GOOD LOOKS COUNT FOR everything—even for horses in the Pony Club. Shelby adores her pony Blue. He’s her best friend and very reliable, but she thinks his less-than-pretty appearance might be holding her back in the image-conscious club. She sees an ad for a beautiful looking brown pony, ‘for sale or swap’, and the trusty Blue is swapped for the well-named Brat. But it soon emerges that the exchange was no bargain. Brat is very highly strung, and her beautiful brown colouring doesn’t survive her first shampoo!
Alyssa Brugman
Alyssa Brugman was born in Rathmines, Lake Macquarie, Australia in May 1974. She attended five public schools before completing a Marketing Degree at the University of Newcastle.
Alyssa has worked as an after-school tutor for Aboriginal children. She taught management, accounting and marketing at a business college, worked for a home improvements company and then worked in Public Relations before becoming a full-time writer.
Alyssa began writing in 1996. She submitted Finding Grace to the Australian Vogel Literary Award in 1998. While the novel did not receive an award, it was considered for publication.
In 2002 Finding Grace was shortlisted for the Australian Childrens’ Book Council Book of the Year, the NSW Premiers Literary Award – Ethel Turner Prize, the Queensland Premiers Literary Award, the 2002 Sanderson Young Adult Audio Book of the Year, and the Best Designed Young Adult Book APA Design Awards 2002.
Her second novel Walking Naked was released in August 2002. It was shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award and awarded ‘honour book’ in the CBC Book of the Year Award.
Being Bindy was released in July 2004. It was a ‘Notable Book’ in the Childrens’ Book Council Book of the Year and was shortlisted for the Childrens’ Peace Literature Award.
Three new novels For Sale or Swap, Beginner’s Luck and Hot Potato have been recently published. For Sale or Swap has been shortlisted for the Kids Own Australian Literature Award 2006, The Young Australian Best Book Awards 2006 and the Children’s Choice Book Awards, 2006.
A fourth installment , Hide and Seek is available now.
Alyssa writes full time and lives in the Hunter Valley with assorted equines, canines, poultry and fish.
Learn more about Alyssa Brugman at www.alyssabrugman.com.au
