Anna Claybourne: Books

A guide to mountain habitats around the world, for 8-11-year-olds.

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Mainly about bees, but includes other insects too - a basic introduction for 5-8s. Also reproduced as part of Usborne's Starting Point Science series bind-up Life on Earth.

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A guide to computers and their jargon, ages 10-adult. The first edition was a runner-up for the TES Senior Information Book Award in 1996. It was then revised and updated in-house for a second edition in 1999, shown on the right (revised edition by Anna Claybourne and Mark Wallace).

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Fun guide to how to draw for ages 6-9, including portraits, cartoons, and how to draw cubes. Also part of the bind-up Drawing, Painting and Lettering.

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I contributed a few pages to this detailed science encyclopedia for 10-13-year-olds.

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An illustrated introduction to Shakespeare for those reading him for the first time, covering his life and times, dramatic staging and interpretation, all the plays and some of the poems. Aimed at 11 years and up.
Times Educational Supplement Senior Information Book Award winner, 1997.

Now updated to include useful internet links.

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The Odyssey retold in a modern style for 7-11-year-olds, with the boring bits taken out.

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A new version of the Arthurian legends, for 7-11-year-olds. Lots of magic and action in a large-format book with a posh dust jacket.

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A revised version of my retelling of the Odyssey, bound up with Kamini Khanduri's action-packed Iliad to make a complete story in large gift-book format. For 7-11-year-olds.

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Part of Usborne's Paranormal Guides series, this book for ages 9 and up recounts eight spooky real-life poltergeist cases, but also looks into whether, and how, they could have been faked. Also revamped and bound up in the new Usborne Book of the Paranormal.

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A book for 8-11s about real-life treasure hunts and finds, including pirate treasure, the Gold Rush, Tutankhamun's grave and the discovery of the sunken Titanic.

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A big encyclopedia covering volcanoes and earthquakes, rocks and minerals, weather, rivers and seas and everything else to do with Earth science. Lots of lovely photos. Aimed at 8-11s.

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Bumper book of real-life ghost stories, along with some factual info, explanations and ghost theories. I really scared myself writing this. Fun for everyone, but aimed at 8-12.

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I contributed to the endmatter for this gorgeous history book for the older age range, 9 and up. The endmatter is the reference section about Greek plays, myths and philosophy at the back.

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My first book for grown-ups! I contributed about 50 puzzles.

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A first introduction to earthquakes for younger readers, aged about 6-8.

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A first introduction to tornadoes for 6-8s. One of my favourite subjects.

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My favourite Read About. Lovely photos and a first look at the subject for 6-8-year-olds.

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A first introduction to the amazing world of insects - hungry caterpillars, killer assassin bugs, dancing bees and much more for 6-8-year-olds.

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My geological contribution to an interesting series in Q&A format, which also includes titles on the states of the USA, outer space and other wacky stuff. 7-11.

Not available on Amazon – this book might be out of print by now.

A wide-ranging book about the world's countries, continents and peoples, their cultures, traditions, festivals, foods and lifestyles. Beautiful design and lots of top-quality photos. Would suit ages 8-12.

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All about the life of the amazing American civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Lots of photos and quotation boxes ~ aimed at ages 9-13 and good for school projects.

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One of Usborne's hugely popular series of computer guides, this shows you how to make your own posters, cards, invitations, newsletters and so on using just Microsoft Word^TM. Word 97 and Word 2000 versions were published but it may now be hard to get hold of the Word 97 edition.

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First of a set of four books on the seasons, aimed at younger children (5-7, and younger if reading with an adult). The books have gorgeous and humorous illustrations by Stephen Lewis and include facts about seasonal weather, festivals and customs, and what happens to plants and animals in different seasons, as well as sciency info about why seasons happen.

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Link to this book's page at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

Link to this book's page at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

My favourite of the four ~ especially the "Winter dangers" spread with avalanches, blizzards and thin ice.

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Focusing on the weirder members of the insect family. Which beetle sprays boiling hot poison? Which insect eats its mother? Which insect can live without its head? A great series from Belitha with loads of amazing facts and photos.

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If you think insects are weird, wait till you find out about the plants... this book contains meat-eating monsters, magic mandrakes, pebble plants, bulging baobabs and killer beans.

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A pocket-sized guide covering ancient Greek history, politics, culture, art, science and everyday life at a glance. Good for school projects.

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This is a massive and thoroughly comprehensive encyclopedia on all aspects of geography and Earth science, with maps too. Beautifully designed and illustrated with top-quality diagrams and photos.

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Introduction to the life and achievements of India's peaceful revolutionary. As well as being a biography, this book usefully explains the history of Indian independence and Partition.

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Biography of the often-forgotten woman who helped to found Israel and later became its prime minister. Also outlines the history of Israel and the origins of today's Arab-Israeli conflict, in which Meir played a major part. (NB this book is non-partisan and does not aim to take sides in any debate.) For readers of 11 and up.

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Wide-ranging introduction to genes and DNA, what they are, how they work, current advances in gene science, and the ethical debate. Beautifully illustrated by Stephen Moncrieff, this book is designed to explain the whole subject clearly and in a non-biased way to anyone who's wondering what it all means, from age 8 or so to right up to adult readers.

Link to this book's page at Amazon.co.uk. Soon available at Amazon.com too.

Part of a series called Awesome Bugs, this book is all about beetles (did you know they're the most common kind of animal on Earth?), bugs, flies, cockroaches and other creepy-crawly six-legged beasties. It doesn't include all types of insects – butterflies, for example, will appear in a later book in the series. Ages 6 and up.

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Second in the Awesome Bugs series, this book is all about eight-legged creepy-crawlies, otherwise known as arachnids – including spiders, scorpions, mites, harvestmen and even horseshoe crabs – for creepy-crawly fans aged 6 and up.

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Introduction to this speediest, shyest and most surprising of big cats, for the 8-12 age group. Did you know cheetahs eat melons?

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Usborne doing what they do best - fact-packed, photo-stuffed, gorgeously designed, bumper reference book on a fascinating subject. Skeletons, blood, how you think, optical illusions, views down oesophaguses - the works.

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Isn't this cover cool? Octopuses are amazing and they really do live in a secret world. Few people know that they're better at changing colour than chameleons, can also change shape and squeeze through tiny gaps, and are very brainy.

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Find out about tiny geckos, sticky-tongued chameleons, seaweed-munching iguanas, basilisks that run on water, and giant, germ-slavering komodo dragons. Loads of lovely pics.

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An accessible life of the famous artist. Not just an interesting and moving story (with stunning art repros too), this is also useful for anyone who's feeling down about not shining academically, or who hasn't yet found their vocation. Vincent struggled for ages and was labelled a no-hoper, but thanks to his loved ones' belief in him, the late bloomer bloomed spectacularly.

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Part of a series of four beautiful books on body art and modification around the world, ancient and modern. This book links the cultural heritage of body piercing with today's trends (featuring modern stars such as Britney and Christina), and includes info on safety issues.

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Another book in the Body Art series, full of amazing photos. From ancient Egyptian make-up to Aboriginal ceremony to soccer supporters to Marilyn Manson, this book explores how and why we paint ourselves.

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The classic tale of orphanhood, burnt porridge, thwarted love and things that go bump in the night, abridged and reworded for the younger modern reader. Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books of all time, and I'd recommend reading the real thing too, but this is good as an easy-to-read version for those aged 8 and up. Sorry Charlotte.

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An all-round intro to the geography of mountains - curriculum-friendly and ideal for school projects. Covers all kinds of things: how mountains form, volcanoes, wildlife, mountain-dwellers, tourism, sports, record-breaking peaks, deadly mountains, famous mountaineers and much more.

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Also in the Geography Fact File series, covering everything you always wanted to know about deserts - like where do sand dunes come from, why do they make strange noises, how do desert animals and peoples survive, and are deserts getting bigger or smaller? Did you know that the Sahara used to be a swamp, not all deserts are hot, and that deserts are among the best places for finding dinosaurs?

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I love germs and microscopic beasties... this book is all about bacteria, viruses and other tiny weeny creepy-crawlies that are too small to see. Find out how they cause diseases, how they multiply and how many tiny creatures live in and on your body all the time. Also has fun experiments for growing mould, making milk go off and such.

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One of the Animals Under Threat series, this focuses on why the giant panda is endangered and what's being done to save it - but it's also a useful general introduction. Not that cuteness should be a reason for saving species, but there are so many cute pics in this book! I don't usually go for sweet fluffy mammals, but even I can't resist the photo of four pairs of panda twins being cuddled by their human carers.

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The Awesome Bugs series, started in 2003, returns with three even more awesome titles on creepy-crawlies for ages 6 and up. Ants and termites are really mindblowing. Termites live in families of up to 5 million, build skyscraper-style towers, and can bring down humans' buildings just as easily. Ants can strip whole villages bare, remember the way through mazes and build nests and bridges using their own bodies.

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Next in the Awesome Bugs series, the creepy-crawlies everyone wants to have around (well, mostly). Find out how butterflies taste with their feet, which butterflies are see-through, which butterflies and moths are bigger than your head, and why moths are the animal world's champion smellers.

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And finally, Awesome Bugs: Bees and Wasps brings you possibly the most amazing insects of all. Includes how bees "speak" to each other in code, why they build hexagon-patterned honeycombs, why and how they make honey, how wasps inspired the invention of paper, and what's going on when you get stung. Like all the Awesome Bugs books, it includes some games and quizzes too.

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A brain-boggling 224 pages stuffed with shark facts and brilliant photos and illustrations (no squeamishness spared! Pics of horrific shark-related injuries are included!). At the same time, the book tells the truth about sharks - they are not deliberately vicious human-hunters, and actually pose far less threat to us than hippos or crocs do - or, of course, than we pose to them. I went a bit shark-mad writing this and now have to be stopped from going on about sharks at dinner parties.

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Ten of Shakespeare's best-loved plays, retold in a detailed and faithful, yet modernised and easy-reading style. Suitable for keen readers aged 9 or so and up as a storybook, but also good for those who are starting to study Shakespeare at school and want to get a quick handle on the stories (it also includes a reference guide to all the rest of the plays). Beautifully and stylishly illustrated by the amazing Elena Temporin.

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Originally a spotter's guide, this book was edited and modified to become a fun sticker book for younger children.

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One of Usborne's Hotshots series, a pocket guide to making those colourful woven bracelets you can buy on holiday. 8 and up.

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A really interesting and, for its size, quite in-depth introduction to Surrealism for 9-year-olds and up. Part of the funky Art Revolutions series.

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A much-needed guide to how kids can use the Internet safely and productively to help with homework. Fun, bright, easy to read, and really useful. Aimed at 8 and up.

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A spare-time companion to Homework Busters, this is a friendly and witty guide to having fun on the Net. Includes webcams, chatting, games, e-cards, searching, even web authoring, all with an eye on safety. 8 and up, with a page for parents.

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Another spotter's guide made into a sticker book, with beautiful shell photos.

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A lovely introduction to science for young readers aged 6-9. Includes easy experiments to try, and illustrates scientific principles with fun real-life situations such as toboganning, seaside bathing and the fairground.

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I worked as part of a team editing and preparing the text for this amazing book. It's about the species that could evolve in the distant future as the Earth's climate continues to change. My favourite bit is about how the cephalopods could colonise the land and perhaps become the next animals to have language and machines. For older and adult readers.

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The junior version of The Future is Wild (above). I helped with rewriting the text for a younger audience.

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Small, chunky and fun human body book, which comes with a CD-ROM containing games.

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First in a series of six bright, clearly written books that help with ICT skills. Working With Words is all about word-processing and handling text using a computer.

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How to use computers to create and process pictures, and how to put pictures into other documents.

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How to store and access information using computers. Includes an introduction to using databases and help with using the biggest database of all, the World Wide Web.

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All about how computer programming is used to control things, from supermarket doors to robots. As a practical guide, shows you how to write simple programs to control an on-screen drawing robot.

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A guide to computer models, showing how they can be used to imitate and test out real-life situations. Practical exercises include planning a bedroom layout and budgeting for a party.

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How to use the Internet, including using email, sending and receiving multimedia, and designing web pages.

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