• PRAISE FOR JAKE'S MONSTER MESS
    • "Jake's Monster Mess can be summed up in a single word, three times - cute cute cute!... This gorgeous chaotic storyline goes from mess to monster mess in this delightful tale for younger chapter book readers. Spillman knows how to encapture children and their quirks and everyday experiences with an honesty that will have both adults and kids nodding and smiling."
    • - Kid's Book Review
    • "This is an ideal short chapter novel for newly independent readers.""
    • - Adelaide's Child
    • "I could certainly relate to Ken Spillman's book, Jake's Monster Mess… Written from Jake's perspective it gives a realistic representation of the boy's thinking process… A great read for parents and kids… a great transition from picture books."
    • - Emily Spicer, State School Teachers' Union Resource and Book Reviews
    • "This short novel with illustrations is packed with laughter and hilarity. I recommend it for ages six and up."
    • - The Examiner
    • "Jake's Monster Mess is a humorous tale (with a message!)"
    • - Australian Bookseller and Publisher
    • "Realistic and heart-rending… Children of five and upwards will identify with Jake's self-induced chaos. Jake's Monster Mess is a very readable story for beginner readers."
    • - Canberra Times
    • "This latest offering from Aussie author Ken Spillman will grab your reluctant boy readers and have them chuckling from cover to cover… Perfect for students just beginning to master chapter books."
    • - Bright Hub
    • "Parents and children everywhere will relate to this hilarious tale of destruction from the creators of Jake's Gigantic List."
    • - Magpies
    • "Jake is an endearing, likeable character with whom young readers will easily identify."
    • - Sydney's Child
    • "Universal appeal."
    • - Joondalup Weekender
  • PRAISE FOR JAKE'S GIGANTIC LIST
    • "There's nothing like curling up with a good book, but children's books surely make you relive the fun of childhood all over again… What really got me happy was this super awesome book called Jake's Gigantic List by Ken Spillman with some truly great illustrations by Chris Nixon… It's the kind of book that makes you go awww, because it's 50 pages of cuteness [and]… ten minutes of your life you're going to spend smiling. If you're looking for a good birthday gift to give a little one, this would be it."
    • - New India Press
    • “Ken creates some book magic… he has become positively evangelical when it comes to inspiring children to read.”
    • - Post Newspapers Group
    • “This is an exciting, fast-paced story for beginner readers. The characters are well-developed and likeable; young readers may see some of themselves in Jake.”
    • - Magpies
    • “Gentle jokes abound. Boys especially will enjoy the idea of creating their own adventure packed birthday list. Dragons, piranhas and robots are all cutely rendered in cartoon form, enticing the young reader into the joys of literacy.”
    • - Australian Bookseller and Publisher
    • “This is a book about wishes and the unlikely places you will find them come true…A fantastic fun book about engaging recalcitrant readers, written from the point of view of the recalcitrant reader. That's why it works. This is a book that should warm the cockles of any teacher-librarian's heart.”
    • - Reading Time
    • “Read the book! Recommended.”
    • - Alphabet Soup
    • “Terrific for early readers of simple, illustrated chapter books. Verdict: fun.”
    • - Herald Sun
    • “My UK grandson was given Jake's Gigantic List for his 6th birthday, and loved it. I still recall him going through the big UK catalogues and making a very long - about 130 items - list for Christmas presents… Ken really has captured the life and difficulties of today's child.”
    • - Jenni Woodroffe, Children's Book Council of Australia
    • “A short, beginning chapter book with ample illustrations that will hold the attention of early readers, this story encourages a love of books and it successfully relates to events in young readers' lives.”
    • - Scan magazine
    • “An exercise in imagination… Recommended for newly independent readers transitioning from picture books to chapter books.”
    • - Aussiereviews.com
    • "Young non-reading boys will be amused and perhaps challenged to think about their own reading habits by Ken Spillman's amusing story."
    • - Neals – Primary Focus Fiction
    • "Jake's Gigantic List is about discovering the magic of a great story… Packed with cute pencil sketch illustrations by Chris Nixon, Jake's Gigantic List makes a fun book to read at anytime."
    • - Christine Lim Simpson, Reading for Pleasure blogpost
    • "Jake truly is a universal character with great charm and enormous worldwide appeal."
    • - Jan Nicholls, Children's Book Council of Australia
    • "I borrowed Jake's Gigantic List and Jake's Monster Mess from my friends… I liked the books, they were very, very nice! The stories were funny, the gigantic list was just incredible!"
    • - Keisha Wee, Sri KL school, Malaysia
  • PRAISE FOR LOVE IS A UFO
    • “If there were just one reason why writers should be treasured, it is that they can articulate the inarticulate. That’s exactly what Spillman does in this funny, sad, sharp and warm book… The author channels the adolescent Oscar Updike. If you have a young teen in your house, buy this book.”
    • - Sunday Times Magazine
    • “Not your usual tried and true story about a boy accepting his father’s death, Love is a UFO is a firecracker of a tale, exploding through the engaging and witty Ossie… Like a UFO, once it has been and gone, things will never be the same, and neither is Ossie’s life. This book will certainly appeal to those hard-to-please boys.”
    • - Magpies
    • “Oscar is a pretty funny fellow and his efforts to avoid being uncool are also pretty amusing... But it’s not all laughs. Oscar’s journey is also poignant and touching… Spillman’s great talent for observation is evident in the details of Oscar’s life… He paints his characters with warmth and sympathy, sketching just enough of their fine details to lift them beyond the typical caricatures of much writing for young people. Oscar is a likeable boy and his story is entertaining and thought-provoking. This is a positive tale about getting through some of the challenges life throws up, learning from life and developing confidence as a young man. Spillman’s accomplished writing style sets this book well above many others on the pre-teenage reading shelf.”
    • - West Australian
    • “For Oscar, life is ‘weird and getting weirder’ after his parents separate, his father moves on to a new relationship, and then Dad suddenly dies. Confused about what he - 3 - is supposed to feel, Oscar finds some enlightenment discussing his problems with sympathetic adults, but when his attention is captured by a cute new girl in the park he has yet one more problem to figure out. Family relationships under stress are vividly conveyed through wildly veering emotions. Chapters are short and punchy, leavened with email exchanges and perfectly capturing the tone and mood of a young teenage boy dealing with complex life issues in the 21st century. How Oscar navigates his way through his adolescent grief with an angry mother, ‘zombie’ sister, Dad’s girlfriend and assorted school problems could be a story drowned in angst, but in the skilful hands of this author, Oscar’s emotional journey is told with sensitivity and a lively dollop of humour.”
    • - WA Premier’s Book Award 2007, judges’ comments
    • “I have to say how MUCH I loved Love is a UFO. I read it on a flight and I was laughing out loud in the funny bits (disregarding strange looks from my co-passengers) and I actually wept towards the end…You are so good at what you do, Ken. The voice of Ossie, the perfect understanding of that teenage soul, the humour and the depth of it all, I was overwhelmed. Thank you for gifting it to me, I know I will be re-reading it…Not only does the colloquial flavour of your book cut across cultures, it also cuts across age groups! My Dad, who is 73 (a teacher, writer and educator), picked up the book and finished it one go, and he liked it very much!”
    • - Sampurna Chattarji, reader (and celebrated Indian poet, novelist and translator)
    • “I loved Oscar's journey. Beautifully told, big-hearted and straight talking, it affirmed in my mind that we are indeed brothers of the pen… There’s the voice of a real kid who is neither dick-centric or emo. I love it. And Taz the twitcher was certainly the girl who got my vote at school, I mean I love Dani’s legs and all but the headstand in the Psychs office sealed the deal. She’s great. Above all else, it was a reassuring read.”
    • - Scot Gardner, reader (and celebrated Australian novelist, to whom Love is a UFO is dedicated!)
    • “I have just finished reading your book "Love is a UFO" and thought it was one of the best books ever. I love the way you describe characters. When I was reading I could feel what Ossie was feeling… This is the first author I have actually contacted, part of this is because there are not that many books out there that are as brilliant as yours another part is the fact that it give you your e-mail address on the first page of the book. I am really looking foward to reading more of your books, I think I will go out and get Blue on Friday! I could go on and on about how brilliant you are but I will just say; Ken Spillman, you are a BRILLIANT writer, keep writing books so I can read them.”
    • - Edward Hollingdale, reader
    • “Congratulations on your book- I thought it was just wonderful. I lost my father when I was 14 and felt such an infinity with Oscar. It was truthful and the confusion/ grief/ teenage angst was so wonderfully captured. I just LOVED it!”
    • - Chantelle Flint, reader
    • “I have just completed your wonderful book “Love is a UFO”. It was given to my daughter India for her birthday and you signed it personally asking to be told of what she thought when finished. As it happened, I read it before her and thought it was a wonderful, at times a laugh-out-loud type of book; especially the “kneel” chapter!!. Congratulations Ken, Ossie was a fantastic kid who eventually got it all together in the end. I look forward to your next novel.”
    • - Alison Wroth, reader
    • “Hey im caitlin mcleod from perth! aggrhhh! omg im reading your book its so funny!”
    • - Caitlin McLeod, reader
    • “First can i start off by saying i just finished reading Love Is A UFO and i absolutely loved it to death, fantastic piece of work mate and i really with there could be a sequel. I'm trying to find some more of your works around town but so far not much luck.””
    • - Jack Carey, reader
    • “Hi my name is Victoria, i just wanted to tell you i loved your book Love is a UFO it was really interesting and funny!... I'm 15 and i live in SA. It is totally cool that you have been nominated for the WA Young Readers Book Awards. I would love some more of your recommendations for books and i'm totaly gonna read your book Blue.”
    • - Vivi Roxy, reader
    • “I absolutely LOVE your books i have only read love is a ufo but it was heaps awesome- funni, kept me readin and cause it was like you could see his life... i really liked it, completly awesome. now am reading blue and you are one of the best authors i know!!! ”
    • - Tyler Wheeldon, reader
    • “I read the first Harry Potter book when it came out, I enjoyed it so much I started to read other young readers and young adult’s books. I found I enjoyed other books more than Harry Potter. I became hooked and now I don’t read adult books. I have now read many fantastic young adult’s books since Harry Potter, your book ‘Love is a UFO’ is one of the best I have read. The reason I love young adult books so much is the humor, transformation, spontaneity, directness, creativity and emotional satisfaction. Your style of writing is my favorite. Your book is brilliant, beautiful, touching and inspiring. Reading books like yours enriches my life, I now have a love of books that I never had before. My wife feels the same as I do, so we share all books… Thanks for your wonderful book.”
    • - John Wilson, reader
    • “It really is a fantastic piece of work. I enjoyed it so much and am only disappointed that being classified in the teenage genre, adults may miss out on it. I thought it was a mix of The outsider (Camus) and an Australian Adrian Mole. I loved the simple language and contemporary dialogue without fussy descriptions of places and actions. Within the first few pages the characters were real and likeable. PPPPlease write a sequel!!!!!”
    • - Adrienne Scott, reader
    • “I thought that it was one of the greatest books I have ever read.”
    • - Alyssa Beaumont, reader
    • “I bought a copy of Love is a UFO… Even though it¹s been a long time since I was Ossie’s age (I’m 45) it all came back pretty fast. I really enjoyed reading it and found it very visual. I was watching it while I was reading it, if that makes any sense. Definitely destined for TV somewhere, just hope it’s in Australia. Thank you very much.”
    • - Ron Samuel, reader
    • “I love your book "Love is a UFO". I haven't actually read Blue yet, but I'm keen too! Love is a UFO was great because it is written in language that us kids can understand! And it can actually happen, it's not one of those boring books that go forever about dragons and stuff. Please write more, you're my favourite author!”
    • - Eliza Jane, reader
    • “I finished your book quite a while ago but have only just got on to hotmail. I found it rich with humour and lots of excellent taglines. This book made it into one of my top ten books (even though i dont really keep track, i have so many favourites!!). I loved the story line and very much would like a sequel!!”
    • - Laura M, reader
    • “You are my favourite author. Thanks for a great book.”
    • - Jasmin Sweeney, reader
    • “Love is a UFO is a wonderfully written novel, aimed at teenagers and preteens. The cover draws my attention with its light and dark blues and wicked fonts. Ken Spillman, who has written everything from history to a series of magpie novels, has hit the jackpot with Love is a UFO.”
    • - —Pip Thomas, reader (and, Ken discloses, his beautiful niece!)
    • “Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed reading 'Love is a UFO'. Congratulations!”
    • - Cate Sutherland, reader
  • PRAISE FOR MAGWHEEL MADNESS
    • “I finally got my hands on your new book, Magwheel Madness. it was great I really enjoyed it.”
    • - Damian, reader
  • PRAISE FOR MAGPIE MISCHIEF
    • "I read Magpie Mischief. I thought it was soooo good. I told my brother Iain about Ben and how his bum crack showed all the time. Of course he burst out in laughter. I am now going to read the book to him. You have to tell me what other books you have written so I can get them because I’m really looking forward to reading them all. I hate books that have boring beginnings and that last for ever! But your book Magpie Mischief was the right book for me. I’ve zoomed through the whole book already!"
    • - Kirsty, reader
    • “I was reading Magpie Mischief. I finished the book within a day. At the end I saw you had put your emails there. I thought it was a wonderful idea to put your emails in the book so people can write to you like I am. I think you and Jon must get millions of fan emails... Congrats on your book!”
    • - Taylah Sawers, reader
    • “i like the book magpie mishcheif! i picked it up at dandenong library because there were magpies near my house, so i thought it could be useful! it was, i use to think they were bad evil scary birds, now im like brd lady- im there friends!!! thanx for making that book, its great.”
    • - Timea Bartus, reader
    • "I would like to say thank you very much for the books Magpie Mischief and Magwheel Madness which were sent for my boys. They have greatly enjoyed hearing them and we have read both to them many times. Aden, my eldest has drawn you a picture of some magpies."
    • from left to right, Aden (6), Hamish (2), Cooper (4)
    • - Jeff Sinclair, reader
  • PRAISE FOR BLUE
    • "A novel for the young adult market that deserves a much wider readership. Spillman uses a number of voices, taken at moments of crisis over a period of four years, weaving the strands into a complex polyphony of the ebbs and flows of friendships. Lovers, families, death, abortions, what to do in life, illness and travelling overseas are the mundane yet powerful forces that shape the directions of these lives. Recommended."
    • - Marie Claire
    • "Blue is a brilliantly written book … Spillman creates his characters with sensitivity, and sketches their experiences with great craft and skill… In a way, Blue reminded me of Brideshead Revisited – a privileged and elite backdrop where universal themes are compellingly explored."
    • - The West Australian
    • "This is a warm, perceptive reflection on growing up … The book explores love, passion, confusion, travel, careers and the dreams of a generation. A thoroughly satisfying read."
    • - Herald Sun
    • "The ease with which Spillman moves through the streets, the distance to the surf, the landmarks old and new, made me think eerily that I might bump into someone I once knew … But what it really was, as I discovered once I thought further about it, is that Spillman has managed to make an effective setting here: a community of people in a place. Done with a subtlety that I can’t always work out; all that I know is that it works."
    • - Australian Book Review
    • "In Blue, a young adult novel in the way Catcher in the Rye is – the market-driven category does not apply – Ken Spillman shifts perspectives to trace the vulnerabilities of a group of friends. His novel is wise."
    • - Westerly
    • "The narratives, circumstances and dialogue seem wholly authentic: the stories have the carefully observed detail that buttresses believability. They also have the detachment that speaks of what can be relevant within the vastness of blue sea and river and endless, draining, blue sky ... in the end, it’s like the Bob Dylan reprise: the reader is tangled up in Blue."
    • - Canberra Times
    • "Spillman has come up with something fresh and thought-provoking and well worth a visit."
    • - Sunday Times
    • "Ken Spillman’s Blue is a deeply poetic exploration of the disenchanted youth in Perth’s western suburbs, teens and twentysomethings wrestling with life on Grantham Street presented in a series of vignettes."
    • - Grok
    • "An intricate piecing together of adolescent lives … Good on Ken Spillman for reminding us that it all happens here … We see love and success, pain and disappointment, life and death as vividly here as it’s portrayed in books and films set in New York, London or the Himalayas."
    • - Subiaco Post
    • "I just finished reading Blue… It was a very engaging and moving read: ambitious to take on so many characters in such complexity, interweaving like that, but you pulled it off so well -- it had me so gripped I read it in two sittings, last night and tonight. And was actually teary by the time Johnny died. And really recognised the city I come from (albeit from the south-eastern suburbs, another story again, but still part of the whole). The novel came across as subtly critical and compassionate at the same time, and that's not easy to do. This isn't a very sophisticated literary response, but a spontaneous one. It's a compelling book, and parts of it were so devastatingly accurate (psychologically, socially) that I will not be able to forget them -- James Hogan and his former schoolteacher, Gus in his hospital bed among the prostate men. Thanks for a great read."
    • - Tracy Ryan, reader (and celebrated Australian poet and novelist)
    • "I am almost halfway through Blue and had to email you. I just love it. The characters are realer than anything I’ve ever read and humour comes through in the most unexpected places… It’s human and full of self doubt, erotic and insightful. Love it! Its balance is perfect."”
    • - Mary Doyle, reader
  • PRAISE FOR KEN'S PRESENTATIONS/WORKSHOPS
    • “Thank you for coming to speak at YCIS Beijing. The feedback from students was really good and they were very impressed to have met a published author whose work they had studied in class… I hope you will visit China and YCIS Beijing again.”
    • - Naomi Saunders, Marketing Officer, Yew Chung International School, Beijing
    • “I want to thank you for the presentation you gave to our middle school students at the Bookworm yesterday. They (and I) found your talk engaging and inspiring… Thank you for making our students realize that they can be writers and to embrace the concept that life can be freaky at times.”
    • - William Cotter, Middle School Teacher, QSI Suzhou, China
    • “Thank you for proving to me that everyone has imaginations and that everyone can write stories. We used your idea for starting story in class, and I find it really useful. It is much easier for me to write using your method.”
    • - Eva Jin, Suzhou, China
    • “I want to thank you for your presentation, your presentation was amazing! I learned a lot about writing stories.”
    • - Venus Cheung, Suzhou, China
    • “Thanks for your wonderful ideas!”
    • - Carrie Tsang, Suzhou, China
    • “We had a great response from the author talk and were very happy with the attendance. Ken read from his books and talked about the writing process and about his books. The children were very enthusiastic and were keen to answer questions and give suggestions when prompted. The interaction was great. Ken was very relaxed and seemed to enjoy talking with the children. They enjoyed the reading of Jake’s Gigantic List and are eagerly awaiting the new Jake books after Ken gave them a teaser of what is coming up. All in all it was a fun session with a lot of very positive comments from both children and parents.”
    • - Manning librarian, City of South Perth, 2010
    • “It was the first time Ken Spillman had visited any of the City of Canning Libraries and he was a man on a mission bent on connecting children with the magic and power of imagination and writing. His laconic understated humour struck a chord for many in the audience and the children were very responsive in answering his questions. There were no bells and whistles of multi media presentation but the engagement was strong enough to sustain a highly verbal talk that in turn drew many questions from the children. There was an audience of more than fifty children and around a dozen parents listening intently as Ken read from his books (including the whole of Jake’s Gigantic List) and talked about how the ideas had developed into a story and then into the book… The children were very responsive also to the ideas developed in the Serventy School Kids series of books (Magwheel Madness, Magpie Mischief) which Ken has co-written with Jon Doust. There were a lot of problem solving suggestions offered in response to the situations the characters were facing.”
    • - Riverton librarian, City of Canning, 2010
    • “Ken has been a favourite of Lit Fest since it's inception nine years ago. His presentations are full of gentle humour with his love of children's literature evident in his author talks. He is able to talk to all ages and find that one thing that his audience can relate to.”
    • - Kris Williams, Director, All Saints Literature Festival, Perth, 2010
    • “On many occasions I have successfully employed Dr Spillman for work with both secondary age students and my younger boarders, and more broadly, with professional workshops with other Heads of Boarding and associated boarding staff in Western Australia. His brief, on these occasions, was to work to promote and encourage reading with our boys. This was very successful and we have repeated this approach due to the accomplished outcomes and warm reception he received from the boys. Dr Spillman worked in very closely with our students, who come from diverse cultural backgrounds. He succeeds wonderfully in an educative, engaging and entertaining manner. He always connected very well with our students who enjoyed the sessions very much. We intend to use Dr Spillman once again early this year, as his messages and approach are exactly what we have been after to encourage reading and have our boys positively engage with reading for pleasure. His ability to adapt to the age of the audience is quite remarkable.”
    • - Shane McGurk, Director of the Residential Community, Christ Church Grammar School, Western Australia
    • “Jon Doust and Ken Spillman, collaborative authors on a series of humorous fiction for middle primary readers, found their time in Katanning exhausting and rewarding. Working in a community with a large culturally and linguistically diverse population, both authors used a range of skills and techniques to communicate to their audiences.”
    • - Children’s Book Week report, 2006
    • “The author’s funnyness ‘re-boosted’ my mind and now I have a million ideas!”
    • - Student, Katanning Senior High School, 2006
    • “They loved it. Even a child who normally isn’t interested in learning."
    • - Teacher comment after appearances at Bayswater Public Library, 2007
    • “High quality presenters resulted in a programme that most children clearly found enjoyable and motivating.”
    • - Bayswater librarian’s comment on appearance by Ken Spillman and Jon Doust, 2007
    • “Please bring Jon and Ken back next year.”
    • - Teacher comment after appearance by Ken Spillman and Jon Doust at Claremont library, 2007
    • “Jon Doust and Ken Spillman entertained, stimulated and maintained children’s interest and enjoyment”
    • - Cottesloe librarian’s comment on appearances by Ken Spillman and Jon Doust, 2007
    • “I found the experience of the group workshops very stimulating. Everyone had a different take on things. It was a good environment for my creativity to flourish and I felt I was able to achieve everything I set out to achieve.”
    • - Barbara Windberg
    • "Thank you for your Workshop on Memoirs. I found it extremely relevant and I am sure the information I received will make my story more organised and dynamic."
    • - Karen Wilson
    • “I so enjoyed your class… I felt it was a tremendous help getting so much encouragement and ideas from you. It was also fascinating the way everyone bonded together as we heard the amazing lives many of the class had led.”
    • - Belinda Brocklehurst
    • “The workshop series was a great way to develop work beyond a certain stage. Other workshops I’ve attended have been one-offs and, while helpful, they haven’t allowed the same level of involvement, both with facilitators and the project I was working on. It has been a wonderful opportunity and I’m very grateful to have had the privilege to take part.”
    • - Joy Kilian
    • “Ken Spillman was a generous, caring, and thoughtful guide to this writer.”
    • - Collyn Gawned
    • “I want to say a special thank you to Ken. The writing workshops were thought provoking and very well structured. I’ve been writing for ages and have lots of ways of getting to write but the writing exercises had me extending my repertoire of ways into creativity and also a range of content matter. Ken also set up a very supportive viewing of others’ work which helped develop the supportive in-group feeling... Someone in the group said, “This has been the best summer ever” – and who could argue with that?”
    • - Maree Dawes