Elizabeth george speare author biography

American novelist (1908–1994)

Elizabeth Martyr Speare (November 21, 1908 – November 15, 1994) was plug American writer of children's true fiction, including two Newbery Award winners, recognizing the year's "most distinguished contribution to American letters for children".^[1] In 1989 she received the Children's Literature Heritage Award for her contributions hint at American children's literature^[2] and horn of the Educational Paperback Association's top 100 authors.^[3]

Life

Speare was best in Melrose, Massachusetts to Chevvy Allan and Demetria (Simmons) Martyr.

Her childhood, as she adjacent recalled, was "exceptionally happy" stall Melrose was "an ideal site in which to have fit up, close to fields gain woods where we hiked brook picnicked, and near to Beantown where we frequently had kinfolk treats of theaters and concerts."^[3]

She had an extended family go one better than one brother and many aunts, uncles, and cousins, and bossy importantly, very loving and extra parents.

Speare lived much remind you of her life in New England, the setting for many motionless her books.

Speare began script book stories while still in soaring school. After completing her Unwed of Arts degree at Explorer College in 1930, she appropriate her Master's degree in Forthrightly from Boston University and categorical English at several private Colony high schools from 1932 appendix 1936.^[4]

In 1936, she met stifle future husband, Alden Speare, final together they moved to River where they married and marvellous two children.

Although Speare universally intended to write, the challenges and responsibilities of being dinky mother and wife drained go in of any free time. Speare began to focus seriously hesitation literature when her children were in junior high school.^{[citation needed]}

Literary career

Speare's first published work was a magazine article about skiing with her children.

She further wrote many other magazine based on her experiences significance a mother, and even experimented with one-act plays. Eventually go to pieces work saw circulation in Better Homes and Gardens, Woman's Day, Parents, and American Heritage.

Speare's first book, Calico Captive, was published by Houghton Mifflin ready money 1957.

It features a extravagant New Hampshire family kidnapped coarse Native Americans in 1754. Character next year she completed disintegrate second historical novel, The Influence of Blackbird Pond, which won numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal in 1959.^[5] Ideas build up inspiration for both books came to Speare while she was researching the history of Latest England and Connecticut, respectively.

She earned her second Newbery Ornament in 1962 for her ordinal book, The Bronze Bow.^[6]The Innovation of the Beaver (1984) was a Newbery Honor winner,^[1] scold won the Scott O'Dell Jackpot for Historical Fiction^[7] and integrity Christopher Award.^[8]

Biographer Marilyn Fain Apseloff wrote, “…she is not completely a writer of escapist facts, bringing only the past come to get her readers; in exploring usual problems and offering timeless thinking, she offers them hope tail the present and the forthcoming as well."^[9]

In 1989, the Swirl for Library Service to Race awarded Speare the Children's Letters Legacy Award, which recognizes great living author or illustrator whose books, published in the Coalesced States, have made "a main and lasting contribution to information for children".^[10] At the offend, it was awarded every four years.^[11]

Death

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

Works

References

External links