Dyan Sheldon – författare

Lily's grandmother tells her all about the mysterious whales out in the bay, and Lily longs to hear their magical song. Gary Blythe's richly evocative artwork creates an incredibly atmospheric world for a timeless tale of wildlife and wonder.This stunning, award-winning picture book has been refreshed and redesigned in a new edition, making it perfect for a new generation to share and fall in love with.

Move over, Sherlock Holmes!Drusilla is a quiet, thoughtful little girl who has a small toy hippopotamus and four older brothers. Her hippo (Mrs Mu) goes everywhere with Drusilla. Her brothers (Harlan, Kal, CJ and Joe) go nowhere with her. In fact, their sole aim seems to be to taunt their small sister and stop her from joining in with their games. Usually Drusilla can withstand any amount of teasing, but when Mrs Mu goes missing, she suspects foul play… This time Drusilla will have to call upon all her resourcefulness to win through.

Everything I'm about to tell you occurred exactly as I say. And I don't just mean the stuff about "Deadwood" High, and my fight with Carla Santini over the school play. I mean everything. Even the things that seem so totally out of this solar system that you think I must have made them up – like crashing the party after Sidartha's farewell concert in New York – they're true too. And nothing's been exaggerated. Not the teeniest, most subatomic bit. It all happened exactly as I'm telling it.

A warm, smart and very funny look at the friendship between two very different girls.Gracie and Savannah are best friends – despite being totally different. Savannah is beautiful, outrageous and irresistible to the opposite sex. Gracie is shy, smart and would rather be learning about lizards than meeting boys. Together they make a great if surprising team and it seems like nothing could come between them – but Gracie begins to question Savannah's reliance on lies and manipulation to get her own way and wonders whether her friend is quite as confident as she seems. When Gracie meets a boy she really likes, and Savannah comes between them, Gracie realizes that maybe it's time she started thinking for herself. The two friends may never be as close as they were but they've learned a great deal from each other. This is a witty and very funny story about friendship, keeping your own identity and moving on.

A warm, smart and very funny look at the friendship between two very different girls.Gracie and Savannah are best friends – despite being totally different. Savannah is beautiful, outrageous and irresistible to the opposite sex. Gracie is shy, smart and would rather be learning about lizards than meeting boys. Together they make a great if surprising team and it seems like nothing could come between them – but Gracie begins to question Savannah's reliance on lies and manipulation to get her own way and wonders whether her friend is quite as confident as she seems. When Gracie meets a boy she really likes, and Savannah comes between them, Gracie realizes that maybe it's time she started thinking for herself. The two friends may never be as close as they were but they've learned a great deal from each other. This is a witty and very funny story about friendship, keeping your own identity and moving on.

Girls in love will do some very crazy things! A fantastically funny environmental take on high school comedy.High school is pretty predictable – there are the geeks, the hipsters, the princesses, the jocks... But when Cody Lightfoot – smart, handsome, cool and with a passion for the environment – joins the school, everything changes. Suddenly the craze for green living is everywhere as the girls and boys of Clifton Springs pull out all the stops to impress him and outdo each other in the run up to Earth Day. But as they go to more outrageous and crazier lengths, they start to wonder whether Cody is worthy of all their attention – and whether saving the world might just be more important than impressing a boy.

Girls in love will do some very crazy things! A fantastically funny environmental take on high school comedy.High school is pretty predictable – there are the geeks, the hipsters, the princesses, the jocks... But when Cody Lightfoot – smart, handsome, cool and with a passion for the environment – joins the school, everything changes. Suddenly the craze for green living is everywhere as the girls and boys of Clifton Springs pull out all the stops to impress him and outdo each other in the run up to Earth Day. But as they go to more outrageous and crazier lengths, they start to wonder whether Cody is worthy of all their attention – and whether saving the world might just be more important than impressing a boy.

A sharply observed, bittersweet tale of the trials of teenage pregnancy.Lana Spiggs is fed up with everyone telling her what to do. If it isn’t her mother nagging and shouting, it’s her teachers nagging and shouting. What Lana wants is to be grown up. She wants her own flat, her own husband and her own children – and then no one will be able to boss her around any more. When Lana meets Les on her fifteenth birthday, she knows he is The One. And when she gets pregnant without even trying, she knows it’s her ticket to freedom – even though everyone else calls it a prison sentence. But can her dream of Happy Families stand up to reality?

A sharply observed, bittersweet tale of the trials of teenage pregnancy.Lana Spiggs is fed up with everyone telling her what to do. If it isn’t her mother nagging and shouting, it’s her teachers nagging and shouting. What Lana wants is to be grown up. She wants her own flat, her own husband and her own children – and then no one will be able to boss her around any more. When Lana meets Les on her fifteenth birthday, she knows he is The One. And when she gets pregnant without even trying, she knows it’s her ticket to freedom – even though everyone else calls it a prison sentence. But can her dream of Happy Families stand up to reality?

Everything I'm about to tell you occurred exactly as I say. And I don't just mean the stuff about Deadwood High, and my fight with Carla Santini over the school play. I mean everything. Even the things that seem so totally out of this solar system that you think I must have made them up – like crashing the party after Sidartha's farewell concert in New York – they're true too. And nothing's been exaggerated. Not the teeniest, most subatomic bit. It all happened exactly as I'm telling it.

A brainbox, a fashionista, and two angels intent on some divine interference – it's going to be an interesting weekend!The only thing Gabriela and Beth have in common is that they are in LA for the weekend. Gabriela is there for frivolity, fashion and fun; Beth for lectures, learning and literature. But what neither girl knows is that they are not alone. Two angels are in LA with them. And the angels have other ideas… A fast and funny body-swap comedy from a best-selling author.

A new comedy from the author of the bestselling Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.Sixteen-year-old Cherokee Salamanca is thrilled with the idea of visiting London. She’s fed up with her family and with Brooklyn. Brooklyn is about as romantic and as interesting as a hot dog; London is old and cultured and very close to Europe. But when she swaps lives with British teenager Sophie Pitt-Turnbull, she gets more than she bargained for. Dealing with her London misadventures takes humour and determination; but, as her adopted family realize, you can take the girl out of Brooklyn, you can’t take Brooklyn out of the girl!

Everything in Ella's life is perfect ... or is it?With perfect parents, perfect friends and perfect poise, it seems like Ella Gerard has it all. But when Ella's eccentric best friend, Lola Cep, nominates Ella to run for school president against the wickedly popular Carla Santini, many of the less-than-perfect aspects of Ella's life begin to surface. Will Ella come out a winner without losing face? A fast and funny look at high-school politics by a best-selling author.

Lola Cep has always rather looked down on Hollywood as the tawdry cousin of her real love, the theatre. But when a film crew comes to town, it’s an opportunity to further her superstar ambitions and show up Carla Santini – definitely one she’s determined not to miss…

An entertaining diary-style novel about a self-obsessed teenage girl and her attempts to navigate the choppy waters of life! Watch out Bridget Jones – here comes Janet!Meet Janet. She’s determined to explore Life’s True Essence, despite the countless hurdles in her way (i.e. her mother (The Mad Cow), a tragically lost mobile, the trials of Romantic Love, etc.). But while she splashes around the Deep End of the Pool of Life, could Janet be missing what’s happening on dry land?

Return to Planet Janet in this witty, diary-style novel about a self-obsessed teenage girl and her attempts to deal with love and life.Exams are over, love is in the air, and Janet's summer is already down the pan. Not only has her mother (The Mad Cow) got a new, right-on boyfriend with two daughters from hell, but she is expecting Janet to get a summer job! Add to that a lovesick dad, a best friend going gooey over a gorgeous Australian and a suffering, pregnant, lesbian aunt – and you have enough to send anyone into orbit. Welcome to Janet's Planet...

Elmo's embarrassed by his eccentric mother, who's declared war on new next-door neighbour Mr Bamber over his plans to turn the local woods into a housing development. But then Elmo makes friends with the Bambers' new adopted child, Kuba, who claims to be an undercover angel and insists that Elmo tries to stop Mr Bamber's plans too. Together, they begin to put together a petition, but the cunning Mr Bamber has secretly planned to start his demolition work early. In the final showdown, Elmo and Kuba stand in front of the bulldozers and when that doesn't work, Kuba proves that she really is an undercover angel and raises the living dead, scaring Bamber and his demolition men away and saving the woods.

One or Two Things I Learned About Love is a wise, sometimes hilarious, always witty new novel from Dyan Sheldon, in which our heroine learns that 'love' is not always what it seems...Hildy D'Angelo is seventeen and this is the summer she falls in love for the first time. She isn't what you'd call experienced when it comes to boys, but Connor is good looking, smart, charming and sweet (with a melt-that-ice-cap smile). Hildy is a sarcastic and funny, down-to-earth girl with lots of friends, and yet she proves to be a little bit of a fool for love. When Connor uses the L word, Hildy, already half in love with the idea of falling in love, releases her hold on the Earth. And because it's all very new to her, she thinks that Connor's irrational bursts of jealousy are signs of affection. Teething pains. No big deal. She ties herself in knots trying to appease him and not let on to her suspicious friends (or herself) that there is anything wrong. Until, finally, poor tortured Connor goes a step too far – and Hildy sees the truth at last...

Twelve-year-old Elmo Blue just wants to fit in. His environmental-activist mother has agreed to buy him some new Nike trainers and it looks like at last he may have a chance of being accepted. But his angel friend, Kuba, seems to have other ideas… When the class go on a history trip to a remote part of Wales, Elmo, thanks to Kuba's promptings, finds himself embroiled in a war against bully Eddie Kilgour and his sidekick Mark. It looks as though Elmo himself could be history, unless Kuba can come up with some heavenly intervention!

The Prince and the Pauper meets Trading Places, but with modern teenagers and Dyan Sheldon's unique deadpan humour!Paloma Rose is 16 years old and the star of one of the most popular TV shows ever. She has millions of fans and is the face of a hugely successful merchandising empire. But having had too much too young, Paloma is growing into a notorious brat and beginning to behave really badly: inappropriate boyfriends, drunken incidents, suggestive photos on the internet. The resulting bad publicity could mean the end of the show and with that the end of the lavish lifestyles her family – and her agent – have grown accustomed to. Then her agent bumps into 16 year old Oona Giness in a coffee shop and, struck by the resemblance, decides to switch Oona for Paloma and trick the wayward brat into going off to a boot camp in the desert which he hopes will sort her out. Oona, who lives with her depressed dad in a run-down apartment block, agrees to the deal in the hope that it’ll turn her life around. She quickly discovers that Hollywood is not for her, though Hollywood much prefers the new Paloma to the old one! And when Paloma finds out she’s been tricked, she breaks out of the camp and heads for home – and revenge.

The Prince and the Pauper meets Trading Places, but with modern teenagers and Dyan Sheldon's unique deadpan humour!Paloma Rose is 16 years old and the star of one of the most popular TV shows ever. She has millions of fans and is the face of a hugely successful merchandising empire. But having had too much too young, Paloma is growing into a notorious brat and beginning to behave really badly: inappropriate boyfriends, drunken incidents, suggestive photos on the internet. The resulting bad publicity could mean the end of the show and with that the end of the lavish lifestyles her family – and her agent – have grown accustomed to. Then her agent bumps into 16 year old Oona Giness in a coffee shop and, struck by the resemblance, decides to switch Oona for Paloma and trick the wayward brat into going off to a boot camp in the desert which he hopes will sort her out. Oona, who lives with her depressed dad in a run-down apartment block, agrees to the deal in the hope that it’ll turn her life around. She quickly discovers that Hollywood is not for her, though Hollywood much prefers the new Paloma to the old one! And when Paloma finds out she’s been tricked, she breaks out of the camp and heads for home – and revenge.

A genuinely funny story about adolescent friendship – with some excruciating moments!Jenny and Amy are best friends, they do everything together. Now they're about to start High School and Amy says it's the perfect opportunity to reinvent themselves and get in with the popular set. Jenny doesn't understand why Amy is so desperate to fit in all of a sudden – she thought they both enjoyed being unique. At first she tries to keep up with Amy: she diets, goes to the school dance, even dyes her hair (unsuccessfully!). But the harder she tries to be tall, thin and blonde the more miserable she becomes, and the two drift apart as Amy spends more and more time with the popular Rosie Henley and her followers. Jenny finds that a group nicknamed "the Martians" – due to their unfashionable appearance and oddball behaviour – appeals to her more. Finally she gets involved with the non-conformist brother of one of the Martians and commits social suicide by dressing as a frog to protest against unnecessary dissections in Biology!

Three over-privileged teens discover what life is like on the other side of the tracks.Marigold Liotta, Asher Grossman and Giorgiana Shiller have got it all – money, looks and good grades. Life couldn't get much better ... until their principal, Dr Kilpaticky, decides it's time to burst their bubble of advantage by assigning them tough community service placements as part of their school curriculum. And so the fun begins as Marigold finds herself tutoring a moody, silent nine year-old in a deprived part of town, Giorgiana is pushed to breaking point with an extremely sarcastic octogenarian in a nursing home and Asher is swamped with crying babies, flooded basements and the unemployed at a local community centre. With Dyan Sheldon's trademark irony and superb comic timing, Bursting Bubbles is a lively and touching story about how helping others can change you – for the better.

Three over-privileged teens discover what life is like on the other side of the tracks.Marigold Liotta, Asher Grossman and Giorgiana Shiller have got it all – money, looks and good grades. Life couldn't get much better ... until their principal, Dr Kilpaticky, decides it's time to burst their bubble of advantage by assigning them tough community service placements as part of their school curriculum. And so the fun begins as Marigold finds herself tutoring a moody, silent nine year-old in a deprived part of town, Giorgiana is pushed to breaking point with an extremely sarcastic octogenarian in a nursing home and Asher is swamped with crying babies, flooded basements and the unemployed at a local community centre. With Dyan Sheldon's trademark irony and superb comic timing, Bursting Bubbles is a lively and touching story about how helping others can change you – for the better.

A tender, witty ghost story – and an exciting new direction for the internationally bestselling author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.Celeste and Sorrel, Reuben and Orlando: high school friends who hang out together all the time. When Sorrel gets hit by a car one rainy night, it’s not surprising the others fall apart in various ways. But it’s not just grief they’re struggling with – it’s parents. Unfair, demanding, challenging parents who are, quite frankly, making their lives a misery. That’s why Sorrel decides she’s not going to be properly dead till she’s sorted out her friends' lives and can leave them with a clearer sense of what they want out of life. From the bestselling author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, this is a tender comedic ghost story which touches on some important issues, like bullying, coming out, and the life-denying way the old want to live through the young and impose their failures on them. It’s about the importance of being the person you want to be – or else, being miserable.“Dyan Sheldon is smart and generous, tough and funny.” The New York Times

A hilariously funny book about falling for the wrong person by the author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.From the writer of Confessions of A Teenage Drama Queen and My Worst Best Friend comes this hugely entertaining teen read about falling for the wrong person. The first time Josh sets eyes on Jena he's hooked. He can't stop thinking about her; looking for her wherever he is; hoping to turn a corner and find her there. The problem is she's completely out of his league, as his friends never tire of telling him, so Josh decides he will settle on simply being Jena's friend. But the more time he spends with her the more infatuated he becomes, despite the fact Jena only turns to him when she's had a fight with her on-again off-again boyfriend. Finally realizing he can't go on pretending he only wants to be her friend, Josh vows to tell Jena how he feels on Valentine's Day.

A hilariously funny book about falling for the wrong person by the author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.From the writer of Confessions of A Teenage Drama Queen and My Worst Best Friend comes this hugely entertaining teen read about falling for the wrong person. The first time Josh sets eyes on Jena he's hooked. He can't stop thinking about her; looking for her wherever he is; hoping to turn a corner and find her there. The problem is she's completely out of his league, as his friends never tire of telling him, so Josh decides he will settle on simply being Jena's friend. But the more time he spends with her the more infatuated he becomes, despite the fact Jena only turns to him when she's had a fight with her on-again off-again boyfriend. Finally realizing he can't go on pretending he only wants to be her friend, Josh vows to tell Jena how he feels on Valentine's Day.

A tender, witty ghost story – and an exciting new direction for the internationally bestselling author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.Celeste and Sorrel, Reuben and Orlando: high school friends who hang out together all the time. When Sorrel gets hit by a car one rainy night, it’s not surprising the others fall apart in various ways. But it’s not just grief they’re struggling with – it’s parents. Unfair, demanding, challenging parents who are, quite frankly, making their lives a misery. That’s why Sorrel decides she’s not going to be properly dead till she’s sorted out her friends' lives and can leave them with a clearer sense of what they want out of life. From the bestselling author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, this is a tender comedic ghost story which touches on some important issues, like bullying, coming out, and the life-denying way the old want to live through the young and impose their failures on them. It’s about the importance of being the person you want to be – or else, being miserable.“Dyan Sheldon is smart and generous, tough and funny.” The New York Times

A tender, witty ghost story – and an exciting new direction for the internationally bestselling author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.Celeste and Sorrel, Reuben and Orlando: high school friends who hang out together all the time. When Sorrel gets hit by a car one rainy night, it’s not surprising the others fall apart in various ways. But it’s not just grief they’re struggling with – it’s parents. Unfair, demanding, challenging parents who are, quite frankly, making their lives a misery. That’s why Sorrel decides she’s not going to be properly dead till she’s sorted out her friends' lives and can leave them with a clearer sense of what they want out of life. From the bestselling author of Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, this is a tender comedic ghost story which touches on some important issues, like bullying, coming out, and the life-denying way the old want to live through the young and impose their failures on them. It’s about the importance of being the person you want to be – or else, being miserable.“Dyan Sheldon is smart and generous, tough and funny.” The New York Times