Lisle was born into an artistic family, both parents were proficient painters. Frank Lisle, her father, was principal of Jacob Kramer College of Art in Leeds. In school she claims to have been slightly rebellious - she was "always trying to sneak in some article of clothing that wasn't allowed, like a shirt with a frill or the wrong coloured socks." Lisle also comments on her official website, "I only enjoyed Biology and English and those were my best subjects." After school she worked as an au pair in France, often writing and illustrating stories to entertain the children she looked after. Later she studied botany at Newcastle University and then spent a year at Oxford to become a teacher. Lisle worked in London briefly before spending a year living and working in New York. Since then, Lisle has taught biology and published many children's books. The Curse of the Toads was shortlisted for the 2007 Calderdale Children's Book Award. In 2005 Lisle did an MA in Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and was awarded a Distinction.Rebecca Lisle currently lives in Bristol with her husband, three children and a pet cat. She previously owned a black and white dog named Nike who was often an inspiration for her writing. Rebecca Lisle - David Higham Associates