Ellie Ment

Ellie doesn’t believe in magic, she believes in science.
But science is magic!

Ellie Ment and the Material Matter

Released TODAY (June 26th 2025)

Order Now

Learn More

“Edutainment at its finest—exciting, funny, and impossible to put down!”

- Chris Riches, Daily Express

"Brilliantly clever!

Pure scientific magic!"

- John Ward, The Star

“Encourages kids to think deeply, explore bravely, and believe their questions matter.”"

- Will Barker, The Sun

Explore:

Stanley Johnson Foreword

Audiobook

(coming soon)

Mission

Ellie Ment and the Material Matter is an energetic, STEM-driven fantasy adventure that fuses real science with fast-paced storytelling and environmental themes.

Magic isn’t science, but science is magic.

The first book follows 11-year-old Ellie Ment, a fiercely curious and resourceful science whizz, whose life is upended when she witnesses her school burn down in mysterious purple flames. Shortly after, her favourite teacher—Professor Fialova—entrusts her with a secret pair of Elemental Bracers: scientifically engineered wrist devices that allow the user to summon, manipulate, and interact with elements such as Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, and more.

But Ellie soon discovers that her gift is part of a much larger mystery. As she learns to master her new skills, she becomes embroiled in a hidden world where environmental threats, corporate secrets, and scientific wonders collide. Along the way, she’s joined by her inventive best friend Michael Upperton, a passionate upcycler and musician, who must find his own way to contribute, even without the Bracers.

Through humour, daring experiments, quantum echoes, and thrilling missions, Ellie must navigate the tension between the idealism of youth and the pragmatism of adults—and figure out whether real change is possible when the world seems stacked against her.

Key Themes

STEM

Adventure

Introduces children to real scientific concepts (elements, compounds, chemical reactions, quantum superposition) through thrilling, accessible storytelling.

Friendship and Teamwork

Ellie and Michael's frienship highlights the importance of diverse talents—science and art, logic and creativity—working together toward a bigger goal. There isn’t just one type of ‘smart’.

The

Environment

Tackles real-world issues like microplastic pollution, unsustainable industry practices, and the importance of circularity.

Courage and Curiosity

The bravery to ask questions, experiment, and stand up for what’s right underpins Ellie’s journey.

Youth Empowerment

Ellie symbolises the next generation challenging the old way of doing things. The story explores the frustration and hope young people experience when confronting adult compromise.

"Edutainment at its Finest"

Chris Riches and the Daily Express says it the best... "Edutainment at its finest - exciting, funny and impossible to put down!"

Tone and Narrative Style

Playful, witty, and self-aware.
The narrator often breaks the fourth wall with cheeky asides, drawing the reader deeper into the adventure.
The tone balances humour and high-stakes tension, keeping younger readers excited while introducing meaningful messages.
Ellie’s failures, experiments, and messy victories are relatable and inspiring for a generation taught that progress is built on persistence.

Scientific and Educational Foundations

The Elemental Bracers are grounded in real atomic theory and chemical science.
Concepts such as compounds, states of matter, reaction chains, the conservation of mass, and quantum mechanics (especially quantum superposition and the observer effect) are woven into the story naturally.
Ellie Ment makes science fun, magical, and powerful—without distorting the real-world possibilities of STEM.

Book 1 - Fact file:

Pages: ~320 (depending on edition)
Words: ~70,000
Author: Bertie Stephens
Editor: Lil Chase
Publisher: The Clean Planet Foundation
Foreword: Stanley Johnson
Cover Art: Farras Raihan
Chapter Art: Milena Vieira
Target Audience: Middle-grade readers (9–14 years), STEM-curious, environmentally-minded young readers, plus their parents too!
Series? Yes - Six book series, plus companion books.
First Book: Ellie Ment and the Material Matter

Brilliantly clever! Pure scientific magic!

John Ward

The Star

Edutainment at its finest—exciting, funny, and impossible to put down!

Daily Express

Chris Riches

You’ll want to share it with every kid you know

—and secretly keep one for yourself

Female First

Science is just one kind of smart.

This book celebrates every kind.

The London Economic

Encourages kids to think deeply, explore bravely, and believe their questions matter.

Will Barker

The Sun

“...This book pulls off something quite remarkable. It makes science genuinely exciting, the problems facing our world accessible, and environmental responsibility fun....”

Stanley Johnson

Book Sample

"Ellie Ment and the Material Matter is a brilliant fusion of education and entertainment, making complex scientific concepts accessible and exciting through Ellie’s infectious enthusiasm.

Bertie Stephens’ storytelling, paired with a cast of relatable characters, creates a narrative that is both thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud fun.

The environmental themes, underscored by the Clean Planet Foundation’s mission, resonate deeply, urging young readers to question systems and take action.

I highly recommend this book to young readers and adults alike who love science, adventure, and stories that inspire courage and curiosity.

The story blends quantum physics, environmental activism, and youthful rebellion, and leads to a thrilling cliffhanger with a neon green sky.

This is a must-read that will leave you eagerly awaiting Ellie’s next move. Ellie has more adventures to come!"

Cherubimaris Casino, for Readers' Favorite

Ellie perfectly embodies the children of the STEM generation as she regularly engages in scientific observation and experimentation that would often be considered far beyond her years....

...A brilliant beginning to a series that promises many more adventures, Ellie's quest to protect the planet earns five out of five stars for storytelling excellence. Read In Full

Dakota Love, for Reedsy Discovery

Foreword by Stanley Johnson

Stanley Johnson—renowned environmentalist, former MEP, and founder of Europe’s first Environmental Action Programme—provides the foreword for Ellie Ment and the Material Matter.

Johnson praises the novel’s ability to make science exciting and accessible while handling deep environmental and ethical themes through story, not lectures.

He notes the book’s exceptional balance of idealism and pragmatism, its relevance to real-world ecological challenges, and its capacity to inspire action and curiosity in young readers.

Read the Foreword