Most Popular Books by Elizabeth Laird

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of Welcome to Nowhere, with a cover illustration by Maria Brzozowska, an updated author letter and additional content from the author, including discussion notes. A must-read modern classic, this is a beautifully written story about the life of one family caught up in civil war, illustrated throughout in black-and-white by Lucy Eldridge. 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? This edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An author letter by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of Kiss the Dust, with a cover illustration by Roshi Rouzbehani, an author letter and additional content from the author, including discussion notes. A must-read modern classic, this 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, and 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? This edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An introduction by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

A gritty, deeply moving story that shows how the human spirit can triumph in the harshest of worlds.

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of The Fastest Boy in the World, with a cover illustration by Zeamanuel Abera, an updated author letter and additional content from the author, including discussion notes. This must-read modern classic was shortlisted for the CLPE Carnegie Medal and includes black and white illustrations by Peter Bailey. Eleven-year-old Solomon loves to run; he dreams that one day he will be a gold-medal-winning athlete, in spite of his ragged shorts and bare feet. When his grandfather announces that he''s going to take Solomon to Ethiopia''s capital, Addis Ababa, Solomon cannot believe his ears. And he is even more excited to hear that the Ethiopian running team will be doing a victory parade through the city that day! But then Solomon''s grandfather collapses – and Solomon knows that getting help from his village is up to him. It''s a twenty-mile run from the city to home, and his grandfather''s life hangs in the balance. Can the small, bare-footed runner with the big heart make the journey? This edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An introduction by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of Song of the Dolphin Boy. This moving adventure about the impact of plastic pollution on our seas is must-read modern classic. Finn has always been different, and in the tiny Scottish fishing village of Stromhead he sticks out like a sore thumb. Until one day he dives into the ocean 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? With a cover illustration by Shonagh Rae and inside illustrations by Peter Bailey, this edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An author letter by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

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.

''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.

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.

From award-winning and beloved childrens author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of A House Without Walls. With a cover illustration by Maria Brzozowska, an updated author letter and additional content from the author, including discussion notes. A must-read modern classic, this is the powerful story of family, hope and redemption amidst the refugee crisis in Syria, illustrated in black and white 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, and lucky to be alive. But it''s hard to feel grateful when she''s living in a tent in her cousin''s yard, 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 the family 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. This edition includes brilliant extra material, such as: - An author letter by Elizabeth Laird - Extra content from the author, including reading group questions

From award-winning and beloved children''s author Elizabeth Laird comes a stunning edition of My Enemy, My Friend, with a cover illustration by Shahar Kober. A must-read modern classic, this is richly detailed historical adventure about two boys coming together from opposing sides of a war. 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. When Adam''s and Salim''s paths come together, they are forced to reevaluate everything they thought they knew about the enemy . . . My Enemy, My Friend has previously been published as Crusade.

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.

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.

An Ethiopian retelling of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus illustrated with traditional works of art.