books – Page 6 – James Foley

Book Week costume ideas – and free printable masks!

Stuck for a CBCA Book Week costume idea? Here’s how to dress up as Max Mole, Helena Hippo or Bug from my series, Secret Agent Mole.

And scroll down for free printable masks of Max, Helena and Bug!

Printable masks

You can download all three of these masks in one handy pdf.

Tips:

Each is designed to print out at A4 paper size; they’ll work best of printed or glued onto thick card.
Cut out the black eyeholes, and cut around the thin outline on the outside edge of the mask.
Add colour if you wish.
Don’t forget to add string or a paper loop so that you can attach the mask to your face.
And don’t forget some antennae for Bug – you could use thin strips of paper or card, or pipe cleaners.

Download the 3 masks

Help me launch Secret Agent Mole, book 2!

It’s only four weeks until the release of Secret Agent Mole book 2: The Boar Identity – it’s out September 1st!

I’ve got events coming up in Sydney, Fremantle and online – details below.

Declassified: Secret Agent Mole, Book 2!

I can finally reveal the next instalment in my graphic novel series, Secret Agent Mole! Book 2: The Boar Identity, is scheduled for release September 1st, 2023.

When Star Division discovers a magical meteorite with anti-gravity powers, Dr Nude will stop at nothing to get his naked little hands on it – including brainwashing a Star employee! This important mission features a secret mountain base, an exploding rocket and a flying pig with no clothes on. Can Max Mole, Helena Hippo and June Bug stop Dr Nude’s evil plans? I hope so, otherwise we’re all doomed! It’s time to Rock and Mole!

Pre-order your copy today!

Written & illustrated by James Foley

🇦🇺🇳🇿 Australia/NZ edition:
Published by Scholastic Australia, 1st Sept 2023
ISBN: 9781761200168 (paperback)

🌏 *SIGNED COPIES* – PAPER BIRD

🇦🇺 🇳🇿 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSHOPS

Casa Del Libro (Catalan)

Psst… There are Book Launches coming up too!

Aug 19: Sydney
Aug 26: online
Sept 2: Freo

For more details on these events, head to the blog.

It’s (nearly) time to rock and mole! Make sure you dive into Secret Agent Mole, Book 1: Goldfish-Finger before the release!

Supanova Comic Con Perth

I’ve just finished up an awesome weekend at Perth Supanova Comic Con!

I got to see some incredible cosplay, chat with Kevin Eastman (co-creator of the Ninja Turtles!!), catch up with my bud Brenton McKenna, get a hand-delivered fan letter from Super Mario and hang out with the wonderful authors Meg Caddy and Renae Hayward (my gorgeous wife)!

Sydney Writers (and Secret Agents) Festival

I recently spent a packed couple of days at the Sydney Writers Festival Family Day! Here’s a couple of highlights.

A spy infiltrates the Festival…

As part of a panel on Junior Fiction, Adrian Beck and I had a spy-off. The objective? Blend in and make your way to the stage without being seen, using any means necessary.

This here hombre was served humble pie as his last meal, with bullets for dessert, as I went up against Serena Geddes, Heath McKenzie and Charmaine Ledden-Lewis in an Illustrator Battle. Congrats to Charmaine (AKA Lead-Pencil Lewis) for being the quickest draw in the inner-west. Special thanks to our excellent MC (and chief cat wrangler) Adrian Beck.

James’ Big Bookshop Tour – the sequel

I managed to spend some free time on my recent Sydney trip visiting bookshops with my friend (& carpool bud), author Cristy Burne. We managed to get to 12 bookshops in one day, and I visited 21 in total.

Upcoming events, June-Sept

I’ve got some fantastic events coming up:

the Perth Supanova Comic Con;
the Littlescribe Mini-Writing Festival;
storytime workshops at The Lane Bookshop;
an online cartooning workshop; and
three launches for Secret Agent Mole, book 2!

Details below.

June 24-25: Supanova Comic Con, Perth

In a surreal and welcome turn of events, I’ll be a guest author at this year’s Supanova Perth!

Stellarphant on the REAL shortlist

Great news! Stellarphant has been shortlisted in Australia’s biggest children’s choice book awards – the REAL awards.

It stands for Reading and Enjoying Australian Literature, and is a partnership between the YABBAs (Young Australia Best Book Awards) in Victoria, the KOALAs (Kids’ Own Australian Literature Awards) in New South Wales and the KROC (Kids’ Reading Oz Choice) awards in the Northern Territory. So really, it’s like three shortlistings in one!

Big big thanks to the organising teams behind the awards, to all the teachers and librarians who collect the votes, and to all the kids who voted around Australia. And congrats to everyone with books on the shortlist!