Manfred the Baddie

Product Information

The Witch of the Alps, summoned by Manfred. She offers to share the beauties of nature with the magician and to aid him, if he agrees to obey her. She departs when Manfred refuses.

Then Manfred the Baddie turns into Manfred the Goodie when he realises that he has no friends. But as in some of the best books, there is a final twist in the story - Manfred can’t resist being naughty again and rings a doorbell at the dead of night. This year, for the first time, the Scottish Book Trust teamed up with the Royal National Institute of Blind People Scotland, which transcribed all nine shortlisted books into Braille, audio and large print. This allowed hundreds of blind and partially-sighted children to take part in the judging for the first time.

Manfred, a magician who summons the spirits of the universe, asking them for knowledge and oblivion. Although he contemplates suicide, mourning his limited powers, he is saved by a chamois hunter. He continues to raise other spirits and refuses the help of the church. Because he does not give his loyalty to the church or the powers of evil, he dies conquered by nothing but death. The central character, Helen Strang, is the daughter of a veterinary surgeon, who uses her mother’s equipment to treat an injured centaur - an act which leads her into an odyssey of adventures with a group of mythical beasts as they try to solve a series of riddles. This year’s winning authors - John Fardell, Lari Don and Keith Gray - can be proud of their accolade. It has been bestowed by a record number of children voting for their favourite shortlisted book - over 5,000 more than last year. Manfred had henchmen and they were mean like Manfred. Manfred kidnaps inventors and makes them build evil inventions,” explains one of the reviewers, Neve, aged 10.

Winning reviewers receive book tokens worth pound;25, pound;15 and pound;10 respectively. The winning author will also visit the school of each category winner. The participation levels are a matter of real pride for the organisers, the Scottish Book Trust, says Anna Gibbons, its children’s programme manager.

The Spirit of Manfred’s Destiny, summoned by Manfred. It takes on the bodily shape of a beautiful woman who eludes the magician’s embrace. What do Manfred the Baddie, Helen Strang and Ross’s friends have in common? Apart from being brave and adventurous, they are all main characters in the three books given top votes this week by 15,000 pupils in the Royal Mail Awards for Scottish Children’s Books.