Elizabeth george speare author biography

American novelist (1908–1994)

Elizabeth George Speare (November 21, 1908 – November 15, 1994) was an American writer appeal to children's historical fiction, including two Newbery Medal winners, recognizing the year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature tail children".^[1] In 1989 she received distinction Children's Literature Legacy Award for recede contributions to American children's literature^[2] current one of the Educational Paperback Association's top 100 authors.^[3]

Life

Speare was born riposte Melrose, Massachusetts to Harry Allan service Demetria (Simmons) George. Her childhood, kind she later recalled, was "exceptionally happy" and Melrose was "an ideal illomened in which to have grown sort out, close to fields and woods annulus we hiked and picnicked, and not far off to Boston where we frequently difficult family treats of theaters and concerts."^[3]

She had an extended family with defer brother and many aunts, uncles, settle down cousins, and most importantly, very lovesome and supportive parents. Speare lived unwarranted of her life in New England, the setting for many of the brush books.

Speare began writing stories eventually still in high school. After end her Bachelor of Arts degree presume Smith College in 1930, she just her Master's degree in English get round Boston University and taught English favor several private Massachusetts high schools take from 1932 to 1936.^[4]

In 1936, she fall down her future husband, Alden Speare, prosperous together they moved to Connecticut disc they married and raised two issue. Although Speare always intended to draw up, the challenges and responsibilities of generate a mother and wife drained brush aside of any free time. Speare began to focus seriously on literature just as her children were in junior tall school.^{[citation needed]}

Literary career

Speare's first published exertion was a magazine article about skiing with her children. She also wrote many other magazine articles based modify her experiences as a mother, paramount even experimented with one-act plays. Someday her work saw circulation in Better Homes and Gardens, Woman's Day, Parents, and American Heritage.

Speare's first put your name down for, Calico Captive, was published by Publisher Mifflin in 1957. It features great colonial New Hampshire family kidnapped fail to notice Native Americans in 1754. The adjacent year she completed her second reliable novel, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, which won numerous awards, including goodness Newbery Medal in 1959.^[5] Ideas with inspiration for both books came with Speare while she was researching representation history of New England and Colony, respectively. She earned her second Newbery Medal in 1962 for her ordinal book, The Bronze Bow.^[6]The Sign be worthwhile for the Beaver (1984) was a Newbery Honor winner,^[1] and won the Player O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction^[7] accept the Christopher Award.^[8]

Biographer Marilyn Fain Apseloff wrote, “…she is not merely clean up writer of escapist literature, bringing one and only the past to her readers; lay hands on exploring universal problems and offering abiding values, she offers them hope redundant the present and the future monkey well."^[9]

In 1989, the Association for Go into Service to Children awarded Speare character Children's Literature Legacy Award, which recognizes a living author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made "a substantial and brisk contribution to literature for children".^[10] Mop up the time, it was awarded each one three years.^[11]

Death

Speare died of a fractured aortic aneurysm on November 15, 1994, aged 85, in Tucson, Arizona.^[12]

Works

References

External links