Is Michael visiting your school in April/May 2012?
You could win prizes for you and your school!
Teachers and students, listen up! If Michael is coming to your school to promote 'The Vitality Code' on his New Zealand book tour in April/May 2012, then you could be in to win.
If Michael hasn't already planned a visit to your school, why not get in touch on the Contact page and ask him?
To warm up for the author's visit to your school, get stuck into one of three fun competitions to keep students busy. The categories are FanArt, FanFiction and Runesolving. All teachers have to do is judge the best five entries in each category and Michael will select one winner from each category when he arrives at your school.
The winners will each receive a signed copy of 'The Vitality Code' and Michael's first book, 'The 4 Powers of Daren Sáner' for themselves and the school library. The most impressive overall entry will win a book voucher for even more great reading prizes and some of the best entries for all schools will be displayed on the website!
There is only one rule - have fun and get cracking!
Competition Categories:
1. FanArt
If you love drawing/painting/making artwork, then here's your chance to win great reading prizes with your talents.
Your task is to create one A3 picture based on the following description of a battlefield from 'The Vitality Code':
The massive fortress was carved into the face of a
towering white cliff and stretched for several kilometres
down the coast. It stood over what was once a beautiful
white-sand beach but was now a shattered warzone of
boulders, rocks and giant craters. A sheath of frozen
ice spread to the right where the sea used to be, now
covered by a sprawling Ev-Énor military camp.
Uppermost on West Fort, under a long
trail of pennants, Súperiae soldiers strained to control
the swirling atmosphere overhead. These Defenders
of the Sky aimed their powers at the heavens, where
lightning flashed and thunderclouds reared up, black
and furious. Sky falcons perched on ledges several
metres below and occasionally flew out to attack an
Ah-yéé’k. Flame Throwers fired burning plumes into
the Ev-Énor ranks on the shattered beach.
Meanwhile, from the right, the Ev-Énor army
marched forward with ruthless purpose. They fired
every power in their formidable arsenal at West
Fort – hailstones, shards of ice, flying rocks, blasts of
sound and freezing sleet. Eye-watering explosions and
thunderbolts rocked the sky.
You can create a picture of the whole battlefield or focus on one part of the scene. The best entry will be the one that captures the chaos of the greatest battle ever fought on the planet Óshéanús.
2. FanFiction
If you prefer writing to artwork, then why not get into the adventurous spirit of 'The Vitality Code' with your own piece of storytelling?
Your task is to write a short chapter (three to six A4 pages) based on the following paragraph from 'The Vitality Code':
I peered over the space-pod dashboard into the
formless black of space, searching. Then I spotted
them: dozens of dark, round shapes moving towards us.
I could see their outlines only because they blocked
out the stars.
“It’s the orbs!”
“Argh!” yelled Boron. “They’re coming to get us!”
“Seriously, Boron – shut up,” said Sela. “If they
meant us harm our particles would’ve been reorganised
by now. Let’s have a closer look.”
I accelerated forward, watching for any sign of
menace from the orbs. They drifted towards us with
cold, ominous purpose. Judging by their monstrous
size, I guessed each one was half the diameter of a
starship Wing. There were no squares of light, no
markings – nothing to distinguish them but smooth,
black surfaces. I began to feel unnerved.
“This is so weird,” said Sela. “What are these
things?”
“They’re spooky,” said Boron. “I’ve seen enough.
Can we go now?”
“Wait, something’s happening,” I said.
Three gooey globs bulged from the nearest orb,
like spores bursting from a seed, and moved directly
towards our space-pods.
“Uh-oh,” said Boron. “That’s not good.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said, gulping, “time to head back.”
What happens next? What are those mysterious orbs? What happens to Boron, Sela and Daren? You decide, it's your story. The best entry will have the most imaginative storytelling, good grammar and excellent spelling. Make sure you edit your story for mistakes before entering the competition!
3 - Runesolving
If you don't feel like drawing pictures or writing stories, why not try to solve the riddle of 'The Vitality Code'?
Your task is, on one A4 page, to explain what you think this prophecy from 'The Vitality Code' means:
Eight to stand at Western Wall,
Eight to halt the Empire’s Fall,
Three from near to aid them all,
Two from far to hear the call.
Two from far and near in waking night,
One from near and far to lead the fight,
One to seek and find the Blade of Might,
One to preserve Empire’s fading light.
Written in a perfect circle around the poem was a
sentence without beginning or end, a never-ending
sequence: . . . the code of vitality holds the answer held
within . . . Depending on where one started reading,
it could also say: . . . the answer held within the code of
vitality holds . . . or . . . held within the code of vitality holds
the answer . . .
The best entry will be the most imaginative, well-written solution to the riddle. Make sure you check your entry for proper spelling and grammar before entering the competition.
