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WORK TITLE: THERE’S A DRAGON IN MY TOILET
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://tomnicoll.uk/
CITY: Edinburgh
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Dundee, Scotland; married; children: two daughters.
EDUCATION:University of Dundee, degree (computing).
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and software engineer. Presenter at schools and libraries.
AVOCATIONS:Video games.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
SUBMITTED IN SGML FORMAT
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 1, 2019, John Peters, review of Boy Band of the Apocalypse, p. 54.
Children’s Bookwatch, December, 2019, reviews of There’s a Dragon in My Toilet! and There’s a Dragon in My Boot!
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2019, review of There’s a Dragon in My Dinner!; January 1, 2020, review of There’s a Dragon in My Toilet!
School Library Journal, October 9, 2019, Lisa Goldstein, review of There’s a Dragon in My Backpack!, p. 75.
ONLINE
My Book Corner, http://www.mybookcorner.co.uk/tom-nicoll/ (January 25, 2020), Emma Perry, interview with Nicoll.
Tom Nicoll website, http://tomnicoll.uk/ (June 25, 2020).*
ABOUT TOM NICOLL
What is a Tom Nicoll?
Tom Nicoll is an award-winning writer of funny books for children, including the There's a Dragon in my... series and Boyband of the Apocalypse, which won the Stockton Children's Book of the Year 2019. He is also an avid, though arguably not-very-good, gamer and has written a video-game based series for younger readers called Level Up!
He sounds cool.
Oh yes, he very much is.
What else can you tell me about him?
He lives just outside Edinburgh with his wife and two daughters. He also likes playing videogames badly.
Favourite videogame?
Rocket League
Nice.
Thanks. Anything else you want to know?
Are you at all troubled by the fact that you're writing this pretending to be two different people.
A little bit yes.
I think we, as in you, should probably stop then.
Good idea. Bye.
Tom Nicoll was born in Dundee and studied computing at the University of Dundee. Appropriately, he then went on to become a person who programs computers for a living. Or 'computer programmer' as he likes to call it. He has always been drawn towards stories though, whether it's books, TV shows, movies, music, comics, video games or just some guy on a bus shouting in his ear. He has been assembling his own words on pages, or 'writing' as he likes to call it, since he was at school. The older he gets the sillier his writing seems to become. He grows ever more concerned that one day his work will consist entirely of cryptic squiqqles on etch-a-sketches. For now though he writes funny books for children.
He currently lives just outside Edinburgh with his wife, daughter and a non-dog called Noddy. Or a 'cat' as he likes to call it.
Tom Nicoll
Tom Nicoll has been writing since he was at school, where he enjoyed trying to fit in as much silliness into his essays as he could possibly get away with. He is also a big comedy, TV and movie nerd. Tom lives just outside Edinburgh with his wife, daughter and a cat that thinks it's a dog. THERE'S A DRAGON IN MY DINNER is his first book for children.
New Books
February 2020
(hardback)
There's a Dragon in my Boot
(There's a Dragon, book 7)March 2020
(kindle)
Block and Roll
(Level Up, book 2)April 2020
(kindle)
Beast Battles
(Level Up, book 3)
Series
There's a Dragon
1. There's a Dragon in My Dinner! (2016)
2. There's a Dragon in My Backpack! (2016)
3. There's a Dragon in My Toilet (2016)
4. There's a Dragon in My Pants (2017)
5. There's a Dragon in My Popcorn (2017)
6. There's a Dragon in my Stocking! (2017)
7. There's a Dragon in my Boot (2020)
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Boyband of the Apocalypse
1. Boyband of the Apocalypse (2017)
2. Washed Up (2018)
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Level Up
1. Level Up (2019)
2. Block and Roll (2019)
3. Beast Battles (2020)
Last One Standing (2020)
Tom Nicoll is an award-winning writer of funny books for children, including the There's a Dragon in my... series and Boyband of the Apocalypse, which won the Stockton Children's Book of the Year 2019. He is also an avid, though arguably not-very-good, gamer and has written a video-game based series for younger readers called Level Up!
Tom started writing when he was at school, but forgot to stop when he left. It's now gotten quite out of hand with almost ten books having been published with his name plastered all over them.
He lives just outside Edinburgh with his wife and two daughters. When he's not writing, reading or playing videogames badly he enjoys imagining he should have other interests.
Tom Nicoll has been writing since school, where he enjoyed penning essays that were as silly as possible. Tom lives near Edinburgh with his wife and two daughters. He is the author of the successful THERE’S A DRAGON IN MY... young fiction series, BOYBAND OF THE APOCALYPSE and LEVEL UP. Follow him @TGNicoll
Tom Nicoll Biography
Tom Nicoll, a software engineer based in East Lothian, Scotland, has been writing since he was at school, where he enjoyed trying to fit as much silliness into his essays as he could possibly get away with. Years later, after his daughter was born, he rediscovered some of the books that had made him laugh as a child.
Author Interview: Tom Nicoll
Tom Nicoll - credit Chris ScottHugest welcome to Tom Nicoll, his latest chapter book There’s A Dragon In My Dinner! had us chuckling rather loudly … so we asked him a few dragon questions in this author interview.
Tell us about you in 25 words or less.
I’m a comedy nerd, obsessed with books, TV, movies, video games, writing funny kids books and the TV show Pointless.
What makes you happy?
My family and good stories.
Where is your favourite place to write?
I used to write at my desk in my attic but it was always either too hot or too cold up there so now I write on our dining table. It’s a wooden table with a blue and white polka-dot mat over it.
What’s on your TBR pile at the moment?
Quite a lot actually! Normally I only have one book on the go but after getting book vouchers for Christmas I have a good few to get through. I’m reading Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens which is a lot of fun. I’m also reading Daft Little Stories by Limmy and working my way through Batman – Knightfall. I’ve just got Chris Brookmyre’s latest – Black Widow too which I can’t wait to get into. And I’ve got Demolition Dad by Phil Earle, A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig, Skellig by David Almond, I Partridge: We Need To Talk About Alan – Alan Partridge and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson all lined up after that.
A dragon, Pan, is the main character in your debut novel There’s a Dragon in My Dinner! how did he come about … and how did you come up with his grand entrance in a box of beansprouts?! (LOVED that by the way!)
Well everyone loves Dragons and we’d all like to be pals with one, but the problem with Dragons has always been their size. Their size and of course their tendency to eat and/or burn people alive. So Mini-Dragons solve that particular problem. Of course, as Eric discovers, they come with their own unique set of problems. I wish I could claim the beansprouts idea but that one was actually suggested by someone at Stripes. One of the great things about working on this series was working with people who have great senses of humour and who are just as silly as me.
What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
Because there’s a lot of humour in the books, some of the questions my editor asked me could be quite strange taken out of context. My favourite was when she asked me to suggest a watery word. I suggested Plop. See, in its actual context it was a perfectly reasonable question, but here it just makes us look slightly mad.
What’s your worst habit?
Picking my nails.
Your favourite word(s)
Sabotage. It just sounds so dramatic. You rarely get a chance to use it in a real conversation though, which I suppose is probably a good thing.
Can you give us a glimpse / peek / hint at your current WIP (I could bribe you with a cake/pics of cute urm, dragons!)?
The finishing touches are being put to books two and three. Book two – There’s a Dragon in My Backpack! (May) is possibly the world’s first novel about a Dragon heist. Book three – There’s a Dragon in My Toilet! (August) is possibly the world’s first novel combining Dragons and toilets. I know you think there must be loads, they seem so obvious – surely everyone’s writing dragon heist and dragon toilet stories – but honestly I can’t find any. So hopefully these books will go some way to addressing that glaring gap in the market.
Did we forget anything?
You mentioned something about cake…?
Just for fun
Tea or coffee?
Neither! I don’t drink either. Yes, I know I’m a weirdo.
Paper books or e-books?
Paper books. I love the smell too much.
Cake or chocolate?
Chocolate.
Write or type?
Type.
Poetry or prose?
Prose.
Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin?
Hufflepuff.
Hot or cold?
Cold. Unless we’re talking about food in which case – hot.
There’s a Dragon in My Dinner, written by Tom Nicoll and illustrated by Sarah Horne, will be published on the 11th of February by Stripes Publishing. Look out for There’s a Dragon in My Backpack and There’s a Dragon in My Toilet later this year.
Nicoll, Tom THERE'S A DRAGON IN MY TOILET Tiger Tales (Children's Fiction) $22.99 2, 18 ISBN: 978-1-68010-181-2
Will Eric and Mini-Dragon Pan have to say goodbye?
Pan the Mini-Dragon is an excellent party planner; he proves it by planning a surprise anniversary party for Eric's parents but then vanishes during the party. When Eric finds his little dragon buddy, Pan seems sad. The Encyclopedia Dragonica indicates Mini-Dragons need companionship--including that of their families. Eric and his human friends Min and Jayden discover that there is a way for Pan to contact his parents, but only adults know how to use the special codes that enable worldwide Mini-Dragon communication. Turns out they are just email addresses, and the group contacts Pan's parents, who are none too pleased that Pan is staying with humans instead of his aunt and uncle, whom he is supposed to be visiting. A wet-suited Aunt Maria and Uncle Fernando show up via the toilet (hence the title) and demand that Pan join them in Mexico, where they will see to his education. Can Eric and his friends convince Pan's parents that Pan is where he needs to be? Fans of Pan and Eric's earlier adventures (There's a Dragon in My Dinner! and There's a Dragon in My Backpack!, both 2019) will enjoy this follow-up, which publishes simultaneously with the camping-trip adventure There's a Dragon in My Boot! Eric and his family are white; Min is Chinese; Jayden is black. As part of the Americanization of these Scottish imports, the setting has been relocated to the States.
Further foolish fun. (Fantasy. 5-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Nicoll, Tom: THERE'S A DRAGON IN MY TOILET." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Jan. 2020. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A609999090/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=0e038c19. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
There's A Dragon in my Boot!
Tom Nicoll, author
Sarah Horne, illustrator
Tiger Tales
www.tigertalesbooks.com
9781680101805 $22.99 library binding
9781680104547 $6.99 pbk amazon.com
A delightful story written with simple sentences accessible to young readers ages 7-9, There's A Dragon in my Boot! is a novel about the boy Eric and Pan the Mini-Dragon. Eric and Pan have an incredible camping trip lined up, but then Eric's nemesis Toby arrives! Eric suggests a series of outdoor challenges, but when Toby starts bending the rules, it's up to Pan to even the odds! There's A Dragon in my Boot! is a wonderful way to encourage children to read, especially boys, and a choice pick for grade school and public library children's collections. Also highly recommended are the other novels in the series, "There's A Dragon in my Dinner!", "There's A Dragon in my Backpack!" and "There's A Dragon in my Toilet!".
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"There's A Dragon in my Boot!" Children's Bookwatch, Dec. 2019. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A610934111/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8e1e6593. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
There's A Dragon in my Toilet!
Tom Nicoll, author
Sarah Horne, illustrator
Tiger Tales
www.tigertalesbooks.com
9781680101812 $22.99 library binding
9781680104554 $6.99 pbk amazon.com
There's A Dragon in my Toilet! is an easy reader novel written to be accessible to young readers ages 7-9. Young Eric is good friends with Pan the Mini-Dragon, but just as Pan is getting acclimated to Eric's home, Pan's grumpy aunt and uncle turn up to "rescue" him! How can Pan persuade his relatives that he's fine where he is? A charming, lighthearted read, There's A Dragon in my Toilet! makes an excellent addition to grade school and public library children's collections. Also highly recommended are the other novels in the series, "There's A Dragon in my Dinner!", "There's A Dragon in my Backpack!" and "There's A Dragon in my Boot!"
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/index.htm
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"There's A Dragon in my Toilet!" Children's Bookwatch, Dec. 2019. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A610934112/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=817f0607. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
Nicoll, Tom THERE'S A DRAGON IN MY DINNER Tiger Tales (Children's Fiction) $21.99 10, 1 ISBN: 978-1-68010-166-9
How much trouble can one tiny dragon be? Apparently loads.
Eric's turning 9 soon, and all he has to do to get his dream gift of a scooter is to avoid incurring three strikes before his birthday party. Staying out of trouble should have been fairly easy, but in their Chinese takeout, delivered by Eric's classmate Min Song from her family's restaurant, is a surprise order of bean sprouts. Even more surprising is the talking, eggroll-sized dragon in the bean sprouts. Pan the Mini-Dragon had been on his way to Mexico to live with his aunt and uncle, but he's ended up in the United States instead. After Pan's disastrous flying demonstration earns Eric a first strike, Eric tries to keep the little guy secret--but annoying, rich neighbor Toby soon discovers Pan and thinks he's a high-tech toy. With Min's help, Eric learns a bit about Mini-Dragons from the Encyclopaedia Dragonica, but will it be enough to keep Pan secret? Their adventures are just beginning. This British series opener (There's a Dragon in My Backpack! publishes simultaneously in the U.S., and there are several more out in the U.K.) has been smoothly Americanized with only a couple translational blips. Chapter-book readers looking for a bit of silly adventure will likely enjoy this fluffy tale of friendship. Eric and his family present white, as does Toby; Min is Chinese, and Eric's best friend, Jayden, presents black.
Fiery farts and burps included--who needs more? (Fantasy. 6-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Nicoll, Tom: THERE'S A DRAGON IN MY DINNER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2019. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A596269702/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=679bd312. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
Boy Band of the Apocalypse. By Tom Nicoll. Illus. by David O'Connell. Mar. 2019.320p. Kane/Miller, paper, $6.99 (9781610678308). Gr. 5-7.
When 13-year-old Sam beats seemingly insuperable odds to win an audition for a sudden vacancy in Apocalips--joining a wildly popular foursome of horse-riding shape-changers with a name that only thinly disguises their true natures--he is plunged into a scheme to bring back the really old days by destroying everything. According to a prophecy (there's always a prophecy), someone strangely similar to Sam can stop it ... which is why the whole audition turns out to be rigged, and he suddenly finds himself locked in a posh hotel room, bespelled into believing that he's cool. Fortunately, Sam has sturdy allies. Losing no chance to satirize the brutal audition process as well as boy bands and their cultish followers, Nicoll propels his cast members (many of whom turn out to be not what they seem on first, or even second, glance) through a series of rescues and revelations to a climactic stage battle before thousands of screaming fans. O'Connell's scattered ink-and-wash vignettes add an occasional dark-skinned character, as well as comical haircuts, to this British import's cast.--John Peters
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Peters, John. "Boy Band of the Apocalypse." Booklist, vol. 115, no. 13, 1 Mar. 2019, p. 54. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A579538494/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e77585e7. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.
NICOLL, Tom. There's a Dragon in my Backpack! illus. by Sarah Home. 160p. (There's a Dragon In ...). Tiger Tales. Oct. 2019. Tr $21.99. ISBN 9781680101676; pap. $5.99. ISBN 9781680104455.
Gr 3-5--Eric has a secret pet: Pan is a mini-dragon who traveled to Eric's house from China via a crate of bean sprouts. It's all part of the story's nonsensical whimsy that Pan somehow speaks perfect English, loves prawn crackers, and belches fire. When Pan falls into the hands of Eric's nemesis, Toby, Eric and his friends must break into Toby's snobby school to retrieve Pan. Readers will delight in the quirky characters: Eric's mother is spacey, his teacher Miss Biggs is boorish and comically cruel, and evil Toby wears a wicker top hat as part of his school uniform. Eric narrates with humorous observations and wordplay that would make this title an entertaining read-aloud. Frequent black-and-white pen illustrations accented with messy splotches of watercolor add to the anarchic feel and may remind readers of Quentin Blake's illustrations for Roald Dahl's novels. VERDICT Full of silly situations and characters, this is a great fit for readers moving on from similarly zany chapter book series such as Dav Pilkey's "Ricky Ricotta's Mighty Robot" and 'Tom Angleberger's "Inspector Flytrap," or for fans of fellow offbeat UK imports Roald Dahl and David Walliams.--Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
Goldstein, Lisa. "NICOLL, Tom. There's a Dragon in my Backpack!" School Library Journal, vol. 65, no. 9, Oct. 2019, p. 75. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A601871518/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=ef731fe8. Accessed 2 Mar. 2020.