now and I wonder if you've ever lost your best friend? The friend you've know ever since you were little, the friend that's closer than a sister, more fun than any brother? Maybe she lives on the other side of town goes to a different school. Maybe she's moved right away to a different part of the country and you can't even meet up at weekends and in the holidays. Maybe your best friend is stil…
Dear Mum, Oh dear, I know you can't read need to write to you. There's so much I want to tell you. I've been doing a special project about whales. Did you know that humpback whales can sing? Isn't it amazing to think of all those whales down in the depths of the ocean, singing? Usually the songs are quite short - but one whale was recorded singing non-stop for TWENTY-TWO HOURS! I'd sing for …
I've always been interested in all the worries that whiz around inside people's heads. When I was a little girl I loved reading the problem pages in my mum's magazines. I'd sympathize with the people who wrote the letters and try to work out what I'd do in their situation. When I started to write stories I found nearly all my made-up children had problems themselves. I was the writer, so I was …
I love writing stories about Tracy Beaker. She's such a funny, feisty girl, always fizzing with ideas. She's got such a strong personality, it's almost as if she takes over and writes the stories herself! I wanted to write a new story about Tracy, set when she's still living in the Dumping Ground, I'd written about Tracy's birthday before (how she hates sharing her birthday cake with poor Pe…
Tracy Beaker is by far the most popular of all the characters I've ever invented. How she would love to know that! She would just glory in the fact that there are now three books about her, a very popular long-running television series, a magazine, a musical, and all sorts of merchandising, from pyjamas to pencil cases! Tracy's always been a very special character to me too, because The Stor…
People often ask me if there are any subjects I feel I can't tackle in a children's book. Death doesn't often get written into modern books for young people – though curiously it was a staple of nineteenth century children's literature. I remember sniffling over the death of Beth in the Little Women books! But you don't get many sad and sentimental deathbed scenes nowadays, especially not the…
Marty and her big sister Melissa couldn't be more different - and they just don't get along. Marty is a messy tomboy and loves animals, snuggling up in her cosy, comfy den and drawing her comics especially her favourite character, the brilliant Mighty Mart. So living with pink, girlie, superannoying Melissa has never been easy. But things are about to get much worse. When Mum's new dress-mak…
My name is April. April Showers - that's my nickname at school now. . At least it's better than April Fool. And it's much, much better than Dustbin Baby... I don't know where I came from, 1 or who I really am. All I know is that I was abandoned as a tiny baby in a rubbish bin. I'm safe with my foster , mother now - but if only I could find - my real mother, somehow ...