Alan Gibbons
Alan Gibbons has been writing children's books for 17 years. He is the winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2000 'The book I couldn't put down' for his best-selling book Shadow of the Minotaur. He has also been shortlisted twice for the Carnegie Medal and twice for the Book Trust Teenage Prize. He has won the Catalyst Award, the Leicester Book of the Year, the Angus Book of the Year, the Stockport Book Award and the Salford Librarians' Special Award. His books have been published in languages including Japanese, German, Italian, French, Thai, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Swedish.
Alan was a teacher for 16 years. He is now is a full-time writer and independent educational consultant and a campaigner for library services. He lives in Liverpool.
Books
An Act of Love
Author: Alan Gibbons
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Interest age: 13-16
Reading age: 11+
A hard-hitting, contemporary novel exploring issues of religion, ethnicity, friendship, family, duty and democracy from two different perspectives.
Caught in the Crossfire
Author: Alan Gibbons
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 12+
Oakfield is a town of white and Asian ghettos. The Patriotic Party wants a whites-only England and to this end incites race war.
Dream Team
Author: Alan Gibbons
Illustrator: Chris Chalik
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
Football action in a super-readable format. Can soccer ace Cairo forget his ego and lead his team to victory? Packed with fascinating facts about the greatest footballers in the world, the book also includes dynamic black-and-white illustrations.
Hate
Author: Alan Gibbons
Publisher: Indigo
Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 9+
A hard-hitting story about love and hate, prejudice and forgiveness, inspired by a real event.
Hold On
Author: Alan Gibbons
Publisher: Hachette
Interest age: 11+
Reading age: 11+
After a chance meeting with John on holiday in Florida, Annie realises that he sees her as a lifeline against the relentless bullying he suffers at school.
Home Ground
Author: Alan Gibbons
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Sam’s football team is second to last in their league and desperate not to be relegated. They try really hard but have barely won a game all season and Jordan, their captain, isn’t much of a team player, fighting his own team and blaming them for their poor record.
When Sam recruits skilled players Hasan and Faisal to join the team, it looks like their luck …
Raining Fire
Author: Alan Gibbons
Publisher: Indigo
Interest age: 14+
Reading age: 14+
Ethan hopes to escape his life on an inner-city estate, dominated by gangs. But when his brother is charged with assualt, Ethan finds himself drawn into a dangerous situation.
Shadow of the Minotaur
Author: Alan Gibbons
Publisher: Hachette
Interest age: 10-14
Reading age: 11+
Combining Greek mythology with modern technology, Alan Gibbons creates an exciting fantasy adventure.
The Edge
Author: Alan Gibbons
Publisher: Hachette
Interest age: 11+
Reading age: 10+
Danny and his mother Cathy are on the run from her abusive boyfriend, Chris. They go back to the Edge, Cathy's childhood home, which she left after having Danny at the age of sixteen.