Patrice Lawrence
Patrice Lawrence was born in Brighton and brought up in an Italian and Trinidadian household. Her first book for young adults, Orangeboy, was shortlisted for the Costa Children’s Book Award and won the Bookseller YA Prize and Waterstone’s Prize for Older Children's Fiction. Indigo Donut, her second book for teenagers, won the Crimefest YA Prize. Both books have been nominated for the Carnegie Medal. Patrice worked for more than 20 years for charities supporting equality and social justice. These themes (along with a serious amount of music) inform her stories. Patrice still lives in Brighton.
Books
Diver’s Daughter: A Tudor Story
Author: Patrice Lawrence
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 9-12
Reading age: 9+
This is a thrilling tale, with the expertly described Tudor world brought to hideous, harsh life with the same verve as Patrice Lawrence’s award winning teen books Indigo Donut and Orangeboy.
Eight Pieces of Silva
Author: Patrice Lawrence
Publisher: Hodder
Interest age: 12-14
Reading age: 12+
When Becks' stepsister doesn't come home after seeing their parents off at the airport, it's down to Becks to figure out where she might have gone. A brilliant read for a teenager.
Granny Ting Ting
Author: Patrice Lawrence Illustrator: Adam Larkum
Publisher: A&C Black (imprint of Bloomsbury)
Interest age: 6-9
Reading age: 5-8
Granny Ting Ting is a delightfully funny story that looks at the cultural differences between two cousins who live in different counties: perfect for early readers and children making the transition from picture books.
Needle
Author: Patrice Lawrence
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 12-13
Reading age: 8-9
How come, if there’s any kind of ‘incident’ at school, at home, at the shopping centre, it’s always the Black kid in care who gets the blame?
Orangeboy
Author: Patrice Lawrence
Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books
Interest age: 15+
Reading age: 13+
A boy that no one notices becomes a target on the run, when a tragic event prompts him to mix with a world of street gangs and drug dealers. This pacey crime thriller feels unique, realistic and truthful.
Rat
Author: Patrice Lawrence
Publisher: Oxford University Press/Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 9-14
Reading age: 10+
Al's mum is back in prison again - and Al thinks it's their neighbour's fault, so he plots revenge with his beloved pet rats, Venom and Vulture. A moving insight into the world of a young boy affected by poverty, neglect and crime, who eventually learns to trust.
Rose, Interrupted
Author: Patrice Lawrence
Publisher: Hodder
Interest age: 13-17
Reading age: 10+
A dramatic, thoughtful and compelling coming-of-age novel, in which 17-year-old Rose must learn to navigate the unspoken rules of a world increasingly focused on social media.
The Elemental Detectives
Author: Patrice Lawrence
Publisher: Scholastic
Interest age: 9-11
Reading age: 8-9
A thrilling adventure, where two Black children battle Elemental spirits to save Georgian London from a sleeping sickness. Inventive and packed with adventure and accessible historical detail.
Toad Attack!
Author: Patrice Lawrence
Illustrator: Becka Moor
Publisher: Barrington Stoke
Interest age: 6-11
Reading age: 6+
Leo is astounded when he is hit on the head by a flying toad on his way to school. His best friend Rosa is excited because one of her two dads is a television presenter and plans to make a nature programme about the pale, yellow amphibians with bulging red eyes. However, the toads have an insatiable appetite and as the town of Upper Dab is besieged by these …