Set in an England that is finally hosting the World Cup, Newskids on the Net is the re-release of Nick Handel’s popular children’s thriller. It’s a perfect read for 9 – 13 year olds in this World Cup year and will have even reluctant readers on the edges of their seats.

Ever wondered what it would be like to have your own TV station? With the help of cameraman Ollie ‘Sniffer’ Morris (who can smell a great news story from miles away), designer Becky Morris (aka the ‘IT’ girl), presenter Rachael Cooper (a cool and talented American actress in year 10) and Akbar Khan(techno wizard), fourteen-year-old Max Taylor finds a way to create one in his dad’s garden shed.

Their first programme is a disaster, but the reaction from the audience is beyond the team’s wildest dreams. And when a girl at school goes missing, Newskids on the Net becomes the nerve centre of a desperate nationwide search. Soon, the kids themselves are front-page news and are propelled into a deadly adventure where kidnaps, secret recordings lead to a nerve-jangling climax at the World Cup semifinals at Wembley Stadium.

Nick Handel is a former award-winning BBC producer with over thirty years’ experience. Now freelance, he spends much of his time mentoring the next generation of producer/directors and also works extensively in schools using film techniques to stimulate children’s creative writing skills. His concepts are being published in an educational resource for teachers called Calling the Shots!, which helps children understand how film and TV use a variety of techniques to create stories. It guides them through the process of using those same techniques in creative writing. The resource contains full teaching notes, a DVD of professionally-shot films and a range of support material. www.pogolearning.com