Justin Brown
‘One of New Zealand’s highest-profile creatives’ – The NZ Herald, 2018.
Justin Brown is a TV producer and bestselling author who has published 33 books for adults and children. Bowling Through India and Kiwi Speak were two of three bestsellers he had in a single year. In 2012 he won a notable books award for his junior novel Shot, Boom, Score! Most recently he has published three middle-grade fiction novels as Justin Christopher, namely My Best Worst Year, The Underers, and Freakout Island.
Genre:
- Adult Non-Fiction
- Children's Fiction
Skills:
- Manuscript Assessment
- Novelist
Branch:
Auckland
Location:
Auckland
Publications:
Shot, Boom, Score! (Allen and Unwin)
“Toby, if you get twenty wickets and ten tries before the end of the year, Mum and I’ll buy you a new GameBox V3.’ Can you believe it? One minute I’m in trouble for double-bouncing my sister and the next Dad is telling me I’ve got the new GameBox V3! And it’s not even Christmas. Shot! Toby thinks this will be easy — after all, he gets Player of the Day all the time. But he hasn’t reckoned on Malcolm McGarvy. McGarvy is one of the biggest kids in the school and he’s got a huge scar which he got in a shark attack — he wears one of the teeth around his neck. You know McGarvy is near because you get goosebumps up your arms. And he’s going to make sure Toby doesn’t get that GameBox V3… A hilarious story about a boy who is promised a Gamebox V3 by his dad if he scores 20 wickets in cricket and 10 tries in rugby, but is foiled at every turn by the class bully. Winner of Notable Book Award Read on RNZ's Storytime Treasure Chest
Bowling Through India (Random House)
Joined by a high-country farmer, a businessman, a photographer and a shoestring traveller named Blanket Boy, the amateur sportsmen take to the streets of India to face off against kids who can bat and bowl like demons. Amidst the sledging and inappropriate jokes, the Black Craps, as they name their team, learn about life, love, death, compassion and the fascination of India. A book about travel, humour, mateship and the love of cricket that unites people whatever their age, race and station, Bowling Through India is an endearing and affecting read. Whitcoulls Travel Book of the Year - 2009
UK on a G-String
Overcome with patriotic fervour, New Zealander Justin Brown bets an Australian mate that the All Blacks will thrash the Wallabies in an up-coming match. They don't. Forced to pay his debt, Justin has to busk his way around England until he earns enough money for his airfare home. Armed with a black duffel coat and a guitar he travels the country in mid-winter, knocking on doors and singing for his supper. Along the way he meets gypsies, drinks with Britains most famous busker, harasses carol singers, plucks turkeys, speaks to J.K.Rowling and gets told to sod off 357 times. ‘In ‘UK on a G-String,’ Brown not only has the gift not only of personal charm but of writing about other people with warmth and insight. A totally engaging read.’ – The NZ Herald.
Teed Off in the USA
What happens when a man who sucks at golf takes on the U.S at their own game? He bends the rules. Justin Brown decides to tour the U.S and play golf with whoever is on the front page of the newspaper in every town he visits. Amazingly, he's not arrested. With charm and wit, Justin blags his way into meeting clowns, a young Beto O'Rourke, Stevie Wonder impersonators, crocodile wranglers and drunken beauty queens. His journey is full of mayhem, self-discovery and as it turns out, very little golf. You'll laugh and cringe at the situations this New Zealander gets into in a book that will restore your faith in mad journeys and the kindness of strangers.
Kiwi Speak
Do you speak Nu Zillund? In Kiwi Speak, bestselling author Justin Brown eavesdrops at the dinner table, the schoolyard, the farm and the sports club to bring us an entertaining dictionary of phrases and expressions – the often hilarious, sometimes baffling New Zealandisms we use in everyday life. First published in 2008 and re-released in 2019.
The Signature Series with Joy Cowley
Mike Cool-as-You-Like - 5 titles in series The Jones Mob - 3 titles William's Wheel of Sport - 3 titles
Freakout Island - by Justin Christopher
10-year-old Leo Wriggly lives with his mum and dad who are Professional Competition Winners. In one particularly lucky week, they win a trip for themselves and a trip for Leo to visit a brand new theme park called Friendly Island.
As his parents depart, Leo’s Aunt Margo arrives to babysit, but unlike his parents, she is a stickler for fine print and happily sends her nephew to Friendly Island 'where chronically misbehaving children are sent to correct their disgusting habits’.
Leo arrives on the island with four other children. At first, it seems like Disneyland, there are dolphin rides and monkey safaris! But there’s a catch. Each mealtime, the children are tricked into drinking a potion that transforms them. Harriet, whose habit was to chew her hair, has grown a bird’s nest on her head. Felix, the boy who picked his nose, has had his brain fall out. Ricky, who kept swearing, can now only squawk like a parrot. Eden, who stole money from her mother’s purse, has hands made of glue. And Leo Wriggly, whose only crime was to swallow gum, must endure blowing massive bubbles out of his butt!
Can this young boy save his friends before the island’s Komodo dragon eats them all for supper?
Nanas With No Manners
Three nanas, who lived in the City of Seas, never said 'thank you' and never said 'please'... And when these nanas go away on holiday and find that the resort doesn't serve their favourite chocolate nachos with cheese... uh-oh! You'd better look out, as rude nanas become hangry nanas! But will they find their manners when they find themselves in trouble...?