Terry Deary facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Terry Deary
Deary at the 2024 Chiswick Book Festival
Born	(1946-01-03) 3 January 1946 (age 79) Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England
Occupation	Author

Terry Deary (born on January 3, 1946) is a famous British author. He has written over 350 books for children, and more than 38 million copies have been sold in over 45 languages! He is most famous for creating the Horrible Histories series. Since 1994, he has been one of Britain's top-selling authors. In 2012, he was one of the most borrowed authors in British libraries. Books for Keeps magazine even voted him the "Outstanding Children's Non-Fiction Author of the 20th Century."

Life and Career: Who is Terry Deary?

Terry Deary was born in Sunderland, England. His father, Bill, owned a butcher's shop. His mother, Freda, managed a clothing store. Terry went to Monkwearmouth Grammar School. He often said he didn't enjoy his school days, especially how he was taught.

Early Jobs and Theatre Work

As a child, Terry often helped in his father's butcher shop. When he was 18, he started working for the electricity board as a trainee. Later, in 1972, he joined a drama company called Theatre Powys. He toured Welsh villages as an actor, bringing plays to children.

He also became a qualified teacher at Sunderland's College of Education. He taught drama for a while. From 1975 to 1977, he was the Theatre Director for the Lowestoft Theatre Centre. This was an educational group funded by the local council. Terry started writing in 1976. He became a full-time writer in 1994, which was when the Horrible Histories series began to be published.

Horrible Histories: Why Are They So Popular?

The Horrible Histories books are very popular with children. Kids love them for their interesting facts, lots of information, and funny pictures. Adults like them because they help children get excited about history. These books have been translated into many languages. Other books have even tried to copy their style.

A cartoon series based on the books was shown on CITV in 2002. A live-action comedy show called Horrible Histories has been on CBBC since 2009. Terry Deary himself has appeared on the show sometimes.

In 2000, the University of Sunderland gave Terry Deary an honorary degree in Education. He is also a big fan of the Sunderland AFC football team.

What is Terry Deary Doing Now?

In 2011, Terry Deary stopped writing children's books after 35 years. He lives in Burnhope, County Durham, England. He lives there with his wife, Jenny, and their daughter, Sara.

In 2024, it was announced that Terry Deary would be writing crime fiction for adults. His first crime novel is called Actually, I'm a Murderer.

Terry Deary's Thoughts on Education

Terry Deary has strong opinions about schools. He believes schools mainly serve to keep children off the streets.

He has said that schools "have no relevance in the 21st century." He thinks the idea of putting 30 kids of the same age in a classroom with one teacher might not be the best way to learn. He believes that testing can make learning less fun. He has even suggested that children could leave school at age 11 to work with computers or learn important life skills. These skills could include building relationships, parenting, and managing money.

Terry Deary has also said that Horrible Histories should be "banned from schools." He feels that classrooms can take all the fun out of his stories.

In 2013, Deary also shared his thoughts on public libraries. He said they "have been around too long" and are "no longer relevant." He believes that authors should be paid more for their books when they are borrowed from libraries.

Terry Deary's Books: A List of His Works

Book Series by Terry Deary

• Horrible History series
• Truly Terrible Tales
• Master Crook's Crime Academy
• Tudor Chronicles (also known as Tudor Terror)
• Tudor Tales
• Roman Tales
• Egyptian Tales
• The Fire Thief
• The Knowledge
• Pirate Tales
• True Stories
• Time Detectives
• The Spark Files
• World War I Tales
• World War II Tales

Other Books by Terry Deary

• A Witch in Time
• The Ape Escape
• Classified
• Dangerous Days
• The Ghosts Of Batwing Castle (1988)
• All about Bede: the life and times of the Venerable Bede, 672 – 735 AD (1996)
• Spooks (1997)
• Hat Trick
• Hope Street (1980)
• Ghost For Sale (2001)
• The Treasure of Crazy Horse (2001)
• The Custard Kid (2001)
• The Wishing Well Ghost (2002)
• Into The Lion's Den (2002)
• Footsteps in the Fog (2003)
• The Boy Who Haunted Himself (2004)
• The Last Viking (2005)
• Great big Father Christmas joke book
• The Vampire of Croglin
• Diary of a murder
• Thirteen Terrifying Tales (2024)
• A History of Britain in Ten Enemies (2024)

See also

In Spanish: Terry Deary para niños