteries. Highly recommended.

Magpies

Wow. The world that Deb Abela has created here is amazing - a flooded city where kids are left to fend for themselves against unscrupulous adults and the threat of sea monsters. I loved every minute of this book - the lovely, strong, cheeky characters, the settings, the mysteries waiting to be unraveled.

Holly Harper, Goodreads

A new Deborah Abela novel is always something to be excited about and this one does not disappoint … I really enjoyed Grimsdon-an adventure story that does not stray into the world of magical fantasy has become a rarity … I would be happy to recommend this book to any reader, regardless of gender, in the nine-to-12 age group.

Amelia Vahtrick, Australian Bookseller + Publisher

Grimsdon is an enjoyable and gripping adventure and I recommend it for readers 9 and up.

Oliver Phommavanh, Buzz Words

Deborah Abela gives the reader a super-paced adventure mystery, set in an abandoned city where water keeps the protagonists captive … Recommended for mid- to upper-primary readers.

Claire Saxby, aussiereviews.com

Awards & recognition

Aurealis Awards

Shortlisted  •  2010  •  Best Children's Fiction

Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards

Shortlisted  •  2011  •  Upper Primary

Discover more

Article
Inspiring conversations about climate change

Deborah Abela delves into the inspiration behind her hit middle grade series, Grimsdon, and reflects on how her books spark discourse around climate change. 

Teachers' notes