Elizabeth Laird Books In Order

Zippi & Zac Books In Order

  1. Arctic Blues (1989)
  2. The Grand Ostrich Ball (1989)
  3. Gopher Gold (1989)
  4. High Flyers (1989)
  5. Kookaburra Cackles (1990)
  6. Peacock Palace Scoop (1990)
  7. Zippi and Zac and the Grand Ostrich Ball (1991)
  8. Dolly Rockers (1992)
  9. Pandemonium (1992)

Wild Things Books In Order

  1. Baboon Rock (1999)
  2. Leopard Trail (1999)
  3. Elephant Thunder (1999)
  4. Rhino Fire (1999)
  5. Red Wolf (1999)
  6. Zebra Storm (1999)
  7. Parrot Rescue (2000)
  8. Turtle Reef (2000)
  9. Chimp Escape (2000)
  10. Lion Pride (2000)

Novels

  1. Red Sky in the Morning (1988)
  2. Crackers (1989)
  3. Arcadia (1990)
  4. Kiss the Dust (1991)
  5. Pink Ghost of Lamont (1991)
  6. Hiding Out (1993)
  7. Secret Friends (1996)
  8. The Listener (1997)
  9. Jay (1997)
  10. Forbidden Ground (1997)
  11. On the Run (1997)
  12. Karen and the Artist (1999)
  13. Eddy and the Movie Star (1999)
  14. Jake’s Tower (2001)
  15. The Ice Cream Swipe (2003)
  16. The Garbage King (2003)
  17. A Little Piece of Ground (2003)
  18. Paradise End (2004)
  19. Secrets of The Fearless (2005)
  20. Oranges in No Man’s Land (2006)
  21. Crusade (2007)
  22. Lost Riders (2008)
  23. The Witching Hour (2009)
  24. The Betrayal of Maggie Blair (2011)
  25. The Prince Who Walked With Lions (2012)
  26. The Fastest Boy in the World (2014)
  27. Dindy and the Elephant (2015)
  28. Welcome to Nowhere (2017)
  29. Song of the Dolphin Boy (2018)
  30. A House Without Walls (2019)
  31. The Misunderstandings of Charity Brown (2022)

Collections

  1. Best of Friends (1997)
  2. Hot Rock Mountain (2004)
  3. A Fistful of Pearls (2008)
  4. Pea Boy (2009)
  5. The Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (2012)
  6. The Lure of the Honey Bird (2013)
  7. Two Crafty Jackals (2014)
  8. A Wisp of Wisdom (2016)

Picture Books

  1. Anna and the Fighter (1977)
  2. The Garden (1979)
  3. Big Green Star (1982)
  4. Blanket House (1982)
  5. The Doctor’s Bag (1982)
  6. Jumper (1982)
  7. The Miracle Child (1985)
  8. Cubby Bears Go Camping (1986)
  9. The Cubby Bears Go On the River (1986)
  10. Cubby Bears Go Shopping (1986)
  11. Cubby Bears’ Birthday Party (1986)
  12. The Dark Forest (1986)
  13. Long House in Danger (1986)
  14. You and Me (1986)
  15. Clara (1986)
  16. Heavy and Light (1987)
  17. Hot and Cold (1987)
  18. Light and Dark (1987)
  19. Wet and Dry (1987)
  20. The Inside Outing (1987)
  21. Prayers for Children (1987)
  22. The Road to Bethlehem (1987)
  23. Busy Day (1987)
  24. Time for Fun (1987)
  25. Work and Play (1987)
  26. Sid and Sadie (1988)
  27. Hymns for Children (1988)
  28. The Chunky Bears’ Busy Day (1988)
  29. The Chunky Bears Go Camping (1989)
  30. The Chunky Bears Go on the River (1989)
  31. The Chunky Bears’ Birthday Party (1989)
  32. The Chunky Bears Go Shopping (1989)
  33. Graces for Children (1989)
  34. Sugar and Candy (1989)
  35. The Day Patch Stood Guard (1990)
  36. The Day Sidney Was Lost (1990)
  37. The Day the Ducks Went Skating (1990)
  38. The Day Veronica Was Nosy (1990)
  39. Fireman Sam and the Missing Key (1990)
  40. Dead Man’s River (1990)
  41. Simon and the Spy (1990)
  42. Big Drip (1991)
  43. The Day Sidney Ran Off (1991)
  44. Desert Island Ducks (1991)
  45. Highland Fling (1991)
  46. Snail’s Tale (1991)
  47. Stinker Muggles and the Dazzle Bug (1995)
  48. Anita’s Big Day (1996)
  49. A Funny Sort of Dog (1997)
  50. Ruff (1997)
  51. Gabriel’s Feather (1998)
  52. King of the Supermarket (1999)
  53. A Book of Promises (1999)
  54. The Great Big Enormous Turnip (2000)
  55. The Little Red Hen (2000)
  56. The Christmas Gift (2002)
  57. Beautiful Bananas (2004)
  58. Jungle School (2006)
  59. Grobblechops (2019)
  60. Gloria’s Porridge (2021)
  61. The Name Game (2022)

Novellas

  1. House On the Hill (1978)
  2. The Earthquake (2018)

Anthologies edited

  1. Best Stories for Seven Year Olds (1996)
  2. When the World Began (2000)
  3. The Ogress and the Snake (2009)

Zippi & Zac Book Covers

Wild Things Book Covers

Novels Book Covers

Collections Book Covers

Picture Books Book Covers

Novellas Book Covers

Anthologies edited Book Covers

Elizabeth Laird Books Overview

Red Sky in the Morning

‘It is, quite simply, a wonderfully moving story’ ‘TES.’ I sometimes wonder if I would have loved Ben quite so much if Mum hadn’t shown me his feet first. She lifted up the edge of his coverlet, and I saw his tiny, perfect miniature toes, pink as shells, soft as petals. I hadn’t ever seen anything so beautiful in my whole life. Anna adores her new baby brother. But when she tells her friends about him, Anna can’t quite bring herself to explain that he’s different. Ben is profoundly disabled and he brings a joy to Anna’s life that changes it for ever…

Kiss the Dust

Because the Iraqi secret police are looking for her father, Tara Hawrami and her family must flee the only home they have ever known and live in a brutal refugee camp. ‘An important contribution to the growing number of refugee stories.’ Kirkus Reviews, pointered review. An ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

Secret Friends

On the first day of secondary school, Lucy calls Rafaella ‘Earwig’ because her name sounds funny and her ears stick out. She regrets her words as soon as they leave her mouth, but now all the other kids are teasing Rafaella, too. Secretly Lucy becomes friends with Rafaella. But by the time Lucy decides to bring their friendship out into the open, a tragedy has occurred: one that may have been avoided if only Lucy had the guts to stand up for her friend.

The Listener

Gavin does not want to spend the weekend at his grandmother’s house, as it means missing Johnny Mason make his debut for Sunley United. When he arrives though, he soon forgets all about the football match because she is missing and there is a trail of footsteps leading into the woods.

Karen and the Artist

Karen is an air hostess. Her work takes her to many cities. In Rome she finds some beautiful paintings by a poor, unknown artist, Antonio Brunetti. Like her father, Karen knows a lot about art. She decides to help Antonio. Selling the paintings of an unknown artist isn’t easy, but Karen knows a way…

The Garbage King

This is the story of children who live on the very edge of destitution. Dani and Mamo, and the gang of street boys that they join, have nothing and share everything. Their courage, loyalty and determination enable them to survive in the harshest of worlds.

A Little Piece of Ground

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.

Secrets of The Fearless

At 12 years old, John Barr is cruelly separated from his father and pressganged into the Navy. Now a powder monkey onboard the mighty HMS Fearless, John has his first taste of bloody sea battle and soon learns that the ship hides many secrets. His new knowledge thrusts John into a shadowy world of naval espionage, right to the centre of a covert operation. Accompanied only by fellow shipmate, Kit, he must go ashore into hostile territory and outwit a nest of French spies. But when disaster strikes, the friends find themselves abandoned behind enemy lines…

Oranges in No Man’s Land

Oranges in No Man’s Land tells the riveting story of ten year old Ayesha’s terrifying journey across no man’s land to reach a doctor in hostile territory in search of medicine for her dying grandmother.

Set in Lebanon during the civil war, this story is told by award winning author Elizabeth Laird and is based on personal, real life events. Elizabeth stayed on the green line in Beirut in 1977 in a war damaged flat with her husband and six month old son. Memories of her son sleeping in a suitcase on the floor, taking his first steps on the bullet riddled balcony, playing with the soldiers on the checkpoint, and her husband racing through no man’s land in the buildup to a battle have all inspired this gripping and moving story.

Elizabeth Laird says, ‘When I wrote Oranges in No Man’s Land, I didn’t know that Lebanon would be plunged back so soon into a nightmare. Caught up in that nightmare are children like Ayesha and Samar, whose lives political leaders so easily throw away.’

Elizabeth Laird has been nominated four times for the Carnegie Medal and has won both the Nestl Smarties Book Prize and the Children’s Book Award UK. Her numerous books, including A Little Piece of Ground Haymarket Books, 2006, have been published around the world.

Crusade

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.

Lost Riders

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.

The Witching Hour

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.

A Fistful of Pearls

Secret serpents, devilish demons, mysterious magicians – the folk tales of Iraq are filled with otherworldly creatures, enchantment, and earthy humor. During her time spent in the Middle East, award-winning novelist Elizabeth Laird gathered together the very best Iraqi stories, ranging from thieving porcupines who get their come-uppance to the hilarious tale of the chaos caused by a handsome stranger who knocks at a house harboring a marriageable daughter. Meticulously researched, these stories reveal the true, traditional heart of Iraq, far removed from today’s news headlines.

Pea Boy

Iran has mountains striped with snow, dense forests where bears and lynxes still roam, deserts, bazaars…
but above all it has stories of fairies and demons, of a monstrous metal eagle called the okab, of romantic cockroaches and foolish weavers. During her travels, Elizabeth Laird has gathered a wealth of stories, and here she retells, in her own inimitable style, some of Iran’s best, with delightfully offbeat illustrations from Shirin Adl. Praise for A Fistful of Pearls and Other Tales from Iraq: ‘Its baddies are wolves and thieves; its stories are fabulous.’ The Daily Telegraph

Anna and the Fighter

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.

The Miracle Child

Retells the life of a thirteenth century Ethiopian who performed many miracles for his people, such as feeding the hungry during a famine and raising the dead to life. Illustrated with paintings from an eighteenth century illuminated manuscript.

The Road to Bethlehem

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

The Day Patch Stood Guard

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

The Day the Ducks Went Skating

Johnny Morris reads this story of the frozen pond and the skating ducks. The story is set in the country and features Duncan the Little Red Tractor, Stan the farmer and many more characters from Gosling Farm. A book accompanies the tape which has music and sound effects included.

The Day Veronica Was Nosy

This is the story of Veronica the nosy cow. The story is set in the country and features Duncan the Little Red Tractor, Stan the farmer and many more characters from Gosling Farm. A book accompanies the tape which has music and sound effects included.

Dead Man’s River

It is the time of the American Gold Rush. Jonas Clark loves Hetty Gray, but is too poor to marry her. People think there is gold in Dead Man’s River, but they also think there are ghosts there too. Jonas tries his luck, and is successful, but not in the way he had imagined. ‘Penguin Readers’ is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series’ combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre 20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. ‘Penguin Readers’ are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from ‘Easystarts’ with a 200 word vocabulary, to Level 6 Advanced with a 3000 word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub categories: ‘Contemporary’, ‘Classics’ or ‘Originals’. At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing. Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack. Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying ‘Penguin Readers Factsheets’ which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class.

Anita’s Big Day

Anita dreams of being a movie star. One day, Mr Stein invites Anita to visit his studio. This is her big chance but, in the end, it isn’t ‘Penguin Readers’ is a series of simplified novels, film novelizations and original titles that introduce students at all levels to the pleasures of reading in English. Originally designed for teaching English as a foreign language, the series’ combination of high interest level and low reading age makes it suitable for both English speaking teenagers with limited reading skills and students of English as a second language. Many titles in the series also provide access to the pre 20th century literature strands of the National Curriculum English Orders. ‘Penguin Readers’ are graded at seven levels of difficulty, from ‘Easystarts’ with a 200 word vocabulary, to Level 6 Advanced with a 3000 word vocabulary. In addition, titles fall into one of three sub categories: ‘Contemporary’, ‘Classics’ or ‘Originals’. At the end of each book there is a section of enjoyable exercises focusing on vocabulary building, comprehension, discussion and writing. Some titles in the series are available with an accompanying audio cassette, or in a book and cassette pack. Additionally, selected titles have free accompanying ‘Penguin Readers Factsheets’ which provide stimulating exercise material for students, as well as suggestions for teachers on how to exploit the Readers in class. Anita who impresses him.

Beautiful Bananas

Beatrice is carrying a beautiful bunch of bananas on her head to take to her granddad. She sets off on the jungle path but unfortunately a giraffe accidentally flicks his tail and brushes the bananas into a stream. To make amends, the giraffe picks some flowers for Beatrice to take to her granddad instead. What follows is a series of events in which Beatrice loses each successive gift, owing to the inadvertent actions of various jungle animals, and is given something as a replacement gift each time. So the flowers are replaced by honeycomb, which is replaced by mangoes, which are replaced by a lion’s whisker, which is replaced by a parrot’s feather. As Beatrice pas*ses an elephant, she accidentally tickles his trunk with the feather. He sneezes and blows the feather clean away. So the elephant reaches up into the trees with his trunk to procure a replacement gift for Beatrice to take to her granddad…
a beautiful bunch of bananas! This time granddad’s house is just a few steps away and Beatrice manages to deliver the bananas safely.

Jungle School

It’s Jani’s first day at school and she’s nervous. Will the other monkeys be friendly? Will they all stare at her? Jani is in a wheelchair, and this makes her different. But, thanks to her sense of cheekiness, she makes friends and has a very nice first day at school indeed. This book stars a monkey with a sense of fun.

House On the Hill

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.

The Ogress and the Snake

For millennia, Somalia has been crossed and recrossed by camel caravans of merchants, bringing with them stories such as ‘The Good Prince,’ in which a kindhearted prince conquers the evil magic of a beautiful sorceress, and ‘The Ogress and the Snake,’ a Somali Hansel and Gretel story about five little girls, abandoned in the desert, who take refuge in the house of a man eating ogress. Elizabeth Laird heard many of these tales in Jigjiga, the capital of Ethiopia’s Somali region. She gathers together the finest of them in The Ogress and the Snake and Other Stories from Somalia. The stories abound with colorful characters Deya Ali, the greedy trickster fox; Kabaalaf the shopkeeper, crooked as a jug handle, who meets his match in the slippery Hirsi; and the miraculous and bodyless Head, whose magic powers conjure up a talking camel and bring him a princess. These and the other magical tales in this delightful collection are the perfect introduction to a fascinating and little known country.

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