Geraldine McCaughrean facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Geraldine McCaughrean
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| Born | Geraldine Jones June 6, 1951 London, England |
| Occupation | Author of children's books |
| Notable awards |
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| Spouse | John McCaughrean |
| Children | 1 |
Geraldine McCaughrean (pronounced mə-KAWK-rən; born 6 June 1951) is a British author who writes books for children. She has written over 170 books. One of her most famous works is Peter Pan in Scarlet (2004). This book is the official sequel to Peter Pan. It was specially asked for by Great Ormond Street Hospital, which owns the rights to Peter Pan.
Her books have been translated into 44 different languages around the world. Geraldine McCaughrean has won many important awards for her writing. These include the Carnegie Medal twice and the Michael L. Printz Award.
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About Geraldine McCaughrean
Geraldine McCaughrean was born on 6 June 1951 in London, England. Her parents were Leslie Arthur and Ethel Jones. She was the youngest of three children in her family. She grew up in North London.
She studied at Southgate Technical College from 1969 to 1970. Later, she earned a special teaching degree from Christ Church College, Canterbury in 1977. Geraldine is married to John McCaughrean. They have one daughter named Ailsa.
Her Writing Journey
Geraldine McCaughrean first studied to become a teacher. However, she soon discovered that her real passion was writing. She says that writing allows her to escape into different worlds. Her main idea for writing is: "Don't write about what you know, write about what you want to know." This means she loves to explore new ideas and places in her stories.
Retelling Classic Stories
McCaughrean has written many books that retell classic tales for younger readers. These include famous stories like:
- The Odyssey
- El Cid
- The Canterbury Tales
- The Pilgrim's Progress
- Moby Dick
- One Thousand and One Arabian Nights
- Gilgamesh
The Peter Pan Sequel
In 1929, J. M. Barrie gave all the rights to his famous story Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street Hospital. In 2004, the hospital wanted a new official sequel to Peter Pan. They held a competition to find the best author for this task.
Geraldine McCaughrean won the competition. She sent in a summary of her idea and a sample chapter. Her sequel, Peter Pan in Scarlet, was released worldwide on 5 October 2006. It was published by Oxford University Press in the UK and Simon & Schuster in the US.
Other Children's Books
Geraldine McCaughrean has written many other popular children's fiction books. Some of these include:
- The Kite Rider
- The Stones Are Hatching
- Plundering Paradise
Awards and Recognition
Geraldine McCaughrean has received many awards for her amazing contributions to children's literature.
In 2004, she was nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This is a very important international award for children's book creators. She was also made an Honorary Fellow of Canterbury Christ Church University in 2006. In 2010, she became a Fellow of the English Association and the Royal Society of Literature.
Several of her books have been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. These include:
- Not the End of the World (2005)
- The White Darkness (2007)
- The Glorious Adventures of the Sunshine Queen (2011)
- Where the World Ends (2020)
Her book The Kite Rider was listed among the best children's fiction of the year by The Horn Book Magazine in 2002. In 2020, Booklist included her book Where the World Ends on their "Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth" list.
Key Awards Won
Geraldine McCaughrean has won several major awards for her books:
- Whitbread Award for Children's Book: She won this award four times (1987, 1994, 1996, 2004).
- Carnegie Medal: She won this prestigious award twice, for A Pack of Lies (1988) and Where the World Ends (2018).
- Guardian Children's Fiction Prize: She won this in 1989 for A Pack of Lies.
- Blue Peter Book Award: She won this award twice (2000, 2001).
- Michael L. Printz Award: She won this American award in 2008 for The White Darkness. She also received an Honor award in 2020 for Where the World Ends.
