Lost and Found by Noah Burns is shortlisted for the 2021 Author of Tomorrow, 11 and Under.

Lost and Found: In a race against time, John Douglas must find an uncontactable tribe, in the heart of the rainforest, and deliver the vaccines before it is too late. 

His mission takes a turn for the worst when the plane goes down in uncharted territory.

An Interview with Noah: 

WNSF: What is your favourite book? 

Frost Hollow Hall by Emma Carroll. I couldn't put this down.

WNSF: Who is your favourite author? Or one who has inspired you and why?

I really like Emma Carroll because she writes historic fiction. I really like the way she takes an historic event and turns it into a thrilling story. 

WNSF: What is your favourite subject at school? 

I enjoy our Topic lessons because of the variety of things we learn about. I get to do art, history, geography and even a bit of marine biology, all as part of Topic.

WNSF: What does ‘adventure writing’ mean to you? Why did you choose to try your hand at an adventure story?

I like being able to see the adventure unfold in my head. Some of the adventures I would like to be part of myself, but other times I am happy that only my characters have to go through it!

WNSF: If you could ask an author anything, what would you want to know?

I would ask Pseudonymous Bosch: Who are you and why did you decide to keep your identity hidden? 

WNSF: Who would you consider one of your heroes and why?

I think Steve Backshall is great. He knows so much about animals and is fearless in his mission to film them. I would like to work with him one day.

WNSF: Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

I enjoy reading a variety of genres and I love encyclopaedias. Normally I imagine how these things could feature in a story, but Lost and Found was inspired by current events. 

I also use my school spelling list each week, to write stories that include all the words. This can sometimes produce something really unexpected!

WNSF: What is the most adventurous thing you would like to do, or place you would like to visit and why?

I would like to sail to The Galapagos Islands and study the wildlife, especially the Galapagos Giant Tortoises.

WNSF: If you could time travel, where would you go and why? 

I would go to the future to see if the world can recover from Covid. I would find out how, so I could come back and help people. I would also have to travel back to the Cretacious Period so I could observe the dinosaurs!

WNSF: What three words would you use to describe your story?

Race against time!