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Notes
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Japanese series title: 王国の鍵 (Ōkoku no kagi)
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In May 2019, it was reported that Herschend Entertainment Studios had acquired the rights to the Keys of the Kingdom series, with Nix acting as executive producer. (Source: https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2019/05/30/134017/screen-rights-to-nixs-the-keys-to-the-kingdom-series-sold/)
Includes
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1y Mister Monday Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2003 Z1066371 2003 single work children's fiction children's fantasy (taught in 1 units) 'Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is supposed to die an early death. But then he is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Arthur is safe - but his world is not. Along with the key comes a plague brought by bizarre creatures from another realm. A stranger named Mister Monday, his avenging messengers with blood-stained wings, and an army of dog-faced Fetchers will stop at nothing to get the key back - even if it means destroying Arthur and everything around him.'
(Source: Back cover)
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2y Grim Tuesday Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2004 Z1090078 2004 single work children's fiction children's fantasy
"Arthur Penhaligon is supposed to be in bed - After all, it's only twelve hours since he saved the world. But there's no time to rest. Grim Tuesday has laid claim to the Lower House and the First Key, and now his misshapen servants are repossessing Arthur's world and plunging it into financial disaster. To stop them, Arthur must venture back into the House - that surreal, unpredictable realm where he almost met his death.
With companions old and new, Arthur embarks on a heart-stopping adventure that will take him from the dismal Pit of the Far Reaches, all the way to the heart of a sun and back. Racing furiously against time, Arthur must find the second piece of the Will, claim the Second Key, and save both his own world and the House from the destructive greed of Grim Tuesday." (Source: Publisher's website)
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3y Drowned Wednesday Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2005 Z1167123 2005 single work children's fiction children's fantasy "Arthur Penhaligon has a broken leg and a bad attack of asthma, but there's no time for recovery. Drowned Wednesday has sent a ship to pluck him from the safety of his bed, miles from any ocean, and sail him back to the House. From hospital room to the high seas, Arthur must battle pirates, storms, monsters made of Nothing and a vast beast that can't stop eating. Arthur struggles to unravel the mystery of the Architect's disappearance, and the plotting of the Trustees. For the sake of all that dwell in the Secondary realms, he must discover the third part of the Will and claim the Third Key. But first... can Arthur trust the Raised Rats? Where are Leaf and Suzy? And how will he survive life aboard ship on the treacherous Border Sea?" (Source: Allen & Unwin)
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4y Sir Thursday New York (City) : Scholastic Press , 2006 Z1229990 2006 single work children's fiction children's fantasy When Arthur is drafted into the Glorious Army of the Architect by Sir Thursday, he must survive basic training, avoid getting posted to the Front, and figure out how to free Part Four of the Will, while Leaf tries to banish Arthur's doppleganger on Earth.
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5y Lady Friday New York (City) : Scholastic Press , 2007 Z1350997 2007 single work children's fiction children's fantasy 'Young Arthur Penhaligon must weigh an offer from Lady Friday that is either a cunning trap for the Rightful Heir or a golden opportunity that he must seize.' (Libraries Australia)
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6y Superior Saturday Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2008 Z1508671 2008 single work children's fiction children's fantasy 'Arthur Penhaligan has wrested five of the Keys from their immortal guardians, the Trustees of the Will. But gaining the Sixth Key poses a greater challenge than any he has faced before. Superior Saturday is not just one of the Trustees - she is also the oldest Denizen and the most powerful and knowledgeable sorcerer within the House. She has tens of thousands of sorcerers at her command, and she has been preparing her forces all along for the Will's escape and the activities of the Rightful Heir. As Saturday's schemes become evident, Arthur is beset on all sides. The House is being destroyed, and only the power of the Keys can hold back the tide of destruction. Arthur's home city is under attack. His allies are unreliable. He can't even get into the apparently impregnable Upper House . . . and even if he does, finding the Sixth Part of the Will and gaining the Sixth Key might not be enough to counter Saturday's bid for ultimate power. Can Arthur survive?' (Source: publisher's blurb.)
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7y Lord Sunday Crows Nest : Allen and Unwin , 2010 Z1667367 2010 single work children's fiction children's fantasy
'Master of the Incomparable Gardens, the last of the Trustees, and the most powerful Denizen in the house, Lord Sunday is a fierce opponent. And Arthur is running out of time.
'With everything falling to pieces around him, Arthur must be quick if he is to stem the tide of Nothing and save the House and the Secondary Realms. But he is beset by worries. Will he ever get home to his family? Does he have a home and family left? Is he even really human anymore? And perhaps most urgent of all: What will be revealed when the Will of the Architect is finally made whole?' (From the publisher's website.)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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An Intricate Web : Unweaving Strands of Convention in Children’s Fantasy Series by Australians
2020
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Humanities Review , May no. 66 2020;'Writing in 2012, Edward James comments that ‘one of the most unexpected developments of the last decade has been the domination of the popular fantasy genre by Australian women (and some Australian men)’ (76; see Wilkins 265). This trend has continued in the years since, with authors such as Emily Rodda, Kate Forsyth, Isobelle Carmody, Jessica Townsend, Garth Nix, John Flanagan, Michael Pryor and Jay Kristoff finding success in Australia and internationally. There is, however, very little distinctively ‘Australian’ about fantasy series by these writers, which largely conform to conventions of the genre that prevail internationally. Unlike Australian literary fiction, which values ‘complex’, original books that celebrate distinctive Australian features (Wilkins 267-9), genres such as fantasy value familiarity and commercial viability (Gelder 13-17, 26-7, 41). James argues that many Australian writers ‘have only been a success because they have been able to market their books to publishers in the UK and USA’ (76). Often, the global outlook of Australian genre fiction writers means publishers do not emphasise the Australian identity of these writers, and their books do not include extrinsically Australian features. In the highly commercial genre fiction industry, failure to adhere to the strict, if evolving, conventions that govern book production in a narrative and professional sense can mean that a writer does not get published, or at the least, does not achieve success in the global market.' (Introduction)
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The Children's Book Council of Australia Judges' Report 2011
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Childrens' Book Council of Australia , August vol. 55 no. 3 2011; (p. 5-7) -
Winding Up the Week: An Overview of Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom Series
2010
single work
review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 25 no. 1 2010; (p. 20-21)
— Review of The Keys to the Kingdom 2003 series - author children's fiction -
Curiosity is a Virtue: Interview with Garth Nix
Susan La Marca
(interviewer),
2010
single work
interview
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Autumn vol. 18 no. 1 2010; (p. 8-9) -
Series Complete, but No Rest for the Writer
2010
single work
column
— Appears in: Sunday Canberra Times , 7 February 2010; (p. 28)
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[Review] The Keys to the Kingdom
2004
single work
review
— Appears in: Aurealis : Australian Fantasy and Science Fiction , no. 33/34/35 2004; (p. 264-265)
— Review of The Keys to the Kingdom 2003 series - author children's fiction -
Nix Appeal Takes Off
2005
single work
review
— Appears in: The West Australian , 19 March 2005; (p. 7)
— Review of The Keys to the Kingdom 2003 series - author children's fiction -
Winding Up the Week: An Overview of Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom Series
2010
single work
review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , March vol. 25 no. 1 2010; (p. 20-21)
— Review of The Keys to the Kingdom 2003 series - author children's fiction -
Riding High in Harry Potter's Wake
2006
single work
column
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 25 March 2006; (p. 11-12) -
Series Complete, but No Rest for the Writer
2010
single work
column
— Appears in: Sunday Canberra Times , 7 February 2010; (p. 28) -
Curiosity is a Virtue: Interview with Garth Nix
Susan La Marca
(interviewer),
2010
single work
interview
— Appears in: Viewpoint : On Books for Young Adults , Autumn vol. 18 no. 1 2010; (p. 8-9) -
The Children's Book Council of Australia Judges' Report 2011
2011
single work
column
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Childrens' Book Council of Australia , August vol. 55 no. 3 2011; (p. 5-7) -
An Intricate Web : Unweaving Strands of Convention in Children’s Fantasy Series by Australians
2020
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Humanities Review , May no. 66 2020;'Writing in 2012, Edward James comments that ‘one of the most unexpected developments of the last decade has been the domination of the popular fantasy genre by Australian women (and some Australian men)’ (76; see Wilkins 265). This trend has continued in the years since, with authors such as Emily Rodda, Kate Forsyth, Isobelle Carmody, Jessica Townsend, Garth Nix, John Flanagan, Michael Pryor and Jay Kristoff finding success in Australia and internationally. There is, however, very little distinctively ‘Australian’ about fantasy series by these writers, which largely conform to conventions of the genre that prevail internationally. Unlike Australian literary fiction, which values ‘complex’, original books that celebrate distinctive Australian features (Wilkins 267-9), genres such as fantasy value familiarity and commercial viability (Gelder 13-17, 26-7, 41). James argues that many Australian writers ‘have only been a success because they have been able to market their books to publishers in the UK and USA’ (76). Often, the global outlook of Australian genre fiction writers means publishers do not emphasise the Australian identity of these writers, and their books do not include extrinsically Australian features. In the highly commercial genre fiction industry, failure to adhere to the strict, if evolving, conventions that govern book production in a narrative and professional sense can mean that a writer does not get published, or at the least, does not achieve success in the global market.' (Introduction)
Awards
- 2010 shortlisted YABBA — Fiction for Older Readers
- 2010 shortlisted KOALA Awards — Older Readers