Jan Mark facts for kids

Jan Mark (born Janet Marjorie Brisland) was a British writer. She is famous for her books for children and young adults. She wrote over fifty novels and plays. She also wrote many short stories that appeared in collections.

Jan Mark won the important Carnegie Medal twice. This award is given by the Library Association for the best children's book by a British writer each year. She won for her books Thunder and Lightnings (1976) and Handles (1983). She was also a runner-up for her book Nothing To Be Afraid Of (1980). No one has ever won the Carnegie Medal three times.

Jan Mark's Life and Books

Jan Mark was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England. She grew up and went to school in Kent. Before becoming a writer, she worked as a secondary school teacher. She taught from 1965 to 1971. In 1974, she became a full-time writer. She had a daughter named Isobel and a son named Alex.

Jan Mark was known for her short stories. These stories were very detailed and used language in a creative way. She also wrote novels about regular children in everyday places. Thunder and Lightnings is a good example of this kind of story.

She also wrote science fiction novels. These books were set in their own made-up worlds with special rules. An example of this is The Ennead. Some of her last books for young adults include The Eclipse of the Century and Useful Idiots.

The title of her book Thunder and Lightnings refers to a British jet fighter plane. This plane was called the English Electric Lightning. The book is set in the countryside of Norfolk. The book's title even inspired the name of a website about British military aircraft from the Cold War period.

Jan Mark was also popular in Flanders, Belgium. She took part in a project there to help English teachers use books for teenagers in their classrooms. Her friends in Flanders created a website about her and her work. You can find it at [1].

Jan Mark passed away suddenly in January 2006. She was 62 years old. She died at her home in Oxford from an illness related to meningitis.

Selected Books by Jan Mark

Here are some of the books Jan Mark wrote:

• King John and the Abbot (2006)
• Voyager (2006) (This is the follow-up to Riding Tycho)
• Turbulence (2005)
• Riding Tycho (2005)
• Useful Idiots (2004)
• The Eclipse of the Century (1999)
• Mr Dickens Hits Town (1999)
• The Midas Touch (1999)
• My Frog and I (1997)
• The Tale of Tobias (1996)
• They Do Things Differently There (1994)
• Fun With Mrs Thumb (1993)
• Enough Is Too Much Already (1988)
• Zeno Was Here (1988)
• Fun (1988)
• Trouble Half-way (1986)
• Fur (1986)
• Handles (1985)
• Feet and Other Stories (1983)
• Aquarius (1982)
• The Dead Letter Box (1982)
• Nothing To Be Afraid Of (1981)
• Hairs in the Palm of the Hand (1981)
• Divide and Rule (1980)
• The Ennead (1978)
• Under the Autumn Garden (1977)
• Thunder and Lightnings (1976)