Best Selling Books by Elizabeth Laird

The classic children’s novel of a teenage girl and her special needs brother is “quite simply, a wonderfully moving story about the power of love” (Times Educational Supplement). Twelve-year-old Anna Peacock is looking forward to the birth of her baby brother. But when Ben is born with a rare condition, it is clear that he will never be like other children. Though Anna loves him immensely, she finds herself unable to tell her friends the truth about Ben’s disability. Over the years of Ben’s tragically short life, Anna’s perspective matures and changes. When the truth does come out, it leads not to the ridicule she once expected, but to sympathy and understanding. Highly commended for the Carnegie Medal, Elizabeth Laird’s Red Sky in the Morning is a heartfelt tale of love, loss, family and friendship. “A wry first-person narrative . . . . Discussion of handicaps, death and bereavement, and religious belief are carefully integrated into the story.” —School Library Journal

A Little Piece Of Ground will help young readers understand more about one of the worst conflicts afflicting our world today. Written by Elizabeth Laird, one of Great Britain’s best-known young adult authors, A Little Piece Of Ground explores the human cost of the occupation of Palestinian lands through the eyes of a young boy. Twelve-year-old Karim Aboudi and his family are trapped in their Ramallah home by a strict curfew. In response to a Palestinian suicide bombing, the Israeli military subjects the West Bank town to a virtual siege. Meanwhile, Karim, trapped at home with his teenage brother and fearful parents, longs to play football with his friends. When the curfew ends, he and his friend discover an unused patch of ground that’s the perfect site for a football pitch. Nearby, an old car hidden intact under bulldozed building makes a brilliant den. But in this city there’s constant danger, even for schoolboys. And when Israeli soldiers find Karim outside during the next curfew, it seems impossible that he will survive. This powerful book fills a substantial gap in existing young adult literature on the Middle East. With 23,000 copies already sold in the United Kingdom and Canada, this book is sure to find a wide audience among young adult readers in the United States.

Welcome to Nowhere is a powerful and beautifully written story about the life of one family caught up in civil war by the award-winning author Elizabeth Laird, shortlisted for the Scottish Teen Book Award and winner of the UKLA Book Award. Twelve-year-old Omar and his brothers and sisters were born and raised in the beautiful and bustling city of Bosra, Syria. Omar doesn''t care about politics - all he wants is to grow up to become a successful businessman who will take the world by storm. But when his clever older brother, Musa, gets mixed up with some young political activists, everything changes . . . Before long, bombs are falling, people are dying, and Omar and his family have no choice but to flee their home with only what they can carry. Yet no matter how far they run, the shadow of war follows them - until they have no other choice than to attempt the dangerous journey to escape their homeland altogether. But where do you go when you can''t go home? ''[Sings] with truth'' - The Times ''A muscular, moving, thought-provoking book'' - Guardian ''Humane and empathetic . . . an effective call to action'' - The Sunday Times ''Powerful, heart-breaking and compelling'' - Scotsman

Eleven-year-old Solomon loves to run! The great athletes of the Ethiopian national team are his heroes and he dreams that one day he will be a gold-medal-winning athlete like them, in spite of his ragged shorts and bare feet. When his grandfather announces that he''s going to take Solomon to Addis Ababa, Solomon cannot believe his ears. A trip to the capital? It''s unfathomable. Solomon''s joy is increased when he realizes that the Ethiopian running team will be doing a victory parade through the city that day. Maybe he''ll get a glimpse of Haile Gebrselassie or Derartu Tulu?! But Solomon''s grandfather has other plans. As Solomon follows him through the big, overwhelming streets, he learns something he cannot believe. The strict old man is a war hero who once risked his life to save a friend and has been in hiding ever since. When grandfather collapses, Solomon knows that getting help from his village is up to him. It''s a twenty-mile run from the city to home, and grandfather''s life hangs in the balance. Can the small bare-footed runner with the big heart do it? Shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, The Fastest Boy in the World by Elizabeth Laird is the inspiring story of a small Ethiopian runner with a very big heart.

Inspired by the true story of an African childhood lived on the edge of destitution, award-winning Elizabeth Laird''s The Garbage King takes readers on an unforgettable emotional journey. When Mamo''s mother dies, he is abandoned in the shanties of Addis Ababa. Stolen by a child-trafficker and sold to a farmer, he is cruelly treated. Escaping back to the city, he meets another, very different runaway. Dani is rich, educated - and fleeing his tyrannical father. Together they join a gang of homeless street boys who survive only by mutual bonds of trust and total dependence on each other.

Crusade is a richly detailed historical adventure, from Carnegie shortlisted author, Elizabeth Laird. Two boys. Two faiths. One unholy war . . . When Adam''s mother dies unconfessed, he pledges to save her soul with dust from the Holy Land. Employed as a dog-boy for the local knight, Adam grabs the chance to join the Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem. He burns with determination to strike down the infidel enemy . . . Salim, a merchant''s son, is leading an uneventful life in the port of Acre - until news arrives that a Crusader attack is imminent. To keep Salim safe, his father buys him an apprenticeship with an esteemed, travelling doctor. But Salim''s employment leads him to the heart of Sultan Saladin''s camp - and into battle against the barbaric and unholy invaders . . .

Inspired by award-winning author Elizabeth Laird''s own childhood growing up in post-war London, The Misunderstandings of Charity Brown is a classic coming-of-age story, perfect for fans of The Skylarks'' War and I Capture the Castle. Charity Brown’s life is about to change – her family have been left a huge, rambling house by a mysterious benefactor, and her parents want to move in and throw open its doors to the needy. Only recently back from hospital after months of isolation with polio, Charity is over-protected and lonely as the only child still at home. Her family are very religious – her sisters are called Faith and Hope, and her brother Ted is studying to be a preacher – so she''s both excited and nervous at the thought of sharing her family and new home with strangers. It’s a recipe for confusion, joy and endless misunderstandings, including with the new neighbours, an Austrian family with a daughter just Charity’s age . . .

Everyone knows the devil is real. Everyone knows that witches exist. Everyone knows that saying the wrong thing can get you hanged . . . When fourteen-year-old Maggie''s grandmother is accused of witchcraft, Maggie has to run for her life. But Scotland is in the grip of terror and Maggie runs straight into danger, falling into the hands of the English. Defying the king can be deadly, but falling in line is unthinkable. Maggie must learn to stand up for herself if she is to survive . . . The Witching Hour is a gripping tale of persecution in 17th century Scotland by Elizabeth Laird.

When twelve-year-old John Barr is forced to join the navy his life takes a dangerous turn. As he trains to become a powder monkey on board the mighty HMS Fearless, he soon learns that the ship hides many secrets. Thrust into a sinister world of spies and covert operations, John must go ashore accompanied by fellow shipmate Kit. But when their mission goes awry, the friends are abandoned and watch from the shore as the Fearless sail away. Can they now survive behind enemy lines? Secrets of the Fearless is a heart-stopping naval adventure of spies and secrets on the high seas.

Kiss the Dust by Elizabeth Laird is an unforgettable, award-winning novel of conflict, persecution and the hardships faced by refugees. Tara is an ordinary teenager. Although her country, Kurdistan, is caught up in a war, the fighting seems far away. It hasn''t really touched her. Until now. The secret police are closing in. Tara and her family must flee to the mountains with only the few things they can carry. It is a hard and dangerous journey - but their struggles have only just begun. Will anywhere feel like home again?

In 1967, at the age of 23, Elizabeth Laird set off for Addis Ababa to take up her first teaching post. She was introduced to Haile Selassie, made a pilgrimage across the mountains on foot to the ancient city of Lalibela, hitched a ride on an oil tanker across the Danakil Desert, and was arrested for a murder she had not committed. Back in Britain, Laird established herself as a major author of fiction for children and young adults, but she always wanted to return to Ethiopia. Her chance came in the late 1990s, when the British Council in Addis Ababa invited her to collect folk stories from every region of the country. Encountering ex-guerrilla fighters, camel traders, Coptic nuns and tribespeople en route, Laird has written a remarkable account of her journey interwoven with a treasure trove of stories featuring princes and maidens, snakes and lions, zombies and hyena-women.

Paradise End by Elizabeth Laird, author of The Fastest Boy in the World, is the story of an unlikely friendship between two girls who both long for a different life. Carly often finds herself gazing through the gates of Paradise End. She fantasizes about discovering that she was swapped at birth, and is in fact the rightful owner of the beautiful, empty mansion. She longs to escape the three-bedroom semi she shares with her ordinary parents, her revolting brother and annoying sister, to go and live in the palatial luxury of the fascinating house. Then she meets Tia, the daughter of the new tenant of Paradise End, and Carly begins to realize that life behind the impressive pillars and long, elegant windows isn''t anything like her dream.

What''s the good in keeping secrets? Secret Friends is a heartbreaking story about friendship and bullying from the multi-award-winning Elizabeth Laird. Rafaella doesn''t find it easy to make friends. She looks and feels different from the others at school. And Lucy is the first to tease, the first to call her ''Earwig'', until they get to know one another and Lucy sees that Rafaella is full of hopes and ideas, just like she is. Lucy loves keeping her own secret friend, until tragedy strikes and secrets can''t be kept any longer. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and the Children''s Book Award and reissued with gorgeous illustrations, more than twenty years after first publication, Elizabeth Laird''s moving and unflinching novella brings home the crucial importance of cultivating empathy in young people. ''[A] humane and honest story. It conveys so much, so simply and so well'' Scotsman ''[A] fine weepy with a moral, about the dangers of playground cliquishness and cruelty'' The Sunday Times

''It''s good that I''ve found this secret place . . . No one can get to to me up there. It''s totally safe.'' In real life, Jake is never safe. He lives in constant fear of his mother''s violent boyfriend. But in his imaginary tower he can dream up his own father - the stranger who gave him a cuddle and a fluffy duck the day he was born and went away for ever. Jake doesn''t believe dreams ever come true. But sometimes they do - in strange and surprising ways. Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, Jake''s Tower by Elizabeth Laird is a powerful and moving novel that spotlights the issue of domestic abuse.

A House Without Walls is a powerful story of family, hope and redemption amidst the refugee crisis in Syria from the award-winning Elizabeth Laird, illustrated by Lucy Eldridge. Thirteen-year-old Safiya and her family have been driven out of Syria by civil war. Safiya knows how lucky she is – lucky not to be living in a refugee camp, lucky to be alive. But it''s hard to feel grateful when she''s forced to look after her father and brother rather than go back to school, and now that she''s lost her home, she''s lonelier than ever. As they struggle to rebuild their lives, Safiya realizes that her family has always been incomplete and with her own future in the balance, it''s time to uncover the secrets that war has kept buried.

A story of separation and the strength of family, Lost Riders is a powerful and thought-provoking novel from award-winning author Elizabeth Laird. Taken from their home in Pakistan to work in the Persian Gulf, eight-year-old Rashid and his little brother Shari cling to each other. Then they are separated and forced to become jockeys in the lucrative camel-racing business. Rashid is starved and worked to exhaustion by harsh supervisors - but he has a talent for racing and quickly becomes his stable''s star jockey. Soon he begins to forget what life was like when he had a proper home. He almost begins to forget about Shari . . .

Faces of the USA introduces you to Americans from all walks of life and from all major regions of the U.S. In lively and informative reading passages, suitable for students at intermediate level, Faes of the U.S.A. gives you real insight into the lives of individual Americans and into American Society.

Anna''s teen years bring maturity and fulfillment as she experiences the birth and death of a loved and loving hydrocephalic brother, changing ideas about character in both boyfriends and girlfriends, and working with a child with Down''s syndrome.

Finn has always been different, and in the tiny fishing village of Stromhead he sticks out like a sore thumb. Always told to keep away from the water, he''s felt that something was missing until one day he dives in and finds that, swimming with the dolphins, he feels completely at home. But his new friends are in danger of being injured by the rubbish that floats out into the water - and now a supermarket is going to release thousands of balloons that could drift out to sea and cause even more damage. Desperate to help the dolphins, Finn goes to the Lighthouse Crew, a group of kids who have always left Finn out. Will they be able to set aside their differences to save the dolphins? And what will Finn discover about his past along the way? A moving adventure about the impact of plastic pollution on our seas, and the campaigning power of friendship from the award-winning Elizabeth Laird, illustrated by Peter Bailey. ''Song of the Dolphin Boy is such a beautiful, important, heartfelt book. I loved every page'' Lauren St John ''A lively and inspiring tale of village life and the dangers to wildlife of releasing balloons'' The Sunday Times

Oranges in No Man''s Land brings Elizabeth Laird''s emotional and gripping adventure to her next generation of fans. Since her father left Lebanon to find work and her mother tragically died in a shell attack, ten-year-old Ayesha has been living in the bomb-ravaged city of Beirut with her granny and her two younger brothers. The city has been torn in half by civil war and a desolate, dangerous no man''s land divides the two sides. Only militiamen and tanks dare enter this deadly zone, but when Granny falls desperately ill, Ayesha sets off on a terrifying journey to reach a doctor living in enemy territory.

Jenny takes her new puppy, Toto, to the circus. Suddenly there''s a whooosh and the circus cannon goes off... Where''s Toto now?! Find out in this exciting story - in Spanish and English. Includes parallel text, speech bubbles, guidance for readers and a quiz to check understanding.

The British Army is circling the stronghold of the King of Abyssinia. Its mission is to rescue the British Envoy, held prisoner. Watching with terror and awe is the king''s young son, Alamayu. He knows that his father is as brave as a lion, but the fighting is cruel and efficient. By the time it is over, Alamayu is left without parents, throne or friends. In a misguided attempt to care for him, the British take Alamayu to England. There he is befriended by the Queen herself and enrolled at Rugby College to become a ''proper'' English gentleman. What the English see as an honour is, to this lonely Ethiopian prince, terrifying and brutal. The Prince Who Walked With Lions is Alamayu''s story, seen through his eyes: the battle, the journey to England and the trauma of an English public school as he tries to come to terms with the hand that fate has dealt him, skillfully told by Elizabeth Laird.

Gavin''s visit to his grandmother turns into a desperate race to find her before it is too late! An action-packed graphic novel.

Jenny takes her new puppy, Toto, to the circus. Suddenly there''s a whooosh and the circus cannon goes off... Where''s Toto now?! Find out in this exciting story - in French and English. Includes parallel text, speech bubbles, guidance for readers and a quiz to check understanding.

In seventeenth-century Scotland, sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair is sentenced to be hanged as a witch but escapes to the home of her uncle, placing him and his family in great danger as she risks her life to save them all from the King''s men.

Two Crafty Jackals is a series of nested tales within tales illustrating examples of right or wrong behaviour that lead to good or bad results. Dimnah the jackal seeks to destroy the friendship between the King of Lions and Shanzabeh the bull out of jealousy and then must face the consequences.

Peter Castle, on holiday in France with his parents, gets left behind by mistake and finds himself without food, money or means of communication. Elizabeth Laird is the author of Kiss the Dust, winner of the Children''s Book of the Year in 1991.

Bored with her little brother Pog''s childish games, Dindy decides that she''s finally grown-up enough for a real adventure. While her mother is sleeping and the servants are busy, she takes Pog deep into the tea gardens, a place they are never supposed to go alone. Terrified by wild animals and snubbed by the local children, Dindy starts to realize how little she really knows about India, even though it''s the only place she''s ever called home. But little does she know her life is about to be turned upside down when her mother is taken ill and her father tells her they are leaving India, for good. Dindy and the Elephant by Elizabeth Laird is a wonderful portrait of a young British child coming to terms with leaving her beloved childhood home, while at the same time realizing that many of the things she has been raised to believe are wrong.

Gavin is stuck with taking his little brother Jamie to the park. The only thing worse than looking after Jamie is losing him! Gavin reckons Jamie''s been kidnapped by the ice-cream lady, and it''s up to him to get Jamie back. Suggested level: primary.

Patch, a young sheep dog, becomes a guard dog when farmer Stan''s little red tractor, Duncan, has an accident.

Whether at work or at play--these cuddly bears will provide children hours offun and teach such fundamental skills as counting and rhyming.

This is a Beginner Level story in a series of ELT readers comprising a wide range of titles - some original and some simplified - from modern and classic novels, and designed to appeal to all age-groups, tastes and cultures. The books are divided into five levels: Starter Level, with about 300 basic words; Beginner Level (600 basic words); Elementary Level (1100); Intermediate Level (1600); and Upper Level (2200). Some of the titles are also available on cassette.