Writing

As an experienced children’s non-fiction author, I write thoroughly researched materials in a clear, accessible way, with meticulous attention to detail.

I ensure that my materials are at an appropriate language level for the target audience and write in a lively, child-friendly style for young people.

I am currently writing What can we do: Migration? (Franklin Watts, 2024)

 

What can we do? Migration

People have always moved to find work, improve their lives or to escape conflict. The vast majority of people stay in their own country, but some migrate to other lands. Migrants can bring host countries a range of benefits, from filling job vacancies to making cultures more diverse, but there are also some challenges.

Great Britons cover

Great Britons, A Very Peculiar History

I worked hard to ensure that this book showed a wide variety of Great Britons and people who made Britain their home, with diversity of origins, background, gender and sexuality.

 

How To Write Well: A Beginner’s Guide To Grammar and Punctuation

How To Write Well: A Beginner's Guide To Grammar and Punctuation Illustrated by Isobel Lundie

A practical guide for young writers with enjoyable writing exercises to help them to improve their grammar and punctuation.

 

 

How to be Good at English

 

 

Cover of How to be good at English

I contributed several chapters to this comprehensive Dorling Kindersley writing guide for primary-aged children.

 

What Shall We Write?

 

Illustrated by Isobel LundieWhat Shall We Write? book cover

An accessible, informative, inspirational and interactive guide to creative writing in its many forms for budding young authors. It has introductory information on the building blocks of writing a story, enjoyable writing exercises and activity pages where you can write your ideas.

 

J K Rowling book cover

Trailblazers: J K Rowling

On 22 July 2008, J. K. Rowling shattered world records. With 8.3 million books sold in the US alone within a day of its release, the last installment in the Harry Potter series seemed like a thing of magic. From a childhood spent telling stories to writing the first Harry Potter book in cafés while her baby slept, J. K. Rowling’s life is a tale of imagination and dedication. Find out how this girl who loved fantasy blazed a trail in children’s books!

Great British Kings and Queens cover

Great British kings and queens – a pictorial history

In this beautifully illustrated pictorial history, I explore the British monarchy and its host of kings, queens and pretenders. Including family trees, timelines and information boxes on key events, Great British Kings and Queens introduces this fascinating thousand-year history, providing rich biographical detail of Britain’s remarkable monarchs.

cover of Kings and Queens of Britain

Kings and Queens of Britain

For more than 1,000 years the British monarchy has dramatically shaped national and international history. Kings and queens have conquered territory, imposed religious change and extracted taxation, each with their own motivations and ambitions.

In this beautifully illustrated book, I delve into the extraordinary history of the British monarchy and its host of kings, queens and pretenders.

A beautiful book with gorgeous photos and really up to date. Best Buy I’ve had for ages!’ Carla, Australia, 31 January 2020, on Amazon

Animals making homes

Animals Making Homes

This book explores the wide range of animal homes, including some extraordinary feats of animal engineering.

Animals living alongside people

Animals living alongside people

This book examines animals that live alongside us, including those that share our homes and gardens. It explores the wildlife in our streets and parks that has successfully adapted to urban life.

Animals Caring for Their Young

This book discusses different strategies animals use to care for their young, from the animals that provide the least care to those that work the hardest. It focuses on parents that go the extra mile to ensure their species continues.

The Science of Medical Technology

A guide to the ever-growing potential of medical technologies with easy-to-read text and colourful, quirky illustrations.

It was fascinating to research this book, which explores how new devices help doctors to spot early signs of illness and how vaccinations have helped to eradicate devastating diseases.

The book also covers preventative medicine.

A Jewish Life

The Following a Faith series takes a look at what it means to grow up as a member of one of the world’s major faiths, looking at daily life, rites of passage and festivals.

A Hindu Life

The Following a Faith series takes a look at what it means to grow up as a member of one of the world’s major faiths, looking at daily life, rites of passage and festivals.

Stranded in the Six-Day War, Cath Senker

Stranded in the Six-Day War

The extraordinary story of the 14 merchant ships trapped in the Suez Canal at the start of the Six-Day War in June 1967. I launched this book in June 2017 at the 50-year anniversary reunion of the former seafarers who were on the stranded ships.

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A Christian Life

The Following a Faith series takes a look at what it means to grow up as a member of one of the world’s major faiths, looking at daily life, rites of passage and festivals.

A Muslim Life

The Following a Faith series takes a look at what it means to grow up as a member of one of the world’s major faiths, looking at daily life, rites of passage and festivals.

Far From Home

Far From Home: Refugees and Migrants Fleeing War, Persecution and Poverty is a sensitive and accessible account of the refugee crisis facing millions around the world. It examines the root causes of mass migrations from both a historical and current perspective and includes the stories of individual refugees and migrants.

This title won the 2018 Educational Writers’ Award.

‘Your book conveys such vital messages. I hope it reaches a wide audience.’ (Rabbi Elli Tikvah Sarah, April 2019)

‘The headteacher at Manorside School, Finchley, London is so delighted with this informative, accessible, and important book that she has planned a series of assemblies around it and is encouraging her teachers to use the book in classes about refugees, immigration and human rights.’ (Susanna Kester, parent, February 2019)

Temperate Climates

This book explores the plants and animals that make their homes in temperate regions, how people use resources in temperate climates, and how climate change is affecting these varied regions where vast numbers of people live.

Polar Climates

This book explores the plants and animals that make their homes in the freezing polar regions, how people survive there, and how climate change is threatening these wild and beautiful places.

Tropical Climates

This book explores the plants and animals that make their homes in tropical regions, how people live in them, and how climate change is threatening these wild and beautiful places.

Desert Climates

This book explores the plants and animals that have made their homes in deserts, how people live there, and how climate change is threatening these wild and beautiful places.

Wooden Spears to Military Drones

This title in the Timelines series examines the history of warfare from the earliest spears and bows and arrows to the invention of gunpowder, firearms and cannon. It describes the destructive capabilities of 20th-century warfare, with machine guns and nuclear weapons, and the use of drones and cyberwarfare in the early 2000s. It also considers the devastating effects of warfare on soldiers and civilians. Published July 2016

Leeches to Lasers

This title in the Timelines series covers some of the great discoveries and inventions in medicine from ancient times to the Scientific Revolution, the improvements in health and hygiene that followed the Industrial Revolution and the advances in genetics of the late 20th century.

Foraging to Supermarkets

This title in the Timelines series looks at the history of food from the earliest hunter-gatherers, the rise of farming, and the industrialized agriculture and supermarkets of the 20th century – which co-exist with continuing subsistence agriculture in many parts of the world.

Cybercrime and the Darknet

Neither cybercrime nor the darknet are straightforward – they are a morass of contradictions and grey areas. Cybercriminal activity occurs on the surface net: harassment, copyright infringement, fraud, subversion, sabotage and terrorist propaganda. But although these actions are illegal, are some of them legitimate? Those who believe information should be free oppose copyright laws, while cyber subversion and sabotage can help topple authoritarian regimes; they were vital catalysts in the 2010–11 Arab uprisings. Cath examines some of these complexities in the book.

‘I recently bought your book titled: Cybercrime and the Dark Net, at Barnes and Noble in Arizona.
It is extremely well written and your explanations and definitions of the whole scenario was very informative. One of the best I have read on the entire subject and I have read 15 or so books on the same subject. Yours is by far a cut above the rest. Good work.’

Greg Burgoyne, May 2021

The Great Nature Hunt: Garden Flowers

This is one a series of books that encourages children to get outdoors and explore nature in their local area. I also wrote Minibeasts and Birds.

The Land and the People: Russia

This is a whistlestop tour of the largest country in the world and one of the most powerful. Visit the mountains, lakes, forests and beaches of this vast land with almost every climate zone, find out what Russians eat and what they do in their free time, and get an insight into some of the troubles the country faces today.

The Land and the People: Mexico

A whistlestop tour of this country of contrasts in the style of a travel guide, visiting its deserts, mountain peaks, tropical forests and bustling cities, finding out what Mexicans eat and how they spend their free time, and looking at the troubles of this developing country sandwiched between the USA, the richest country of the world, and South America.

Great Nature Hunt: Birds

This is one a series of books that encourages children to get outdoors and explore nature in their local area. I also wrote Minibeasts and Garden Flowers.

Help Your Child with Study Skills

As a writer and teacher of study skills, I helped DK editor Carron Brown put together a team of authors for this title and wrote a chapter myself. It’s just as useful for adult learners as for children.

Big Business: McDonalds

It was fascinating to look into the history of this huge hamburger chain and how it influenced the development of the fast-food industry after World War II. The controversies around the consumption of fast food are also discussed.

Great Nature Hunt: Minibeasts

I wrote a series of books called The Great Nature Hunt, all about the natural world around us and how young people can explore it for themselves.

Against the Odds: Nelson Mandela

This series looks at extraordinary people from history who defied all the odds and became great in their field, looking at key turning points in their lives. I also wrote a title about Stephen Hawking.

Dalai Lama

When researching this title, I had the good fortune to be able to hear the Dalai Lama speak to a huge audience of Tibetans and Buddhists from a variety of traditions in the summer of 2015.

Ancient Egypt in 30 Seconds

It was great fun working with fantastic illustrator Melvyn Evans to create a highly illustrated guide to the extraordinary features of Ancient Egypt. Jacquelyn Williamson (Harvard University) provided expert advice to ensure the accuracy of the content.

 

10 Ideas That Changed the World

For this title, I picked 10 crucial ideas that changed the course of human history.

10 Events That Changed the World

For this title, I had to pick 10 key events that changed world history – no easy task! I also wrote 10 Things That Changed the World.

Stories of Asylum Seekers

In this title, it was good to be able to tell the true stories of a few asylum seekers in some depth. I think it’s easier for young readers to hear about the lives of individuals rather than reading lots of facts and figures about the flight of refugees.

Moving to Britain from Afghanistan

For this series, the photographer and I spent time with a family from the country. Each book is from the perspective of a young child, who explains why they had to leave their country, what it is like living in the UK and their hopes and aspirations for the future.

Alain Grée Flash Cards

The laminated flash cards in this pack are ideal for teachers, parents and carers to teach basic mathematical skills to children aged 3+. These cards feature numbers from 0–100 along with games and activities.

Our Violent Earth: Earthquakes

This book tells you what earthquakes are, when and where they occur, and looks at how people cope when they happen and what can be done to prevent their devastating effects in the future.

Weddings

A multifaith exploration into special ceremonies held by the six major world religions when a wedding takes place.

Life’s End

A multifaith exploration into special ceremonies held by the six major world religions to mark the end of a person’s life.

Talking About My Faith: I am Sikh

I am Sikh follows Pardeep as he talks about his faith. He tells us about his: beliefs, clothes, food, family, granthi, books and gurdwara.

Privacy and Surveillance

Many of us don’t realise to what degree we are under surveillance every day of our lives. This book discusses the pros and cons of such surveillance and the implications for our privacy.

My Family Celebrates Id-ul-Fitr

For this series, the photographer and I spent time with a family from each faith at the time of a major religious festival. Each book is from the perspective of a young child, who explains how their family celebrates.

My Family Celebrates Easter

This book introduces the reader to the festival of Easter and explores how one child and his family celebrate it. The book includes panels to show how people around the world celebrate Easter and a Easter recipe for you to try yourself.

Health Choices: Keeping Clean

Why do I have to wash? How do I take care of my hair? What’s wrong with biting my nails? The answers to these and many other questions about keeping clean can be discovered in this ideal introduction to KS1 health and safety issues.

Health Choices: Harmful Substances

Why do I need to take medicine? What are household chemicals for? Why is smoking bad for you? The answers to these and many other questions about harmful substances can be discovered in this ideal introduction to KS1 health and safety issues.

Call the Coastguard

Describes the work of the RNLI and coastguards saving lives at sea, through the eyes of the volunteers who work for it.

Bullied by Friends

To write this book, I worked closely with a friend who counsels young people and has a lot of experience in this area. I wanted to make sure the tone and approach were suitable for the target age group.

Anthony Horowitz

I heard Anthony Horowitz speak in London when he was talking about his Sherlock Holmes book House of Silk and I told him I was writing a biography of him – he was quite surprised! He later checked the text to ensure it gave an accurate account of his life.

Self-Harm

To write this book, I worked closely with a friend who counsels young people and has a lot of experience in this area. I wanted to make sure the tone and approach were suitable for the target readers.

The Arab-Israeli Conflict

This series sets out to explain why the major wars of the 20th century started, to describe what happened, and to analyse how the results changed our world. The book includes maps which show how the battles and campaigns were fought, how boundaries were redrawn and nations reshaped.

Big Business: ASOS

How did ASOS build such a hugely successful global brand? Discover what makes people shop at ASOS and how the brand has grown since its launch in 2000. Learn about the brains behind the iconic brand, including the original founders, explore key business concepts in a straightforward way and develop a product brief for your very own ASOS range.

Atlas of World Faiths: Islam

For this book, I combined my knowledge of world religions and history to compile a historical account of the growth and development of Islam across the world.

Big Business: Cadbury

This book covers how Cadbury came into being, the entrepreneurs behind its success, the key facts about the chocolate industry and Cadbury’s impact in the global market.

How to Get Ahead in Catering

An introduction to working in the catering industry, this title discusses the range of jobs available and looks at the skills and qualifications required.

Big Business: Coca-Cola

This book covers how Coca-Cola was invented, the entrepreneurs behind its success, the key facts about the soft drinks industry and Coca-Cola’s impact in the global market.

Communities in Britain: The Kurds

This title explores the Kurdish communities, one of the communities that create Britain’s multicultural society. It features quotes from community members and specially commissioned photographs.

Costume Around the World: Saudi Arabia

Learn how the arid climate and religious traditions have impacted casual and festive clothing in this desert country.

Israel and the Middle East

This title examines the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict as well as the current divisions in Israel and Palestine including unrest over water and oil, the growth of terrorist organisations and Israel’s relationships with the West and their Middle Eastern neighbours.

J. K. Rowling

For anyone who has ever dreamed of writing a book, J.K. Rowling is the ultimate success story. The author of the extremely popular Harry Potter series is one of the most well-known writers in the world. This book explains all about this famous author’s childhood in England, and how she shot to stardom to become one of richest and best-loved writers in the world today.

Living Through the Vietnam War

Why was the Vietnam War so contentious, and how did one of the world’s superpowers fail to defeat a much less wealthy and populous opponent? Why was the war of such global significance and how has it affected people on both sides of the conflict? This book relates the overall events and chronology of the war and shows its impact on everyday lives.

Migration and Refugees

This book considers a range of issues. What problems do immigrants face in their host countries? Should wealthy countries limit numbers of asylum seekers or do they have a moral obligation to help? Would legalising all migration stop the problem of smuggling and trafficking? Does migration lead to cross-cultural understanding or a dilution of ancient traditions?

Fierce Floods

Floods, and their deadly consequences, have hit the headlines over the past decade as countries around the world have been affected by serious flooding. But why are these occurrences becoming more frequent, and more severe? And what happens to the affected communities after disaster has struck?

Planet in Peril: Fierce Floods answers these questions and many more, including when and why flooding occurs, and how technology is helping people to prepare for it.

Superstorms

Superstorms, and their deadly consequences, have hit the headlines over the past decade as hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons have devastated countries around the world. But why are these occurrences so frequent and destructive? And what happens to the affected communities after disaster has struck?

Planet in Peril: Superstorms answers these questions and many more, the different types of superstorm, what causes them and how technology is helping people to prepare for them.

Poverty and Hunger

This title describes the worldwide problem of poverty and food shortages that affect the population. It includes current statistics, maps and charts.

Refugees

This title look at why people become refugees, the impact they have on society, and the attitudes of the media and the general public towards them.

Rosalind Franklin

It was fascinating to write this book; it is only in the last couple of decades that the significant role Franklin played in the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 has been fully recognised. This was the first children’s book to be written about her. I was privileged to meet Franklin’s sister Jennifer Glynn, who assisted me with the preparation of the text.

Surviving the Holocaust

This book tells you all about the Holocaust – the Nazis’ murder of six million Jews, Roma, LGBT and disabled people during World War II. Using vivid personal accounts, it tracks the tragic events from the Nazis coming to power in the 1930s to the liberation of the concentration camps in 1945.

Sustainable Cities

One of a series that examines the environmental damage caused by modern life and discusses ways in which society can progress towards a more sustainable future.

Teen Choices Relationships

Imagine a fight with a friend, or the breaking of a relationship. Is it the end of the world or a normal part of the lives we live? This book shows how we are all part of a web of changing relationships, tackles difficult topics like abuse, and offers a range of ideas to help the reader make the most of their friendships.

Big Business: Heinz

I’ve written several titles on international businesses – their history, how they operate, the people who work for them, and the pros and cons of their methods of operation.

Planet in Peril

This series looks at the various natural disasters faced around the world, how climate change is making them more frequent and severe, and what we can do about it.

Strength in Numbers

This was one of a pair of books I wrote in a series about American women’s cultural history. Rather than ghettoising black women’s experience in a separate chapter, I ensured that women of all races and backgrounds were integrated throughout the book.

 

Against the Odds: Stephen Hawking

One of a biography series looking at people who achieved extraordinary things in their life against all the odds.

Who Travelled on the Underground Railroad?

Working on this title involved tracking down some of the many new primary sources that have been uncovered by recent research into the activities of the Underground Railroad. Most of the activists were black Americans who helped people in the South to escape slavery, at great risk to all.

Atlas of World Faiths: Judaism

For this book and the Islam title in the same series, I combined my knowledge of world religions and history.

Age group: 11–14
Publisher: Franklin Watts, 2007

Talking About My Faith: I am Muslim

This is one of a series produced by working with individual children and their families to help readers to understand people of different faiths.

Age group: 6–8
Publisher: Franklin Watts, 2005

Moving to Britain from Somalia

This is one of four titles in this series that I wrote; Howard Davies took the photos. We worked closely with Fahad (featured on the cover) and allowed him and his family to tell their story.

Age group: 7-9
Publisher: Franklin Watts, 2008

Global Questions: Why Do People Seek Asylum?

One of several books that I have written about refugees. I aim to present different viewpoints in a non-judgemental way as a basis for discussion.

Age group: 11–14
Publisher: Franklin Watts, 2008

Our World Divided: North and South Korea

There are few educational books on that provide the background to the current conflict between North and South Korea, so this was a fascinating title to research.

 

A Teen Guide to Being Eco in Your Community

I am a keen cyclist, allotment gardener and cook, so I was pleased to incorporate some cheap and simple ideas for being eco into this book for young people.

Age group: 11–14
Publisher: Raintree, 2012

Fighting for Freedom: Women in the 1960s

This title recounts the fascinating biographies of four women engaged in different struggles for freedom in the 1960s against the background of wider changes in society.

 

Days of Decision: Nelson Mandela

As well as detailing Mandela’s biography, this title investigates the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the extraordinary process through which South Africans attempted to come to terms with the horrors of their apartheid past.

Age group: 11–16
Publisher: Raintree, 2013

Fashion Designers

From fashion icons Dolce and Gabbana to Stella McCartney, the people behind all of the hottest runway looks are thoroughly examined. Colourful photographs paired with easy-to-follow text provide background on the designers and their fascinating fashions.

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