How I Saved the World in a Week

Book excerpt: A brilliantly imagined new 8+ adventure about resilience, family and hope. From the bestselling and Waterstones Children’s Book Prize shortlisted author of BOY IN THE TOWER. Perfect for fans of Ross Welford, Lisa Thompson and Onjali Rauf. Rule number one: Always be prepared . . . Billy’s mum isn’t like other mums. All she wants is to teach him the Rules of Survival – how to make fire, build shelter and find food. She likes to test Billy on the rules until one day she goes too far, and Billy is sent to live with a dad he barely knows. Then the world changes forever as people begin to be infected with a mysterious virus that turns their skin grey. As chaos breaks out, Billy has to flee the city. Suddenly he realises that this is what his mum was preparing him for – not just to save his family, but to save the whole world. Praise for How I Saved the World in a Week: ‘This tense, haunting zombie thriller perfectly balances terrifying peril with emotional depth.’ – Guardian ‘A fabulous page-turner’ – Abi Elphinstone, author of Sky Song ‘A compelling and timely survivalist journey’ – Sita Brahmachari, author of Where the River Runs Gold ‘A brave and powerful story’ – Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha & the Spirit Bird Praise for Boy in the Tower: ‘An unusual and very impressive debut’ – Fiona Noble, The Bookseller