Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London
Encyclopedia
Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London is the first novel in a series of young adult books written by Keith Mansfield
and published by Quercus. The book opens on the thirteenth birthday of the title character and is written entirely from Johnny Mackintosh’s point of view.
-style program for the children's home's computers and, at the beginning of the book, an alien signal is detected. As the book develops Johnny Mackintosh is abducted by aliens and travels to the centre of the Galaxy, before returning to Earth, but in the distant past. He witnesses the extinction of the dinosaurs and the destruction of Atlantis
, before returning to the present day and discovering the truth about his parents. The Spirit of London of the title is the name of the spaceship acquired by Johnny Mackintosh during the course of the book. From the outside it appears identical to the skyscraper situated at 30 St Mary Axe in London, known as 'the Gherkin
'.
in September 2009.
Keith Mansfield (writer)
Keith Mansfield, born in Scunthorpe, England in 1965, is an English writer and publisher. He is the author of the Johnny Mackintosh series of novels, has scripted several television programmes and is also the publisher for mathematics books at Oxford University Press.His first novel, Johnny...
and published by Quercus. The book opens on the thirteenth birthday of the title character and is written entirely from Johnny Mackintosh’s point of view.
Plot summary
Set in the early 21st century, the book opens with Johnny Mackintosh living in a children's home (Ben Halader House) located in the fictional Castle Dudbury New Town in the county of Essex, United Kingdom. He has written a SETISETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
-style program for the children's home's computers and, at the beginning of the book, an alien signal is detected. As the book develops Johnny Mackintosh is abducted by aliens and travels to the centre of the Galaxy, before returning to Earth, but in the distant past. He witnesses the extinction of the dinosaurs and the destruction of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
, before returning to the present day and discovering the truth about his parents. The Spirit of London of the title is the name of the spaceship acquired by Johnny Mackintosh during the course of the book. From the outside it appears identical to the skyscraper situated at 30 St Mary Axe in London, known as 'the Gherkin
30 St Mary Axe
30 St Mary Axe, the Swiss Re Building , is a skyscraper in London's main financial district, the City of London, completed in December 2003 and opened at the end of May 2004...
'.
Publishing history
The English-language edition was published in hardcover in July 2008 and in paperback in January 2009. The Dutch edition, Johnny Mackintosh en de Supersnelle Augurk was published by Prometheus in June 2008 while the Norwegian edition, Johnny Mackintosh på galaktisk eventyr was published by Cappelen DammCappelen Damm
Cappelen Damm is a Norwegian publisher established in 2007. It is the result of the merger of J.W. Cappelens Forlag, founded in 1829, and N.W. Damm & Søn, founded in 1843. Cappelen Damm is owned by the Bonnier Group and Egmont....
in September 2009.
Prizes and awards
- New Horizons Book AwardNew Horizons Book AwardThe New Horizons Book Award was instigated in 2010 by the School Library Service of Dorset County Council, United Kingdom. The award aims to encourage young people to explore some of the best fiction by exciting new authors. The award is open to debut authors of a fiction book for children aged 9–13...
2010 (longlisted) - Concorde Book AwardConcorde Book AwardThe Concorde Book Award is becoming a prominent prize for works of children's literature, published in the UK. The award has been given annually since 2007, and is decided by a vote of children in reading groups across South Gloucestershire...
2011 (shortlisted)