Sue Graves author page

Sue Graves biography

Sue Graves, whose full name is Susan Graves, is a British children’s author and teacher. She qualified from Chester Teacher Training College, now part of the University of Chester, in 1973. Her teaching career has included working with children with special educational needs. She has written more than 400 children’s books, covering fiction, non-fiction, plays and poetry for readers from preschool age through to teenagers.

Graves has written extensively for Franklin Watts, an imprint of Hachette Children’s Group. Her Behaviour Matters series, illustrated by Trevor Dunton, uses animal characters to explore emotions, social situations and behaviour. Titles include Tiger Has a Tantrum, first published in 2016, and Zebra Can Cope, which explores resilience. Her Experiences Matter series includes Little Leopard Learns to Swim, Elephant Has a Brother and Grandpa Sloth Needs Help.

She has also contributed fiction and non-fiction to the Reading Champion series, which provides graded reading books for primary school children. Her titles include A Windy Day, illustrated by Beccy Blake, and The Rat and the Elephant, a retelling of an Aesop fable illustrated by Rachael and Phillippa Corcutt. The series is published by Franklin Watts and supports the development of independent reading skills.

In recognition of her work writing books for and teaching children with special educational needs, Graves was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours in 2025. She received the honour from Prince William at Windsor Castle, with the University of Chester reporting the occasion in February 2026.