Liz Kessler facts for kids
Liz Kessler (born 15 October 1966) is an English writer. She is famous for her exciting children's books, especially the series about a half-mermaid named Emily Windsnap.
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About Liz Kessler
Liz Kessler grew up in Southport in the North West of England. She has also lived in Manchester and Cheshire. Today, she lives in St Ives, Cornwall.
Her Journey as a Writer
Liz Kessler studied English at Loughborough University. She also trained to be a teacher at Keele University. Later, she earned a Master's degree in Creative Writing from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Before becoming a full-time author, Liz worked as a teacher. She taught English and Media Studies. She also led courses to help others learn creative writing. For a time, Liz was a journalist. She wrote for local newspapers in York and Manchester.
Liz Kessler has even done an interview with the BBC about creative writing. Her books are published by Orion Children's Books. Many of her books have been translated into German. Her 2021 book, When the World Was Ours, was nominated for a big German youth literature award in 2023.
The Emily Windsnap Series
The Emily Windsnap series is a collection of children's novels. They are about a 12-year-old girl named Emily. She lives with her mom on a boat by the sea. One day, Emily takes swimming lessons and discovers a huge secret about herself!
Emily learns she is a "semi-mer." This means she has a mermaid's tail when she is fully in water. But on land, she has human legs. Her mother doesn't seem to remember anything about mermaids or even Emily's own father. Emily and her new friend, Shona Silkfin, go on an adventure. They travel through the mermaid world to find out the truth about Emily, her parents, and the mysterious Mr. Beeston, the lighthouse keeper.
The Emily Windsnap series was very popular. It reached #10 on the New York Times Best Seller list for new children's series in May 2007. Liz Kessler has now released nine books in this exciting series.
Other Amazing Books
Liz Kessler has written other standalone novels. A Year Without Autumn was the first of these. These books often explore ideas like time travel. A Year Without Autumn was even shortlisted for the Blue Peter Award in 2012.
Here are some of her other books:
- A Year Without Autumn (2011)
- North of Nowhere (2013)
- Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? (2015)
- Read Me Like a Book (2015)
- When the World was Ours (2021)
Read Me Like a Book was nominated for the Kernow Youth Book Awards.
Emily Windsnap Books
The Emily Windsnap books are published by Orion Children's Books in the U.K. and by Candlewick Press in the U.S. The first two books have illustrations by Sarah Gibb, who also creates the cover art. The third to fifth books feature illustrations by Natacha Ledwidge.
- The Tail of Emily Windsnap (2003)
- Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep (2004)
- Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist (2006)
- Emily Windsnap and the Siren's Secret (2010)
- Emily Windsnap and the Land of the Midnight Sun (2012)
- Emily Windsnap and the Ship of Lost Souls (2015)
- Emily Windsnap and the Falls of the Forgotten Island (2018)
- Emily Windsnap and the Pirate Prince (2019)
- Emily Windsnap and the Tides of Time (2020)
Philippa Fisher Books
The Philippa Fisher books are illustrated by Katie May.
- Philippa Fisher's Fairy Godsister (2008)
- Philippa Fisher and the Dream-Maker's Daughter (2009)
- Philippa Fisher and the Stone Fairy's Promise (2010)
Poppy the Pirate Dog Books
These books about Poppy the Pirate Dog are illustrated by Mike Phillips and published by Orion.
- Poppy the Pirate Dog (2012)
- Poppy the Pirate Dog's New Shipmate (2013)
- Poppy the Pirate Dog and the Missing Treasure (2015)
