Muchamore, Robert 1972-

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Muchamore, Robert 1972-

Personal

Born December 26, 1972, in London, England.

Addresses

Home—Islington, London, England. E-mail—[email protected].

Career

Novelist. Worked as a private investigator for twelve years.

Awards, Honors

Bolton Children's Book Award, Bolton Literary Trust, Red House Children's Book Award Books for Older Readers, and Salford Book Award, Salford City Council, all 2005, all for The Recruit; Portsmouth Children's Book Award, Grampian Children's Book Award runner up, and Doncaster Children's Book Award runner up, all 2006, all for Maximum Security.

Writings

"CHERUB" NOVEL SERIES; FOR MIDDLE-GRADE READERS

The Recruit, Hodder Children's (London, England), 2004, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2005.

Class A, Hodder Children's (London, England), 2004, published as The Dealer, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2005.

Maximum Security, Hodder Children's (London, England), 2005, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2006.

The Killing, Hodder Children's (London, England), 2005, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2006.

Divine Madness, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2006.

Man vs. Beast, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2007.

The Fall, Simon Pulse (London, England), forthcoming.

Mad Dogs, Simon Pulse (London, England), forthcoming.

Author's books have been translated into several languages, including French, Estonian, German, Dutch, Russian, Danish, Polish, and Czech.

Adaptations

The "CHERUB" books were adapted for film, c. 2007.

Sidelights

British writer Robert Muchamore is the author of the "CHERUB" series, a collection of books that features a group of orphans, ranging from ages ten to seventeen, who are trained as British spies. Prior to becoming a writer Muchamore worked as a private detective for nearly thirteen years, and this occupation adds a strong dose of realism to his espionage writing. Moving from detective to author seems like a rather drastic career move, but to Muchamore's many fans—many of them middle-grade boys—the "CHERUB" books have transformed them from disinterested readers to bookworms. In fact, inspiring Muchamore's decision to become a writer was the similar lack of engaging children's books that were available to him during his own youth. As he explained on his home page, "My starting point for ["CHERUB"'s debut volume,] The Recruit, was to try and write the book that I was searching for when I was thirteen years old."

The Recruit introduces series protagonist James Adams, a twelve-year-old orphaned troublemaker who is recruited into British Intelligence's MI5 CHERUB program on the strength of his superior math skills. The novel follows James as he undergoes the rigorous training needed to becoming a British spy. Other titles in the "CHERUB" series include The Dealer, wherein James joins fellow CHERUBs Lauren and Kerry to bring the Keith Moore Gang of vicious cocaine dealers to justice, and Divine Madness, which finds James infiltrating an Australian eco-terrorist cult called the Survivors, where brainwashing ensures that no one will leave the cult's remote camp. The plot of The Dealer "moves quickly with lots of action and suspense," noted School Library Journal reviewer Ellen A. Greever, while a Bookseller reviewer deemed Divine Madness a "pacey thriller." Discussing the series in the London Guardian, wrote that Muchamore's "characters are lively, likable and completely believable, his plots are gripping and his stories have surprisingly serious undertones."

Having penned nearly a dozen children's books, Muchamore advised on his home page that young writers should "start off by writing short stories and articles. Show them to as many people as you can and ask for an honest opinion." Muchamore also added that fledgling writers should make improvements based on the

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criticism of their stories; this editing will eventually lead them to become better writers.