The Diary of Pelly D was inspired by a mere footnote in history, but one that resonated very strongly with me. I read about a diary, found in a milk can during the rebuilding of Warsaw after German occupation. I couldn't help thinking, 'What if...?' Right there, at that footnote, that's where my story began. Toni V started digging in a city regeneration project. The diary he found belonged to a girl called Pelly D. Page after page I discovered what Pelly's life was like, until I reached the last entry, just like Toni V. I gave the story a science-fiction twist so it wouldn't be tangled up in ideas people already have about history and war crimes. Also, to let the imagination soar a little... Here are some of the responses... "This book is one thing: amazing" - Teen Reviewer, Voya "This riveting dystopia will stun readers with its resemblance to the Jewish Holocaust" - School Library Journal "Adlington creates a most convincing portrait of a lively, funny girl whose zest for life is undiminished by the increasingly sinister turn of events around her. In this powerful debut novel, Adlington deftly sketches in the background to Pelly D's increasingly totalitarian world, whilst allowing her sparky heroine centre stage." - Books for Keeps "Both poignant and chilling - an excellent companion to historical Holocaust literature", M. Winship, Asst. Prof, Capital University, Columbus, in Kliatt "A clever, unusual story that readers looking for something different will find captivating", Sunday Young Post "This provocative addition to the growing body of dystopian literature for teens is a disturbing book that shouldn't be missed". Holly Koelling, Booklist, Starred Review "A convincingly told and gripping story" - TES "... catches you by the throat and doesn't let you go even when you have read the last paragraph. This is a brilliant example of storytelling at its most seductive... a fastpaced, utterly absorbing novel that is hard to put down..." - John Millen, Sunday Morning Post. "... a clever, unusual story that readers looking for something different will find captivating. The book reveals its secrets slowly with maximum impact", - South China Morning Post Books that have inspired me: Long Shadows. Truth, Lies and History, Erna Paris, Bloomsbury. An intelligent and compassionate travelogue that considers the way in which nations distort their own history. Here I read of diaries recovered from the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto after Hitler's defeat and wondered, 'what if...?' Diary of Anne Frank, Anne Frank The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank, Picador For readers who would like to try and understand what happened to Anne after the last entry in her diary. The stories of six women who encountered Anne at Westerbork, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. Salvaged Pages. Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust, Yale University Press, edited by Alexandra Zapruder. A moving collection of diaries written by young people during the Holocaust.