Susan Price facts for kids

Susan Price was born on July 8, 1955. She is an English author. She writes books for children and young adults. Young adult books are for readers aged 12 to 18. Susan Price has won two big awards for her books. These are the Carnegie Medal and the Guardian Prize. These awards are for the best children's books in Britain.

Susan Price grew up in Dudley, England. This area is known as the Black Country. It's called that because of its history with coal and iron. This region was very important to her writing. Her stories often use ideas from its history. They also use details about the land itself. This includes the limestone, iron, and coal. This area was where the Industrial Revolution began.

Susan Price came from a family that worked hard. She left school without many qualifications. She worked in supermarkets and hotel kitchens. But she kept writing her first books. She has now written over 60 books.

Susan Price's Books

Many of Susan Price's books are fantasy stories. These can be science fiction or even ghost stories. She also writes historical novels. Some of her books are about animals or everyday life. She has also written many short stories. These often retell old tales from folklore.

The Ghost Drum

Her first book in the Ghost World series was The Ghost Drum. It came out in 1987. This book is an original fairy tale. It uses ideas from Russian history and Russian folklore. The Ghost Drum won the Carnegie Medal. This award is given by the Library Association. It recognizes the best children's book by a British subject each year. The book was re-released in 2024. People called it a "rediscovered gem."

The Sterkarm Handshake

The Sterkarm Handshake was published in 1998. Its sequel, A Sterkarm Kiss, came out in 2003. These books are about time travel. A young anthropologist from the 21st century travels back in time. She meets a young warrior from 16th century Scotland. They fall in love. She decides to help his clan. They are fighting against a big company from the 21st century. Susan Price won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize for The Sterkarm Handshake. This is a special award. It is judged by other British children's writers.

The Pagan Mars Trilogy

The Pagan Mars trilogy includes books from 2005 to 2008. It is also known as the Odin or Mars series. These books are set in a different world. It is a parallel universe. In this world, the pagan gods are still worshipped. Also, slavery, called bondery, is common. This world is very advanced scientifically.