Richard Platt facts for kids

Richard Platt (born April 15, 1953) is a British writer. He mostly writes non-fiction and information books for children. He also creates multimedia works.

Richard Platt was born in Northumberland, England. He started writing at age 27. His first works were articles and books about photography. By 1992, he began writing non-fiction books for kids. He worked with Stephen Biesty on a popular series. These books used Biesty's amazing cross-section drawings.

Since then, Richard Platt has written about 100 books. These books are for UK publishers like Oxford University Press, Kingfisher, Dorling Kindersley, and Walker Books. In the U.S., his books are published by Candlewick Press. Most of his books are for children and young people. He also writes books for adults about ships and the sea, especially about smuggling.

What are Richard Platt's Famous Books?

One of Platt's most famous books is Pirate Diary: The Journal of Jake Carpenter. Chris Riddell illustrated this book. It was published by Walker in 2001. This 64-page book is written like a diary from a pirate's point of view.

Pirate Diary won the Blue Peter Book Award for Best Book with Facts. Chris Riddell also won the Kate Greenaway Medal for his illustrations. This was special because it was the first "information book" to win since 1975.

How Did the Diary Series Begin?

Platt, Riddell, and Walker started the Diary series in 1999. Their first book was Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess, Page. Richard Platt called this book "my first attempt at fiction." Riddell's artwork for Castle Diary was highly praised. The book was also very successful. Walker Books sells these books as "nonfiction."

Pirate Diary tells the story of a young sailor. He is forced to join pirates and become a cabin boy. Through his eyes, readers learn about the good and bad parts of historical piracy. Most of Platt's books are factual. However, the Diary series uses a fictional first-person story to teach history.

What Other Books Are in the Diary Series?

Platt continued the series of 64-page first-person journals with Walker Books. David Parkins became the illustrator for these books.

The next book was Egyptian Diary: The Journal of Nakht (2005). Then came Roman Diary: The Journal of Iliona of Mytilini, who was captured and sold as a slave in Rome, AD 107 (2009). Platt has said that Roman Diary is the "fourth and final book in the Diary series."

Each Diary book was also released in a hardcover edition in the U.S. by Candlewick Press. This usually happened in the same year as the UK release.