Theresa Breslin
Email:
breslinweb@ntlworld.comWebsite:
www.theresabreslin.co.ukBRAW network:
yesLL funded:
yesAgent:
Laura CecilBiography:
Theresa Breslin is the critically acclaimed author of over 30 books whose work is read world-wide and has been filmed for television and the Internet and dramatised on radio. Theresa was born in Scotland, close to the Roman Wall, ancient burial grounds and castles, all of which helped fuel her very active imagination when growing up. She has been described as an outstanding writer who combines a powerful sense of drama with memorable characters and superb storytelling. Her books appear regularly on book award shortlists, are read extensively in schools, and are in published in more than twenty different languages. She won the Carnegie Medal, the UK most prestigious award in children’s literature, for Whispers in the Graveyard, her compelling story of a dyslexic boy. Author of bestsellers, Divided City, Remembrance and The Medici Seal, her latest books are The Nostradamus Prophecy, with Alligator and Whispers in the Graveyard published recently as plays.
Before taking up writing full time she worked as a librarian promoting reading and writing to young people and adults. She is passionate about literacy in both adults and children and believes that the skills of reading and creative writing enhance a person’s life enormously. She is a far- travelled and widely experienced speaker, taking part in Conferences, Book Festivals, Staff In-Service sessions, author visits, and lively workshops in schools and on community projects.
She is a respected contributor to professional journals (including web-based editions) on the subject of literature and literacy. She started the West of Scotland Children’s Book Group and is an official Reading Champion of the Scottish Government. She served on the U.K. Government Advisory Committee for Public Lending Right and on the Board of Scottish Book Trust. She co-ordinated the Scottish Writers project, producing a BAFTA nominated DVD to promote fiction to 14-16 year olds. She was awarded lifelong Honorary Membership of the Scottish Library Association for distinguished services to Children's Literature and Librarianship.
About writer's work:
Theresa writes books for children and young adults / adults with some titles especially suitable for EAL students and challenged readers. Her work covers a wide range of themes and interests, from historical tales to modern life, from school stories to fantasy and science fiction, with a seasoning of humour where appropriate.
Theresa Breslin’s first book Simon’s Challenge won the Young Book Trust Fidler Award and the Scottish Book Trust Best of the Decade Award. Whispers in the Graveyard won the Carnegie Medal and a Civic Award from Strathkelvin District Council. Death or Glory Boys won the Sheffield Book Award (Longer Novel Category). Remembrance was selected for the American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, Book Trust’s Best Book Guide, and the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age and shortlisted for three British Book Awards. Divided City (shortlisted for ten separate book awards) won the Catalyst Book Award and the RED Book Award, was Commended in the Sheffield Book Award, selected for the Scotsman Twenty Scottish Books Everyone Should Read, and chosen for the Irish cross border ONE BOOK Community Reading Project, funded by the E.U. Programme for Peace and Reconciliation. Divided City and Mutant were chosen for the DfES Books for Boys Project. The Medici Seal was shortlisted for the Royal Mail Scottish Children's Book Award and the Book Trust Teen Prize. In 2009 Prisoner of Alcatraz has been shortlisted for the Birmingham Book Award, Alligator for the Southwark Book Award, and Prisoner of Alcatraz for the Catalyst Book Award. For a full Honour List see author’s website.
About writer's events and projects:
Theresa Breslin’s talks range from the general to the very specific, each one being tailored to suit the requirements of the occasion. In her presentations she highlights aspects of reading – sharing and stimulating the audience’s own reading development; and writing - to encourage imagination, articulate self expression, and develop creative writing.
A general talk might give information about the author’s own background and writing methods and could cover the book process from idea to finished product, with Q&A time.
See below for some examples of presentations and workshops including Keynote Speeches and Staff INSET and CPD sessions - suitable for the Curriculum for Excellence, the English Curriculum, and International Schools Curriculum.
Language:
EnglishAge groups:
5-8, 9-12, Teens, AdultsBooks written
EDITED BY LIZ NIVEN & PETE FORTUNE
Originally published in 1997, A Braw Brew has proved to be enormously popular with young folk throughout Scotland. Ranging from the traditional ...
For Kezzie, the war begins when German planes fire at her cruise liner as she returns home from Canada to Scotland with her young sister Lucy. Once home, she is reunited with the grandfather in the ...
After moving to Glasgow from France, Anna meets Nathaniel, a talented music student who visits the music teacher next door to her. Soon romance blossoms, but the couple are shocked when the truth ...
The minute Marinetta meets Lucius, she hates him. Pompous, stuck-up Roman officer's son! He thinks all Britons are uncivilised savages and she is sure that the Romans are good for nothing at all. ...
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A rich and varied selection of thrilling adventure stories by some of the very best writers for young people. Perfect for dipping into time and time again.
A fantasy story, in which Jodie has been sent from another planet, to try to uncover an evil force that is attempting to destroy Earth.
Sent from the planet Djan, and now disguised as a normal schoolboy, Jodie's mission is to investigate and report why pollution levels are rising so fast on the planet Earth. In theory the mission is ...
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All Aboard; teaches the strategies children need to become successful readers. It develops the higher order reading and writing skills necessary for genuine literacy at Junior level, ...
contributor)
A collection of love stories for children. The book includes Michael Morpurgo's tragic story of doomed love, Jamila Gavin's exploration of platonic love and Elizabeth ...
Jono didn't mean to buy an alligator - it just sort of happened. Now his mum is going to kill him - if the alligator doesn't get there first.
Jono didn't mean to buy an alligator - it just sort of happened. Now his mum is going to kill him - if the alligator doesn't get there first.
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A collection of ten action and adventure stories by authors who include Malorie Blackman, Helen Dunmore, Douglas Hill, Judith O'Neill and Robert Westall.
Part of a series of interviews with popular children's authors. This interview with Theresa Breslin is aimed at children in the top year of primary school and the first year of secondary school. She ...
Next to your family, friends are the most important people in your life. But friends come in many guises - school friends, imaginary friends, animal friends, even someone in your own family. This ...
Blair may have a bossy older sister and a pest for a baby brother, but it's not all that bad. There's a trip to the seaside, a fishing outing with Dad, and a brilliant new treehouse to be built. He ...
Someone is trying to sabotage the work of the Genetic Clone Unit, where tests are being done to revolutionise spare part surgery. But who would want to do this and why?
Siobhan is unhappy at school. Tormented by some classmates, she feels unable to confide in her teacher or her mum. She has no one to talk to, no one to play with. One day she finds a strange brooch ...
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This anthology contains 20 stories, each one set against the background of one particular time and place in one of the last 20 centuries. The settings are worldwide, ...
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This anthology contains a selection of stories and poems about the topic of misbehaving.
A terrorist bomb shatters their bright, safe world of school and friends and Saturday shopping trips, and suddenly Sarah and Phil find themselves divided. Is Phil a pacifist at any price? When Sarah ...
No one should have to help their own mother with her maths homework! Okay, so Katharine's mother wants to go back to school but did she have to choose HER school? Her friends all think Mrs Douglas is ...
A young man lies bleeding in the street. It could be any street, in any city. But it's not. It's Glasgow. And it's May - the marching season. The Orange Walks have begun. Graham doesn't want to be ...
Every dream has a Dream Master to control it. But Cy has such a vivid imagination that he has met his Dream Master and can travel with him through Time and Space to actually live his dreams. But what ...
Cy has the ability to control his own dreams and knows his own, personal Dream Master. But sometimes Cy's own imagination is so strong that he can run his own dream. Or so he thinks. For there's ...
Cy has the ability to control his own dreams and knows his own, personal Dream Master. But sometimes Cy's own imagination is so strong that he can run his own dream. Or so he thinks. For there's ...
Tied in with the National Curriculum, this timeslip tale is set in the days of the Vikings. Cy visits a Viking exhibition, and looking at a helmet he is horrified to see a face inside - his Dream ...
Every dream needs a master - someone in charge, just like someone telling a story. But when Cy has a go at being a Dream Master himself and running his own dream, everything goes horribly wrong. ...
Tied in with the National Curriculum, this timeslip tale is set in the days of the Vikings. Cy visits a Viking exhibition, and looking at a helmet he is horrified to see a face inside - his Dream ...
Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland is fighting to free his country from the soldiers of Edward I. An outspoken peasant boy named Duncan of Carrick unexpectedly comes to the King's aid. When it comes ...
by Amnesty International (Author), David Almond (Author), Ibtisam Barakat (Author), Malorie Blackman (Author), Theresa Breslin (Author), Eoin Colfer (Author), Roddy Doyle (Author), Ursula ...
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This text presents lively short stories by major authors, first published in the "Young Telegraph".
During the 1930s depression in Scotland, Kezzie and her young sister Lucy are orphaned following their father's death in a pit accident. Left to live with their grandfather, they manage to survive on ...
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Midden the Messy Witch and her team of helpers run the famous magic factory in Starling Castle. All sorts of people go there to buy spell ingredients, or for cauldron, broomstick and wand repairs, or ...
There's something strange going on at the Genetic Clone Unit - but can Brad find out what? This is a timely and chilling story about cloning.
Growing up in Scotland today is partly about learning to listen to others and this anthology should provide useful classroom material to think or talk about as well as encouraging young people to ...
Jane hates, loathes and detests her name. So when a new girl with a really fancy name joins her class, Jane decides to change her name to something unusual. Soon everyone in her school has a new name ...
It's first term at the Big School for Mary McPherson, and right from the start it looks as if her new friend, Jamie, is going to lead her astray ... literally! Using a forgotten footpath on the way ...
On the Money is a book of four stories by Theresa Breslin, Jonathan Meres, Nicola Morgan and Alison Prince, exploring issues of financial responsibility for children.
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This is a collection of five short, exciting stories aimed at young, under-confident, teenage readers, are written by a mixture of established and new authors. The ...
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A collection from nine of Scotland's finest writers which explores every aspect of teenage life: relationships with friends - good and bad; rivalry and love within the ...
It was almost an accident that Marty ended up in Alcatraz and now his future is sealed. Or so he thought. When his fellow inmates devise an escape plan, it seems so simple.
EFL Edition
Zarita, only daughter of the town magistrate, lives a life of wealth and privilege. Indulged by her parents, she is free to spend her days as she pleases, enjoying herself in the company of an ...
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This wide-ranging collection of stories includes something for everyone. There is adventure, humour, science fiction, football, fantasy and traditional tales. It ...
1915, Scotland. A summer's picnic brings together a group of teenagers from two families, friends despite their social differences. Mostly romance is on their minds, but the peace of the day is ...
1915, Scotland. A summer's picnic brings together a group of teenagers from two families, friends despite their social differences. Mostly romance is on their minds, but the peace of the day is ...
Saskia Granton is intrigued by an invitation to visit her mysterious great-aunt Alessandra up on the Scottish coast. It's a chance to rediscover her lifelong love of the sea, but Saskia also slowly ...
All that Simon really wants is a computer. However, with his father away looking for work and a new baby in the house, money is tight. One evening on his way home, Simon passes Mr Peterson's computer ...
Who can save the Outsiders from a life of slavery? It is up to Marc and Sasha to get a message for help to Planet Earth. But, as Marc discovers, not even friends can be trusted and his mission is ...
4U2read.ok (differentiated text)
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A collection of Scottish writing spanning ancient myth and cutting-edge contemporary fiction. Fifteen previously unpublished stories from Scottish writers are brought ...
Cy is about to wake up from a terrific dream about Ancient Egypt, but finds that he can re-enter his dream world. But the Dream Master isn't used to boys who want to break all the rules. Cy moves ...
One morning, as Cy is about to wake up from a terrific dream about Ancient Egypt, he discovers that he can get back into the dream world. But someone is not to happy about it: the Dream Master.
One morning, as Cy is about to wake up from a terrific dream about Ancient Egypt, he discovers that he can get back into the dream world. But someone is not happy about it - the Dream Master. He is ...
The place is Romagna, Italy 1502. Fleeing from the murderous brigand Sandino, Matteo - a young boy - is saved from drowning by the companions of Leonardo Da Vinci. From this moment on, Matteo is at ...
The place is Romagna, Italy 1502. Fleeing from the murderous brigand Sandino, Matteo - a young boy - is saved from drowning by the companions of Leonardo Da Vinci. From this moment on, Matteo is at ...
Melisande is the daughter of the king's minstrel and lives among the royal French court. She, like many others, pays little heed to the dire warnings of Notradamus the soothsayer. Chantelle, ...
Melisande is the daughter of the king's minstrel and lives among the royal French court. She, like many others, pays little heed to the dire warnings of ...
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An anthology of specially-commissioned Scottish stories from 15 Scottish writers.
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Differentiated text
A collection of ten extracts from ten winning titles of The Children's Book Award between 1980 and 1998. In each extract a "turning point" is reached by the character/s within. ...
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Solomon is full of anger - with the teachers and his father who have failed him, with his mother who has left him, and also with himself. He cannot bear to be at school or home. His refuge is one ...
Audio Book
Solomon is full of anger - with the teachers and his father, who mother who has left him and with himself. He cannot bear to be at home or at school. His refuge is one corner of the kirkyar, where ...
