Natalie Babbitt
Natalie Babbitt (born 28 July 1932) is an American author and illustrator of children's books.
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Life and career [edit]
Born in Dayton, Ohio, Babbit attended Laurel School and then Smith College, where she studied art. She is married to Samuel Fisher Babbitt and the couple have three children.[1]
Her first published work was a collaborative effort with her husband; in 1966 he wrote and she illustrated a picture book called The Forty-ninth Magician. Her editor, Michael di Capua, at Farrar, Straus and Giroux encouraged her to keep producing children's books even after her husband became too busy to participate.[2] After writing two short books in verse she turned to novels for children, and her second effort in that vein, Knee-Knock Rise, was awarded a Newbery Honor in 1971.[3] Tuck Everlasting, published in 1975, was named an ALA Notable book and continues to be popular with teachers.[4][5] Two of her books have been turned into movies: Tuck Everlasting twice, in 1981[6] and 2002,[7] and The Eyes of the Amaryllis in 1982.[8] In addition to her own writing, Babbitt has also illustrated a number of books by Valerie Worth.
Babbitt is also a board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance [2] a national not-for-profit that actively advocates for literacy, literature, and libraries.
Reception [edit]
In 1977, the New York Times called Babbitt "Indisputably one of our most gifted and ambitious writers for children".[9]
In 1982, another Times reviewer, George Woods, enjoyed Babbitt's Herbert Rowbarge. "Mrs. Babbitt creates a plausible world and peoples it with believable humans, but the most satisfaction comes from the pleasure of her company as she effortlessly takes the reader in velvet-gloved hand to point out life's coincidences and near misses."[10]
In 2002, Melanie Rehak, also writing in the Times, described Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting as a "slim, ruminative" novel, and stated that "From the moment it appeared, it has been fiercely loved by children and their parents for its honest, intelligent grappling with aging and death."[11]
In 2012, Babbitt was awarded the inaugural E.B. White Award for achievement in children's literature by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. [12]
Works [edit]
Books [edit]
- 1967 Dick Foote and the Shark
- 1968 Phoebe's Revolt
- 1969 The Search for Delicious
- 1970 Knee-Knock Rise
- 1970 The Something
- 1971 Goody Hall
- 1974 The Devil's Storybook
- 1975 Tuck Everlasting
- 1977 The Eyes of the Amaryllis
- 1982 Herbert Rowbarge
- 1987 The Devil's Other Storybook
- 1989 Nellie: A Cat on Her Own
- 1990 The Big Book for Peace (co-written with Lloyd Alexander)
- 1994 Bub: Or the Very Best Thing
- 1998 Ouch!: A Tale from Grimm
- 2001 Elsie Times Eight
- 2007 Jack Plank Tells Tales
- 2011 The Moon Over High Street
- 2012 The Devil's Storybooks (combines The Devil's Storybook and The Devil's Other Storybook)
Illustrations [edit]
- 1966 Samuel Babbitt, The Forty-ninth Magician
- 1972 Valerie Worth, Small Poems
- 1976 Valerie Worth, More Small Poems
- 1978 Valerie Worth, Still More Small Poems
- 1980 Valerie Worth, Curlicues, the Fortunes of Two Pug Dogs
- 1985 Valerie Worth, Small Poems Again
- 1986 Valerie Worth, Other Small Poems Again
- 1987 Valerie Worth, All the Small Poems
- 1990 Lloyd Alexander, The Big Book for Peace
- 1994 Valerie Worth, All the Small Poems and Fourteen More
- 2002 Valerie Worth, Peacock and Other Poems
References [edit]
- ^ "ipl2 profile". Retrieved 2013-02-5.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present". ALSC. ALA. Retrieved 2013-02-5.
- ^ National Education Association (2007). "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children". Retrieved August 22, 2012.
- ^ Bird, Elizabeth. "Top 100 Chapter Book Poll Results".
- ^ Tuck Everlasting (1981) Allmovie entry
- ^ Tuck Everlasting (2002) Allmovie entry
- ^ The Eyes of the Amaryllis (1982) Allmovie entry
- ^ Lanes, Selma G. (November 13, 1977). "The New York Times Book Review". Love Story, Sea Story. pp. BR10. Retrieved May 13, 2012.
- ^ Woods, George A. (November 30, 1982). "The New York Times". Books of The Times. Retrieved May 13, 2012.
- ^ Rehak, Melanie (October 6, 2002). "The New York Times". Film: Falling for a Children's Tale of an Age-Old Wish. Retrieved May 13, 2012.
- ^ News Staff (March 14, 2013). "Providence Journal". Providence's 'Tuck Everlasting' author honored with first E.B. White Award. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
External links [edit]
- NCBLA Natalie Babbitt biography
- University of Connecticut bibliography
- Scholastic Natalie Babbitt biography
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