Elizabeth Laird
Elizabeth Laird is the award-winning author of many highly acclaimed novels. She has written over 30 books for children on a broad range of subjects, from historical adventures to real life stories, picture books to retelling of folk tales. She has won many awards, including the Children's Book Award for Kiss the Dust, the Smarties Young Judges Award, and the Lancashire Book Award. Elizabeth has been shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal five times as well as every other major children’s book award.
Books
A Little Piece of Ground
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
Interest age: 12-14
Reading age: 12+
A Little Piece of Ground cleverly combines an exciting story with pressing political issues and as such is sure to encourage passionate debate.
Crusade
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
Interest age: 12+
Reading age: 9+
Adam and Salim find themselves part of opposing armies in the Europe-wide Christian crusade against Sultan Saladin's Islamic empire.
Jake's Tower
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
Interest age: 9-12
Reading age: 10+
Jake lives a dismal life with his mother and Steve, his extremely violent stepfather. His only refuge is his imagination and he dreams of living in a secluded tower on an island.
Lost Riders
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Interest age: 11+
Reading age: 9+
A powerful and challenging story, this title is ideal for children with an interest in social issues and the lives of others across the world.
Oranges in No Man's Land
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Interest age: 8+
Reading age: 9+
Ayesha and her young brothers find themselves refugees in a bombed out flat in Beirut with only an elderly grandmother to care for them.
Secret Friends
Author: Elizabeth Laird Illustrator: Jason Cockcroft
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Interest age: 7-11
Reading age: 8+
Rafaella suffers daily name-calling from her peers. Lucy feels partly responsible, having herself invented the nickname 'Earwig' as a result of Rafaella’s prominent ears.
Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings
Author: Elizabeth Laird Illustrator: Shirin Adl
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Interest age: 7+
Reading age: 8+
Shahnameh is an ancient Persian poem comprising a collection of stories, myths and legends which have been retold for over a thousand years.
The Garbage King
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Macmillan Children's books
Interest age: 10+
Reading age: 10+
This pacy coming-of-age adventure concentrates on the private hopes, dreams and feelings that drive its characters along, but also keeps enough sense of the gritty realities of street life.
The Listener
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: A C Black
Interest age: 9-12
Reading age: 9+
A story about a young boy who is sent to stay with his Gran for the weekend when he would rather be at a football match with his friend watching his hero making his debut.
Welcome to Nowhere
Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Interest age: 11+
Reading age: 9+
Omar doesn't know much about politics, nor does he care, however, when his older brother, Musa, throws his lot in with the student opposition to the government, everything changes.