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Lynne Reid Banks
Lynne Reid Banks was ten years old when the Second World War
broke out, and she was evacuated to the Canadian prairies. On her
return to London in 1945, she trained and worked as an actress for
five years, before then becoming a journalist. She joined ITN in
1955, and was one of the first two women news reporters on British
television.
Throughout the 1960s Lynne lived and worked in Israel,
where she taught English. Living through the experience of the Six
Day War inspired her to write One More River. She became a
full-time writer when she returned to England with her husband and
three sons in 1971.
The stories of The Indian in the Cupboard began as
bedtime stories for her own sons, especially Omri, whose name she
used in the stories. Lynne still has the real bathroom cupboard
that the Indian came to life in - she once ran back into her hotel
room to save it when the hotel caught fire!
Harry the Poisonous Centipede
Harry may be a poisonous centipede, but he's not a reckless one. He knows that going near Hoo-Mins is dangerous - very dangerous - as he might get squashed, but he can't resist a trip up the Up-Pipe. Harry's centipede-view of the world, and his adventures, are hilarious. (8+)
Published by Collins Children's Books
The Indian in the Cupboard
No one could have guessed that the plastic toy Indian that Omri is given for his birthday is anything special. Then Omri puts him in the cupboard. He turns the key and the Indian comes to life. Little Bull is an Iroquois brave and Omri has his work cut out to keep Little Bull and his cowboy companion safe and secret. (7+)
Published by Collins Modern Classics
The Return of the Indian
More adventures for Little Bull, his wife Twin Stars, Boone the tearful cowboy and Tommy Atkins, the First World War soldier whose medical knowledge comes in so handy. Omri goes back in time with his little people and discovers the sometimes frightening truth about how they live. (7+)
Published by Collins
Angela and Diabola
Angela and Diabola may be twins, but they couldn't be more different. From the moment they are born Angela is, as her name suggests, utterly angelic, but Diabola is hell-bent on wreaking havoc; and as she gets older, Diabola's powers increase. Their paths seem set to collide - can Diabola be stopped in time? (9+)
Published by Collins
One More River
Looks, money, loving parents and a gorgeous boyfriend - Lesley has everything she could wish for in Canada. No wonder she resists when her parents announce the move to Israel. Why can't she be Jewish in Canada? Life in the kibbutz looks like being just as bad as she had feared and as war threatens, things can only get worse. A tough and honest story of identity and adaptation. (11+)
Published in Puffin Books
Broken Bridge
Set 25 years after One More River, two 14 year-olds are attacked in Jerusalem. One of them is stabbed, leaving the other with a terrible burden of decision that will affect many people. Broken Bridge is a moving portrait of the long-standing struggle between Jews and Palestinian Arabs in Israel. (12+)
Published in Puffin Books
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[ Windows Media Clip 1- Angela and Diabola ]
[ Windows Media Clip 2- Everybody needs to exercise their imagination ]
[ Windows Media Clip 3- My spelling would get wilder and weirder ]
[ Windows Media Clip 4- I liked to read pony books ]
