Jim Carrington facts for kids

Jim Carrington is a writer and teacher who creates books for young people. He was born in Norwich, England, on February 8, 1977. Today, he lives with his family in London.

Jim Carrington's Journey: Education and Career

Jim Carrington went to public schools in Norfolk. He studied English at Queen Mary, University of London. Later, he trained to be a teacher at South Bank University.

He also earned a master's degree (an MA) in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University. His writing there caught the eye of Bloomsbury Publishing, a well-known book publisher.

Besides writing, Jim Carrington teaches part-time at a public primary school in London. In 2011, he was a guest at Hayfever. This is the children's part of the famous Hay Festival, a big event for books and ideas.

Jim Carrington's Books: Stories for Young Readers

Jim Carrington writes different kinds of books for young people. These include novels for teenagers, books for early readers, and chapter books.

Novels for Young Adults

His first three novels are Inside My Head (2010), In the Bag (2011), and Drive By (2012). These books feature young characters who face challenges common for teenagers today. These challenges include bullying, anti-social behaviour, mental health issues, finding their identity, and dealing with relationships.

Carrington's fourth young adult novel, Boy 23 (2015), is different. It tells a dystopian story about a future world. In this world, a dangerous sickness spreads, and society is violent. The story follows two teenagers from very different backgrounds as they navigate this difficult world. He is also working on a funny science-fiction comic novel for readers aged 7-11.

Short Stories and Special Series

Jim Carrington has also written shorter works. He has an ongoing collection of stories that retell traditional Malay and Javanese folktales. These stories feature a clever mouse-deer character named Sang Kancil. These books are part of Cambridge Reading Adventures. This is a series of international readers for primary school children. It was created by the UCL Institute of Education and Cambridge University Press.

In 2016, Carrington was asked to create a series for LDA (Learning Disabilities Association). This group provides teaching materials for children with special educational needs (SEN). For this, he created Otis the Robot. Otis is a friendly robot whose adventures help children with autism spectrum conditions. The books help them understand social skills. This series is for children aged 3–11 years old.

Otis the Robot finds it hard to change his plans or adapt to social situations. Each book explores a different social situation. These are situations that often cause stress, confusion, or misunderstandings about how to behave. Both the Sang Kancil and Otis the Robot series have illustrations by Juanbjuan Oliver.

Awards and Recognition

Jim Carrington's book Inside My Head was nominated for several important awards. These include the Carnegie Medal, the UKLA Book Award, and the Branford Boase Award. It was also nominated for other regional awards in the UK.

His book Drive By won the James Reckitt Hull Children's Book Award in 2013.