'A great debut. You'll be itching to read more.' Anthony Horowitz

Meet Itch - an accidental, accident-prone hero. Science is his weapon. Elements are his gadgets. All-action adventure perfect for fans of Alex Rider and Young Bond.

Itchingham Lofte - known as Itch - is fourteen, and loves science, especially chemistry. He's also an element-hunter: he's collecting all the elements in the periodic table. Which has some interesting and rather destructive results in his bedroom.

Then, Itch makes a discovery. A new element, never seen before. At first no one believes him - but soon someone hears about the strange new rock and wants it for himself. And Itch and his family are catapulted into a breathless adventure with terrifyingly high stakes . . .

The debut novel from BBC radio presenter Simon Mayo.

The first book in the new action adventure series by BBC radio presenter Simon Mayo.

About the Author
Simon Mayo MBE is a writer and broadcaster. His previous books include the Sunday Times bestseller Knife Edge, Mad Blood Stirring, Blame and the Itch trilogy, filmed for TV by the ABC. He hosts Drivetime on Greatest Hits Radio and hosts the 'The Take' film-review podcast with Professor Mark Kermode.

Reviews
A great debut. You'll be itching to read more -- Anthony Horowitz
Itchingham, a science-mad boy, is trying to collect examples of all the elements. He gets hold of a peculiar rock from a shadowy contact but some sinister heavies are also keen to get hold of it (and him) and he goes on the run in this gripping read * Financial Times Books of the Year *
An exciting and nail-biting thriller * Booktrust *
Amid the teenage intrigue and heart-in-mouth escapades there are sequin flashes of real science: reminders that physical chemistry really does make things happen -- Tim Radford * Guardian *
A cracking thriller which had me seriously worried our hero might not survive the story . . . A fantastic read for 13- to 16-year-olds, I've also got some staff who would enjoy this for a bit of 'R and R' -- Rachel Ayres Nelson * The School Librarian *


Awards
Short-listed for Wirral Grammar School Book Awards 2013 and Wandsworth Schools Fabulous Book Award 2014 (UK) and Sheffield Children's Book Award 2015 (UK) and Northern Ireland Book Award 2015 (UK) and The Young Quills 2015 (UK) and Tir na n-Og Awards 2015 (UK) and Tower Hamlets Book Award 2015 (UK) and Wandsworth Schools Fabulous Book Award 2015 (UK). Long-listed for Carnegie Medal 2013 (UK) and The Sussex Coast Schools Amazing Book Awards 2014 (UK).



Book Information
ISBN 9780552565509
Author Simon Mayo
Format Paperback
Page Count 432
Imprint Corgi Childrens
Publisher Penguin Random House Children's UK
Weight(grams) 300g
Dimensions(mm) 195mm * 130mm * 27mm