Xander and the Pen

By David Lawrence

Illustrated by Cherie Dignam

Reviewed by Meg Rowe

David Lawrence’s background in comedy writing for TV productions such as Comedy Inc. and Hamish & Andy has held him in good stead in the Middle Grade writing space, bringing humour and imagination to his books Anna Flowers, and the Fox Swift, Ball Stars and Maxi Lifeguard series.

In Xander and the Pen, Lawrence adds a twist of Roald Dahl and a pinch of Harry Potter to his story about a boy, a magic pen and the magic and mayhem that follows when the pair combine. The plot is fast moving with themes surrounding friendship, family, teamwork and problem solving.

Budding cartoonist, Xander, has a knack for drawing Superhero’s that champion his family and friends through life’s challenging situations while also providing Xander a way to deal with his own fears and anxieties. So, when Xander realises the curious ink pen he stumbles across at a local market has magical powers that bring his drawings to life, he can’t see what can go wrong. As it turns out, plenty! Things quickly go from bad to worse…and worse… as things don’t work out the way Xander expects. Maybe what he thinks are the answers to life’s problems aren’t the answers after all.

Xander must dig deep to make things right. With his sister Phoebe’s help, and a nudge from the mysterious Pen Seller, Xander draws on all his human ‘superpowers’ to mend things and learns a few truths about himself along the way. That’s a lot for any twelve-year-old but Xander comes through with flying colours!

Xander and the Pen’s action-packed plot and humorous dialogue, combined with Cherie Dignam’s quirky, double spread, illustrations, will keep 9–13-year-olds turning the page and reaching for other titles in Lawrence’s The Pen series – Ruby and the Pen and Finn and the Pen, due to be released in March 2025.

Teacher’s Notes

EK Books 2023