Robert Leeson
Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature:
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Robert Leeson
(1928–), British writer and critic. Born in Cheshire, Leeson volunteered for the army before turning to journalism and finally, at age forty-one, to full-time writing. His first children's book, Beyond the Dragon Prow (1973), was followed by more than seventy titles, ranging from science fiction to social realism. The Third Class Genie (1975) and its sequel, Genie on the Loose (1984), tell what happens when young Alec summons up a genie who then turns into a real person totally out of touch with the working- class area in which he now finds himself. This lively story reflects Leeson's strong feelings about poverty, class, sexism, and racism as well as his talent to amuse. He has written a number of stories in the folk-tale mode, often featuring exceptionally competent female heroines. In Smart Girls (1993) he adapts five such stories from around the world, each one showing dull males being outwitted by far cleverer young female characters. Leeson's best-known stories are five books written in 1980–1983, featuring characters from the hit BBC television school serial for children, Grange Hill. Rather than merely novelizing existing scripts, Leeson created entirely new stories, starting with Grange Hill Rules, O.K.? (1980) and concluding with Forty Days of Tucker J (1982). The novel It's My Life (1980) sees Jan, a contemporary sixteen-year-old, suddenly deserted by her mother. Jan Alone (1989) continues her story, with Coming Home (1990) providing a moving ending: Jan is reunited with her mother and at last understands why she left. In contrast, Candy for the King (1983), reminiscent of Voltaire's satire Candide, introduces Kitchener Candleford, an innocent who continues to believe absolutely in “love, liberty, loyalty and leadership” whatever his experiences to the contrary. Time Rope (1986) is the first of a series of four titles for young adult readers, finishing with At War with Tomorrow (1986). These novels feature three young people from disadvantaged backgrounds banding together to oppose a future society where every freedom is under threat. Red, White, and Blue (1995), about an adolescent boy's difficulties coming to terms with a new school and the disappearance of his father, experiments with form, presenting its three distinct narrative strands in different colors to facilitate readers' understanding.
Leeson has also written critical studies, including Children's Book and Class Society: Past and Present (1977), an informed and highly critical account of the social bias once taken for granted in much children's literature. In Reading and Righting: The Past, Present and Future of Fiction for the Young (1985) he develops the theme that children's books, whatever their occasional faults, have always been a way of empowering the young. For this reason, he argues, it remains essential that children have as much access to literature as possible, particularly to books written with a diverse audience in mind. In 1985 Leeson received the Eleanor Farjeon Award for his services to children's literature.
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Robert Leeson
Robert Arthur Leeson (born 1928 in Cheshire) is a British author, mainly known for his children's books. Before becoming a writer, he worked as Literary Editor of the left-wing British newspaper the Morning Star.[1] He is a prolific writer, having had over 70 books for young people published between 1973 and 2003. His books include several historical novels, such as Maroon Boy (1974), The Third Class Genie (1975) (a humorous fantasy novel) and the science-fiction Time Rope (1986) and Zania Experiment (1993) series.[1] [2] Leeson also wrote social realist novels such as It's My Life (1980) about a teenage girl who has to look after her family after her mother walks out on them.[1] Silver's Revenge is a humorous sequel to Treasure Island, and Candy for the King is a fairytale about a giant influenced by Voltaire's Candide.[2] Leeson's Reading and Righting: the past,present and future of Fiction for the young (1985) is a history of children's literature. He has also written for radio, television and the theatre.
Leeson cites the fiction of Geoffrey Trease as an influence on his work.[3]
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Contents
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Bibliography
- United We Stand (1971)
- Strike (1973)
- Maroon Boy (1974)
- The Third Class Genie (1975)
- Beyond the Dragon Prow (1976)
- Children's Books and Class Society (1977)
- The White Horse (1977)
- The Cimaroons (1978)
- Challenge in the Dark (1978)
- Silver's Revenge (1978)
- Travelling Brothers (1979)
- It's My Life (1980)
- Harold and Bella, Jammy and Me (1980)
- Bess (1983)
- Candy for King (1983)
- The People's Dream (1983)
- Mum and Dad's Big Business (1983)
- Genie on the Loose (1984)
- The Adventures of Baxter and Co. (1984)
- Reading and Righting: The Past, Present and Future of Fiction for the young (1985)
- Time Rope (1986)
- Wheel of Danger (1986)
- At War With Tomorrow (1986)
- Three Against the World (1986)
- The Metro Gangs Attack (1986)
- The Reversible Giant (1986)
- Slambash Wangs of a Compo Gormer (1987)
- Never Kiss Frogs (1988)
- Burper (1989)
- How Alice Saved Captain Miracle (1989)
- Hey Robin (1989)
- Right Royal Kidnap (1990)
- Jan Alone (1990)
- Fire on the Cloud (1991)
- Coming Home (1991)
- One Frog Too Many (1991)
- Pancake Pickle (1991)
- Landing in Cloud Valley (1991)
- April Fool at Hob Lane School (1991)
- Never Kiss Frogs (1992)
- No Sleep for Hob Lane (1993)
- Karlo's Tale (1993)
- Hide And Seek (1993)
- The Last Genie (1993)
- Ghosts at Hob Lane (1993)
- Smart Girls (1993)
- Deadline (1993)
- Danger Trail (1993)
- Blast Off! (1993)
- The Dog Who Changed the World (1994)
- The Story of Robin Hood (1994)
- Swapper (1994)
- All the Gold in the World (1995)
- Red, White and Blue (1995)
- The Amazing Adventures of Idle Jack (1995)
- Smart Girls Forever (1996)
- Lucky Lad! (1997)
- Doomwater (1997)
- Geraldine Gets Lucky (1997)
- Tom's Private War (1998)
- Trwco (1998)
- Why's the Cow on the Roof? (1999)
- Liar (1999)
- The Song of Arthur (2000)
- Ruth (2000)
- My sister Shahrazad: Tales from the Arabian Nights (2001)
- Tom's War Patrol (2001)
- Tom's War (2003) (Omnibus of Tom's Private War and Tom's War Patrol).
- Partners in Crime (2003)
- Onda, Wind-Rider (2003)
TV Tie-Ins
- Grange Hill Rules OK? (1980).
- Grange Hill Goes Wild (1980).
- Grange Hill for Sale (1981). Novel
- Grange Hill Home and Away (1982).
- Forty Days of Tucker J. ,1983.
References
- ^ a b c Humphrey Carpenter and Mari Prichard,"The Oxford Companion to children's literature" Oxford University Press, 1998. ISBN 978-0-19-860228-6 (p. 308)
- ^ a b Emer O'Sullivan, Historical Dictionary of Children's Literature.Scarecrow Press, 2010, ISBN 0-8108-6080-5, (p.156).
- ^ Peter Hunt and Dennis Butts, Children's Literature: an illustrated history .Oxford University Press, 1995, ISBN 978-0-19-212320-6 (p.295).
External links
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The Oxford Encyclopedia of Children's Literature. © March 2006
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