James Russell is the author of eight best-selling children's books
(The Dragon Brothers picture book trilogy, and the five middle
grade Dragon Defenders novels), and two novels for adults (MINE and
LINES). He lives in Auckland, New Zealand. For over twelve years he
worked as a journalist, columnist and editor, including for the New
Zealand Herald. He is now a full-time Auckland-based writer, and
father of two sons. Russell is also a book reviewer on the Jesse
Mulligan Afternoons on National Radio.
Born and raised in Hamilton, Russell studied at the University of
Otago before moving to Auckland to work as a journalist. Commuting
on the train during a particularly damp month, Russell decided to
write down some of the stories he had been telling his two young
boys. Inspired by the enthusiastic reaction of his sons, Russell
developed his stories into the Dragon Brothers Trilogy, a series
for 3-7 year olds.
Teaming up with Auckland-based illustrator and artist Link Choi,
Russell made his first children's picture book The Dragon Hunters
in 2012.
The story of brothers Flynn and Paddy, their dog Coco, and their
dragon captured hearts across New Zealand. The Dragon Hunters was a
finalist in the LIANZA Russell Clark Illustration Awards in 2013.
The judges praised the `gorgeous and foreboding' imagery and the
inventive layout.
In 2013 the sequel, The Dragon Tamers, was released. Swings and
Roundabouts magazine compared the book to Margaret Mahy's There's a
Lion in the Meadow, a book which `will appeal to all those who seek
adventure.' A reviewer in Women's Weekly reviewed the story as a
one of `creative rhymes and beautiful imagery.' Doris Mousdale
reviewed the book on 19 December 2013 as a `perfectly-pitched' tale
of adventure.
The last in the trilogy, The Dragon Riders, was published in 2014.
Novelist Nicky Pellegrino reviewed the book as `a charming picture
book for young children' with `lots of actions and a poignant
finish.' With `stunning' illustrations and a `wonderful story'
Christine Frayling in The Reader described The Dragon Riders as `a
joy to read out loud.'
The three rhyming-verse stories became a bestselling trilogy. In a
New Zealand first, Russell developed an augmented reality (AR) app
to accompany his books. The AR app allows readers to hover their
smart device above the page and see dragons and volcanoes come to
life before their eyes - in a three dimensional magical map of
Flynn and Paddy's world.
In 2016, after becoming a full-time writer, Russell travelled to
Italy to attend the Bologna Book Fair in search of a global
publisher. It was a fateful trip, as his Dragon Brothers series was
then published in China, the US, Canada and the UK. The trilogy was
published by Sourcebooks, and will also be published by China Youth
Press. Russell completed a seven-city book tour of bookstores and
schools in the US in 2017.
The Dragon Defenders series are the #1 children's novels by a Kiwi
author on the celebrated Whitcoulls Kids Top 50 since 2018.
Fabulous! The action just ramps up and up. It's even better than the first three, and they were fantastic - Adele Broadbent, author of Between and Too Many Secrets; The plot is thrilling, the setting at once idyllic and dangerous. Readers will be inspired to leave their devices and see what they can see from the top of a tree, to go outside, look for dragons, and have adventures as breathtaking as Paddy, Flynn and Briar - Louise Ward Wardini Books and RNZ critic; An earth-shattering adventure of seismic proportions. You might need to feign sickness so you can finish it in one sitting - Tom E. Moffatt, award-winning author of Barking Mad and Mind-Swapping Madness
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