Sheila Lavelle

Early life and education

Sheila Edmundson was born in 1939 in Dunston, Gateshead. By 1994, she had published over forty books.

In 1991 Lavelle was awarded the 1990 East Kilbride Children's Book Award. Following the award, she visited 22 local schools to talk to children.

The My Best Fiend series is described by Julie Cross in Humor in Contemporary Junior Literature (2010) as "featur[ing] the antics of Angela, a deliberately transgressive, even cruel girl, whose practical jokes are relayed and narrated by her friend Charlie, who frequently suffers at the hands of Angela". The East Kilbride News described the series as "very funny ... [with] wicked and inventive humour".

Her books were read as audiobooks by Jill Bennett. She attended book fairs too. The Signal Review of Children's Books said of More Adventures of Ursula Bear (1983) that "The stories of a little girl who can turn herself into a bear are much enjoyed by older infants". New Books for Boys & Girls wrote of The Disappearing Granny (1985) that "Sheila Lavelle's gift for lively dialogue and brisk action makes this a good choice for younger readers". Dorothy Butler, in Babies Need Books (1988), called Everybody said No! (1978) "uproarious". The Junior Bookshelf said of Calamity with the Fiend (1994) that "Sheila Lavelle has a nice line in malapropisms which should amuse the more sophisticated".

Personal life

Lavelle was married to Derek; they had two children. They had previously lived in Buckinghamshire.

She died in 2001, aged 62.

Selected books

Ursula Bear

Ursula Bear (1977, Gazelle Books, Hamish Hamilton) Ursula Dancing (1979, Hamish Hamilton) More Adventures of Ursula Bear (1983, Beaver Books) Ursula Riding (1985, Hamish Hamilton) Ursula by the Sea (1986, Hamish Hamilton) Ursula Camping (1986, Young Corgi) Ursula on the Farm (1987, Hamish Hamilton) Ursula Sailing (1987, Young Corgi) Ursula Climbing (1988, Young Corgi) Ursula Exploring (1989, Young Corgi) Ursula Flying (1989, Young Corgi) Ursula Skiing (1989, Hamish Hamilton) Ursula in the Snow (1989, Hamish Hamilton) Ursula Swimming (1990, Hamish Hamilton) Ursula Ballooning (1992, Hamish Hamilton) Ursula on Safari (1992, Hamish Hamilton)

My Best Fiend

My Best Fiend (1980, Young Lions) The Fiend Next Door (1983, Young Lions) Disaster with the Fiend (1988, Young Lions) Calamity with the Fiend (1994, Puffin Books) Trouble with the Fiend (1995, Young Lions) Holiday with the Fiend (1997, Puffin Books) Revenge of the Fiend (1997, Puffin Books)

Harry series

Harry's Horse (1987, Hamish Hamilton) Harry's Dog (1988, Hamish Hamilton) Harry's Hamster (1990, Hamish Hamilton) Harry's Cat (1992, Hamish Hamilton) Harry's Aunt (1995, Puffin Books)

Webster series

Wake up, Webster! (1994, Longman) Webster and the Treacle Toffee (1994, Longman) Webster the World's Worst Dog (1994, Longman) Webster's Week (1994, Longman)

Maisy series

Messy Maisy; Maisy's measles (1991, Young Piper) Maisy in the Mud (1992, Pan Macmillan) Maisy in the Mud; Maisy's Masterpiece (1994, Young Piper)

Other

Everybody said No! (1978, A & C Black Oliver Ostrich (1978, A & C Black) Too Many Husbands (1978, Hamish Hamilton) Mr Ginger's Potato (1981, A & C Black) Myrtle Turtle (1981, A & C Black) The Disappearing Granny (1985, Mammoth Books) The Chocolate Candy Kid (1986, Marilyn Malin Books) The Boggy Bay Marathon (1987, Orchard) The Topsy-Turvy Teacher (1988, Orchard) Copycat (1989, Hodder & Stoughton) The Strawberry-Jam Pony (1989, Puffin) Fish Stew (1990, Paperbird) Monica's Monster (1990, Hodder & Stoughton) Sunil's Bad Dream (1990, Ginn) Wincey's Worm (1991, Hodder & Stoughton) The Apple Pie Alien (1993, Orchard) The Big Stink (1993, Mammoth) The Dognapper (1993, Heinemann) Snowy, the Christmas Dog (1994, Oxford University Press) Spots in Space (1994, Orchard Books) Tomasina's Twin (1994, Longman) Fetch the Slipper (1997, Puffin) Tiger (1999, Orchard)