MacRae, Tom 1980–

Personal

Born 1980.

Addresses

Home—West London, England.

Career

Television writer and author of children's fiction. Creator of television program Mile High.

Awards, Honors

British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award, 2002, for "Off Limits: School's Out"; Parents Choice Silver Honor Award, 2006, for The Opposite.

Writings

The Opposite, illustrated by Elena Odriozola, Peachtree (Atlanta, GA), 2006.

Author of teleplay Growing up Gay: School's Out, televised in the United Kingdom, and of television film Marple: At Bertram's Hotel. Author of episodes for television programs including Coming Up, Mayo, and Doctor Who.

Sidelights

Television writer Tom MacRae's work has appeared in a number of popular television series, including the award-winning School's Out and the long-running cult favorite Doctor Who. In 2006, young readers were introduced to MacRae's writing via his first picture book, The Opposite. Brought to life in illustrations by Elena Odriozola, MacRae's tale introduces a young boy

named Nate, who wakes up to find a creature he calls the Opposite staring down at him from the bedroom ceiling. Throughout the day, the Opposite is Ned's constant companion, and it always does the opposite of whatever Nate asks it to do, which often gets Nate into trouble.

Noting that MacRae's story "begins in mesmerizing fashion," Washington Post Book World critic Jabari Asim called The Opposite "a wonderfully off-beat tale." Amanda Craig, writing in the London Times, recommended the book's ability to make young ones giggle, calling it "a little gem of contrariness," and a Publishers Weekly critic praised MacRae for creating a "diverting debut." Kate Kellaway, writing for the London Observer, called the title "a beguiling, wayward book," and School Library Journal reviewer Genevieve Gallagher predicted that The Opposite "would make an interesting choice for storytime or a discussion of opposites."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2006, review of The Opposite, p. 848.

Observer (London, England), April 16, 2006, Kate Kellaway, "The Attraction of Opposite," p. 23.

Publishers Weekly, September 11, 2006, review of The Opposite, p. 54.

School Library Journal, October, 2006, Genevieve Gallagher, review of The Opposite, p. 118.

Sun (London, England), May 10, 2006, Sara Nathan, "My Cyber Nightmare," p. 23.

Times (London, England), March 4, 2006, Amanda Craig, "From the Mundane to the Magical."

Times Educational Supplement, June 16, 2006, Ted Dewan, "The Main Draw," p. 18.

Washington Post Book World, December 10, 2006, Jabari Asim, "Opposites Attract," p. 8.