From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nippers was a children's book series for early readers established by
Leila Berg and published by
Macmillan Educational in the United Kingdom from 1968 to 1983. The series deliberately featured working-class characters and settings.
[1]
Berg, who contributed many titles to the series herself, explained her motivation in a letter to the
Times Literary Supplement :
Nippers are written in the belief that every child needs to be able to look at a book or hear a story and feel "That's me!". This is what every middle-class child has done practically since babyhood.
[2]
The series encountered opposition, "on the grounds that children were being given what they already knew and that the vocabulary of the stories was impoverished and limiting".
[2] Nevertherless, Nippers became firmly established. Little Nippers , a series for younger children, followed in 1972. In the early 1970s, Berg also recruited several Black authors to write for Nippers, including
Beryl Gilroy and
Petronella Breinburg .
[1] Other contributors included
J. L. Carr ,
Charles Causley ,
Mary Cockett ,
Helen Cresswell ,
Joan Eadington ,
Nigel Gray ,
Trevor Griffiths ,
Geraldine Kaye ,
Janet McNeill ,
Helen Solomon and
Jacqueline Wilson .
According to its publisher estimates, Nippers and Little Nippers sold over two million copies. However, in 1983 Macmillan allowed the series to go out of print.
[1]
Books in the Nippers series
Jill Bavin, Saturday Morning . 1971. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Mary Dinsdale.
ISBN
0333063414
Leila Berg , A Day Out . 1968. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Ferelith Eccles Williams.
ISBN
0333038614
Leila Berg, Bouncing . 1971. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by
Margaret Belsky .
ISBN
0333122496
Leila Berg, Finding a Key . 1968. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Jenny Williams.
ISBN
0333089855
Leila Berg, Fish and Chips for Supper . 1968. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
Leila Berg, Grandad’s Clock . 1976. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Joan Beales.
ISBN
0333180976
Leila Berg, Jimmy’s Story . 1968. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333055144
Leila Berg, Julie’s Story . 1970. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333092333
Leila Berg, Lesley’s Story . 1970. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333015479
Leila Berg, Letters . 1970. Nippers - Red ; Level 1.
ISBN
0333107624
Leila Berg, Paul’s Story . 1970. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333066715
Leila Berg, Plenty of Room . 1975. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Joan Beales.
ISBN
0333173171
Leila Berg, Robert’s Story . 1970. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333006380
Leila Berg, Susan’s Story . 1970. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333032004
Leila Berg, The Jumble Sale . 1968. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by George Craig.
ISBN
0333012992
Leila Berg, Tracy’s Story . 1972. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
Marilyn Bloomfield, Rex Is Out! . 1975. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by
Trevor Stubley .
Petronella Breinburg , Tiger, Paleface, and Me . 1976. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
Jim Buckingham, The Pop Trolley . 1971. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by
Charles Front .
ISBN
0333122089
J. L. Carr , The Red Windcheater . 1970. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by
George Adamson .
ISBN
0333264746
Irma Chilton , The Lamb . 1973. Nippers - Blue ; level 5. Illustrated by Dorothy Clark.
ISBN
0333140869
Mary Cockett, An Armful of Sparrows . 1973. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by George Adamson.
Mary Cockett, Frankie’s Country Day . 1979. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by Mary Dinsdale.
ISBN
0333264711
Mary Cockett, The Lost Money . 1968. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by Mary Dinsdale.
ISBN
0333079027
Mary Cockett, The Marvellous Stick . 1972. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by Mary Dinsdale.
Mary Cockett, The Wedding Tea . 1970. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Mary Dinsdale.
Mary Cockett, Tufty . 1968. Illustrated by George Adamson.
ISBN
0333105370
Helen Cresswell , John’s First Fish . 1970. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by Prudence Seward.
Ronald Deadman, The Pretenders . 1972. Nippers - Green ; Level 4.
ISBN
0333130383
Joan Eadington , Come on! Get Up! . 1973. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Joan Beales.
ISBN
0333140818
Joan Eadington, Conkers . 1975. Illustrated by Trevor Stubley.
ISBN
0333179447
Joan Eadington, Fishing . 1975. Illustrated by
Gerald Rose .
ISBN
0333179439
Joan Eadington, Kickerdonkey! . Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. 1974. Illustrated by Margaret Belsky.
ISBN
0333130391
Joan Eadington, The Big Dig . 1975. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Ray Fishwick.
ISBN
0333173066
Joan Eadington, The Terrible Rattle . 1973. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333140796
Joan Eadington, Thigh’s Team . 1971. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by Geraldine Spence.
ISBN
0333122518
Beryl Gilroy , A Visitor From Home . 1973. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by Shyam Varma.
ISBN
0333143418
Beryl Gilroy, Arthur Small . 1976. Nippers - Red ; Level 1.
ISBN
0333180984
Beryl Gilroy, Knock at Mrs. Herbs’ . 1973. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by Shyam Varma.
ISBN
0333143426
Beryl Gilroy, New People at Number 24 . 1973. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by Shyam Varma.
ISBN
0333140877
Beryl Gilroy, New Shoes . 1976. Nippers - Green ; Level 1. Illustrated by Ferelith Eccles-Williams.
ISBN
0333180992
Beryl Gilroy, No More Pets . 1975. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Margaret Belsky.
ISBN
0333173007
Beryl Gilroy, Outings for Everyone . 1975. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Prudence Seward.
ISBN
0333173015
Beryl Gilroy, Rice and Peas . 1975. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Beryl Sanders.
ISBN
0333172981
Beryl Gilroy, The Paper Bag . 1973. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Shyam Varma.
ISBN
0333143434
Beryl Gilroy, The Present . 1975. Nippers - Green; Level 4. Illustrated by Nicole Goodwin.
ISBN
0333173023
Trevor Griffiths , Tip’s Lot . 1972. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by George Adamson.
ISBN
0333130480
Margaret Heseltine, Bri's Accident . 1973. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by Prudence Seward.
ISBN
0333130537
Geraldine Kaye, Bonfire Night . 1968. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by George Adamson.
ISBN
0333105451
Geraldine Kaye, Christmas is a Baby . 1975. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Richard Butler.
ISBN
0333173058
Geraldine Kaye, Eight Days to Christmas . 1970. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by
Shirley Hughes .
ISBN
0333235312
Geraldine Kaye, Ginger . 1972. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Shirley Hughes.
ISBN
0333031741
Geraldine Kaye, In the Park . 1970. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3.
Geraldine Kaye, Pegs and Flowers . 1975. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Richard Butler.
ISBN
0333173031
Geraldine Kaye, The Rainbow Shirt . 1970. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by
Lynette Hemmant .
Janet McNeill , Growlings . 1975.
ISBN
0333172418
Janet McNeill, It's Snowing Outside . 1968. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Carol Barker.
ISBN
0333264703
Janet McNeill, Look Who’s Here . 1976. Nippers - Red ; level 1. Illustrated by Gerald Rose.
ISBN
0333235428
Janet McNeill, The Day Mum Came Home . 1976. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Prudence Seward.
ISBN
0333182200
Janet McNeill, The Day They Lost Grandad . 1968. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Julius.
ISBN
0333235339
Janet McNeill, The Family Upstairs . 1973. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by Trevor Stubley.
ISBN
0333140826
Janet McNeill, The Nest Spotters . 1972. Nippers - Yellow ; Level 3. Illustrated by Geraldine Spence.
Richard Parker, Lost in a Shop . 1968. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Carol Barker.
ISBN
0333056396
Richard Parker, Me and My Boots . 1971. Nippers - Blue; Level 5. Illustrated by George Adamson.
ISBN
0333007638
Barbara Paterson, The Boy in the Park . 1972. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Gareth Floyd.
ISBN
0333130545
Peter Pickering, Uncle Norman . 1968. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by Julius.
Denise Robertson, The New Bath . 1970. Nippers - Green ; Level 4.
Denise Robertson, The New Car . 1972. Nippers - Green; Level 4. Illustrated by John Dyke.
ISBN
0333131584
Denise Robertson, The New Pet . 1973. Nippers - Green; Level 4. Illustrated by John Dyke.
ISBN
0333140761
Rachel Scott, The School Trip . 1976. Nippers - Red; Level 1. Illustrated by Nicole Goodwin.
ISBN
0333181026
Christine Thompson, The Play . 1973. Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Prudence Seward.
ISBN
0333143450
Nancy Tuft, Scruff’s New Home . 1970. Nippers - Green ; Level 4. Illustrated by Prudence Seward.
Jacqueline Wilson , Ricky’s Birthday . Nippers - Orange ; Level 2. Illustrated by Margaret Belsky.
ISBN
0333143469
Books in the Little Nippers series
Leila Berg, The Doctor . 1972. Little Nippers Book 8. Illustrated by
Biro .
ISBN
0333131282
Leila Berg, Doing the Pools . 1972. Little Nippers Book 2. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333131266
Leila Berg, Hospital Day . 1972. Illustrated by Shirley Hughes.
ISBN
0333131274
Leila Berg, Knitting . 1972. Illustrated by George Him.
ISBN
0333131223
Leila Berg, My Brother . 1972. Illustrated by Linda Birch. Little Nippers Book 6.
ISBN
0333131231
Leila Berg, Put the Kettle On! . 1972. Illustrated by John Dyke. Little Nippers Book 4.
ISBN
0333131258
Leila Berg, That Baby! . 1972. Little Nippers Book 1. Illustrated by Margaret Belsky.
ISBN
0333131290
Leila Berg, Well I Never! . 1972. Little Nippers Book 3. Illustrated by
George Him .
ISBN
0333131304
Leila Berg, A Band in School . 1975. Illustrated by John Dyke.
ISBN
0333179420
Charles Causley , When Dad Felt Bad . 1975. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333172116
Beryl Gilroy, In Bed . 1975. Illustrated by Robert Hales.
ISBN
0333179498
Beryl Gilroy, Bubu's Street . 1975. Illustrated by George Him.
ISBN
0333179498
Beryl Gilroy, Once Upon A Time . 1975. Illustrated by Joan Beales.
ISBN
0333179471
Nigel Gray , My Cat . 1975. Illustrated by Terry Reid.
ISBN
0333187415
Helen Keenan, My Tooth . 1975. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333179501
Janet McNeill, My Auntie . 1975. Illustrated by Janet McNeill.
ISBN
0333172426
Janet McNeill, Go On, Then . 1975. Illustrated by Terry Reid.
ISBN
0333172434
Helen Solomon, A Present from the Seaside . 1972. Nippers- Blue; Level 5. Illustrated by John Dyke.
ISBN
0333130456
Helen Solomon, Billy Finds a Pigeon . 1971. Nippers - Blue ; Level 5. Illustrated by John Dyke.
ISBN
0333122488
Helen Solomon, Dad’s Pie . 1976. Nippers - Red ; Level 1.
ISBN
0333181018
Helen Solomon, Gran’s Glasses . 1976. Nippers - Red ; Level 1. Illustrated by Richard Rose.
ISBN
0333185293
Helen Solomon, The Jazz Band . 1972. Nippers - Green; Level 4. Illustrated by
Val Biro .
^
a
b
c Karen Sands-O'Connor (2017). "Leila Berg and Nippers". Children's Publishing and Black Britain, 1965-2015 . Springer. pp. 26–52, 88.
^
a
b Linda Newbery; Yvonne Coppard (2013). Writing Children's Fiction: A Writers' and Artists' Companion . A & C Black. p. 50.