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  • Published: 18 June 2019
  • ISBN: 9781760892654
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $16.99

The Fall




A fast-paced, action-packed story that will have readers on the edge of their seats, from the award-winning author of Two Wolves.

In the middle of the night, Sam is woken by angry voices from the apartment above.

He goes to the window to see what’s happening – only to hear a struggle, and see a body fall
from the sixth-floor balcony. Pushed, Sam thinks.

Sam goes to wake his father, Harry, a crime reporter, but Harry is gone. And when Sam goes downstairs, the body is gone, too. But someone has seen Sam, and knows what he’s witnessed.

The next twenty-four hours could be his last.

________________________________________________

WINNER, Young Australian Best Books Award (YABBA) - Fiction for Years 7-9, 2018
WINNER, KOALA Children's Choice Awards - Fiction for Years 7-9, 2018
NOTABLE BOOK, Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year - Older Readers 2018

'Suspense in spades. You will be utterly gripped by Sam’s story.' James Phelan, author of The Last Thirteen
'An engaging, action-filled coming-of-age story that explores what it means to be a hero.' Braiden Asciak, Bookseller and Publisher Magazine
Also by Tristan Bancks:
Scar Town
Two Wolves
The Fall
Detention
Cop and Robber
Ginger Meggs
Nit Boy
Mac Slater 1: Coolhunter
Mac Slater 2: Imaginator
Tom Weekly 1: My Life and Other Stuff I Made Up
Tom Weekly 2: My Life and Other Stuff That Went Wrong
Tom Weekly 3: My Life and Other Massive Mistakes
Tom Weekly 4: My Life and Other Exploding Chickens
Tom Weekly 5: My Life and Other Weaponised Muffins
Tom Weekly 6: My Life and Other Failed Experiments

  • Published: 18 June 2019
  • ISBN: 9781760892654
  • Imprint: Puffin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 288
  • RRP: $16.99

About the author

Tristan Bancks

Tristan Bancks tells stories for the page and screen. His books for kids and teens include Two Wolves, The Fall, Detention, the Tom Weekly series, Nit Boy and Ginger Meggs, a 100th anniversary book of short stories based on characters created by his great-great uncle, Jimmy Bancks, in 1921. Tristan's books have won and been shortlisted for many awards, including a Children's Book Council of Australia Honour Book, the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, ABIA, YABBA, KOALA, NSW Premier's Literary Awards and Queensland Literary Awards. His latest book is Cop and Robber, a tense, fast-paced crime novel with lots of laughs for age 10+.

Tristan is a writer-ambassador for literacy non-profit Room to Read. He is currently working with producers to develop a number of his books for the screen. He's excited by the future of storytelling and inspiring others to create. You can find out more about Tristan’s books, play games, watch videos, join his Young Writer's StorySchool and help him try to change the world at tristanbancks.com.

Also by Tristan Bancks

See all

Praise for The Fall

Suspense in spades! You will be gripped by Sam's story.

James Phelan, author of THE LAST THIRTEEN

Tristan Bancks intelligently imbues The Fall with themes of family, male connection, resilience and mortality in an engaging, action-filled coming-of-age story that explores what it means to be a hero. Fans of Gabrielle Lord’s ‘Conspiracy 365’ series who are after a standalone mystery with much more to discuss and reflect on will thoroughly enjoy The Fall.

Braiden Asciak, Junior Books+Publishing

The Fall is the kind of thriller I would’ve loved as a child and absolutely adored as an adult. It’s a sharp, contemporary crime novel with classic genre elements, and nail-biting suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seat. It’s a page-turning masterpiece for readers young and old.

Simon McDonald, writtenbysime.com

The plot is tight and tense, and filled with all the twisty-turny surprises you would expect from a Hitchcock-style crime thriller, and readers should be kept on the edge of their seats to the last page. But what sets this middle grade thriller above many others are the layers woven into the crime plot and the nuanced and complex characters, especially the less-than-perfect protagonist, Sam ... Highly recommended.

Sue Whiting, childrensbooksdaily.com

Bancks' use of first voice, present tense draws in the reader with its accelerating tempo and immediacy of the action. At the same time it promotes an even stronger connection with the main character … The Fall has all the hallmarks of a gripping crime thriller. Upper primary year students and beyond will be caught by the author's easy-to-read writing style and the fast pace at which this novel progresses. It will be a real hook for boys, particularly, at the age when some begin to disengage with literature.

Patricia Halsall, Magpies

Brooding and atmospheric, Tristan Bancks’s The Fall is a standalone tale of one boy’s search for the truth, as well as his need to determine his own identity and place in the world. Told in the first person, The Fall is a coming-of-age tale that mixes the best elements of early-teen fiction with classic noir homages . . . Bancks sets the scene with masterful strokes, painting a bleak urban landscape that seeps into the reader’s bones, making you feel like you need to reach for a blanket as Sam finds himself falling deeper and deeper into intrigue.

Christian Price, Reading Time

Highly recommended ... This fast paced involving story of one boy trying desperately to be a help to his father, a crime journalist, reflects that basic need in us all, to belong. My heart ached for Sam, craving his father's approval, thinking he is a help but putting his own life at risk to gather evidence ... I loved this tale and those in early secondary school will eat it up.

Fran Knight, ReadPlus

Wow. I’ve literally just finished this book and I’m blown away by this action packed, adrenaline pumping and hair raising crime thriller.

educateempower.blog

A tense and exciting thriller with a healthy dose of reality. It reads like a Jacqueline Wilson book, with a male protagonist, crossed with all of the coolest, gritty noir, crime novels you’ve ever read. It’s perfect for kids 10+ who love action.

Dani Solomon, readings.com.au

Fast paced, cleverly plotted, with extremely strong teen appeal . . . The story is told over a 24-hour period, ensuring the tension rises dramatically, and the climax is edge-of-the-seat stuff. Highly recommended for action-oriented young readers.

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Awards & recognition

KOALA Children's Choice Awards

Winner  •  2018  •  Fiction for Years 7–9

YABBA Children's Choice Awards

Winner  •  2018  •  Fiction for Years 7–9

Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature

Shortlisted  •  2018  •  Children's Literature

Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards

Shortlisted  •  2018  •  8–10 Years

CBCA Book of the Year Awards

Notable Book  •  2018  •  Older Readers

WAYBRA Children's Choice Awards

Shortlisted  •  2019  •  Older Readers

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Teachers' notes