ABSTRACT
Andrew Norriss won the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year award in 1997 with his novel Aquila. A common feature of his books for children is the ability to make the reader think, ‘What would I do if …?‘ They are also laced with subtle comedic touches, evidence of the author’s experience as a TV sitcom writer. The Touchstone was published in 2004 and tells the story of Kai, an alien fugitive who needs to save her planet. She engages the help of Douglas, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary ability to remain calm in every kind of crisis.
