Act Your Age?

Good morning, and welcome!

Over the quarantine, I’ve been working to (somewhat, at least) organize my bookshelves at home. New books are arranged meticulously for all to see, and older ones are stashed away elsewhere. A discovery: I own a lot more children’s books than I was aware of! I even took the time to read a few, and was instantly transported back to the whimsical and hilarious world of children’s literature. My family can attest to this fact, since they had to listen to me snort and sign and giggle and occasionally run to read them a quick passage from this book or that book, just because I loved it so much.

These people, these authors, were my friends! Their voices resonate in my mind still. The ideas in their writings were among the first to enter there. I have memories of being reprimanded for reading their work during math class in elementary school, and preferring to sit at my desk with them during indoor recess on rainy days. So, naturally, when I began to toy with the idea of composing a list of mini-biographies for a 6 in the Morning article, I knew exactly who to turn to. I chose 6 of the most popular children’s authors for you today, and I’m sure you’ll find you recognize a lot, if not all, of their names. You know their work. But do you know them?

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Dr. Seuss

(Photo "Red Fish, Blue Fish" by steveritchie is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

The first thing I noticed when I Googled “Dr. Seuss” was the “related results” section. There, the search engine had compiled a list of those whom it had deemed similar authors: Maya Angelou, William Shakespeare, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and others. Everyone knows Dr. Seuss, but seeing his name alongside these larger-than-life literary figures seems a bit excessive… or does it? Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Though his father worked in the brewery “Kalmbach & Geisel” (affectionately known by the locals as “Come Back and Guzzle”), the younger Geisel was always encouraged to pursue academics in the hope of finding work as a professor or doctor. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1925, then went on to drop out of Oxford in favor of a career as a cartoonist. Seuss spent the following years working for magazines and advertising companies, then moved on to political cartoons as World War II loomed on the horizon. His first children’s book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times before its publication in 1937. As a children’s author, Seuss was known for presenting real-world political issues of the day through simple rhymes and quirky casts of characters. “I don’t write for children, I write for people,” he is known for saying. Throughout his life, Seuss published over 60 books to intrigue and enthrall young audiences everywhere. He died of oral cancer in 1991.

The Cat in the Hat: a book all kids adore. But for parents, however, the Cat is much more! How did this iconic tale come to be? Check out this Biography article to see: https://www.biography.com/news/story-behind-dr-seuss-cat-in-the-hat

Judy Blume

(Photo "Kangaroos" by KayAreWhy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

Judy Blume, an anti-censorship activist and one of the most controversial modern children’s authors, was unflinchingly honest about issues such as friendships, racism, bullying, divorce, and body image in her numerous successful works. Judith Sussman was born in New Jersey, 1960. Young Blume was encouraged in creative pursuits such as music and dance, but most passionately loved to read and write. As a child, she was fond of pretending to be a piano teacher and even wrote down class lists full of fictional students. She attended an all-girls high school, after which she obtained a B.S. in education at New York University and married her first husband, John Blume. Her writing career began at home with her two children and a book called The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo. It was followed by books for older children, adolescents, and adults. As a parent, Blume had a front row seat to the everyday life of a child. Though most of her work is based on Blume’s own imagination, she has admitted that some of her tales were inspired by the trials and tribulations of her own children when they were young. Today, she is active on Twitter and often converses with fans there. She is 82.

Judy Blume has books for readers of every age! Check out a few of them in this ReadBrightly article: https://www.readbrightly.com/judy-blume-books-for-every-age-and-stage/

Shel Silverstein

(Photo "'Never explain what you do. It speaks for itself. You only muddle it by talking about it.'" by flatKat is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

As a kid, I remember reading my mom’s dusty old copy of Shel Silverstein’s A Light in the Attic (the first children’s book to ever appear on the New York Times Bestsellers List!) a thousand times over. The poems inside were written like he was simply making conversation, and I always loved that. To this day I’ll still crack open one of his books to cheer me up after a stressful week. Sheldon Allen Silverstein came to us in Chicago, 1930. Though he attempted to attend college, he was drafted to fight in the Korean War in 1950 and spent his early adulthood as a cartoonist for the military publication Stars and Stripes. Once home, Silverstein went on to write and draw for other magazines as well. He also began writing poetry and music during this time. In 1963, editor Ursula Nordstrom persuaded Silverstein to write his first children’s book. Within the year, he released Uncle Shelby's Story of Lafcadio: The Lion Who Shot Back, followed by A Giraffe and a Half and the haunting, much-discussed The Giving Tree. In an interview, he once established that he disliked happy endings in children’s books, and preferred his own, more unconventional methods and messages. In the next three decades, he began publishing collections of children’s poetry, along with movie soundtracks and additional songs and music albums. He died of a heart attack in 1999, three years prior to his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

For more facts to sit and read a while, visit Silverstein’s official Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame profile: http://nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/Site/inductee?entry_id=2837

Roald Dahl

(Photo "I stole my son's book ;)" by oranges and lemons is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Roald Dahl has a gift for keeping young readers on the edge of their seats—and, in some cases, awake long into the night. His harrowing tales of giants, witches, and candy manufacturers are filled with mischief and suspense. Roald Dahl was born in South Wales in 1916. Because his parents were Norweigan, he spent many a summer with his grandparents in Oslo, which ultimately influenced his writing style later in life. After graduating from Repton School, a prestigious English academy, Dahl abandoned his studies and went on to work for the Shell Oil Company in Tanzania, Africa. A few years later, his love of travel prompted him to enlist in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Unfortunately, his flying days were over after he sustained several injuries during a plane crash in Alexandria, Egypt. Later, he submitted a (drastically) romanticized version of the story of the crash, which prompted his successful writing career entirely by accident. In 1961, he released James and the Giant Peach, followed by nineteen other children’s books over the course of his life. His books, though occasionally morbid, stress the importance of children in society. Before starting a writing project, he would always tell the story to his five children and request their feedback first. He passed away in 1990.

Roald Dahl invented over 500 words in a phizz-whizzing language he called Gobblefunk. Read more about it in this Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2016/jun/14/roald-dahl-dictionary-best-gobblefunk-words

Barbara Park

(Photo "015:365 - 05/15/2012 - Junie B. Jones" by Shardayyy is licensed under CC BY 2.0)

“I would like to hear a story about a little girl who doesn't get invited to a meanie boy's birthday. And so she sneaks to his house. And she lets a wild pony out of the barn. And then it stomples the boy into a flattie pancake. And all the children pour maple syrup on that guy. And they eat him for breakfast.” Wise words from the fictional kindergartener Junie B., the protagonist of Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones series. Park is known for her realistic approach to the modern issues to which young readers are exposed, and she seemingly never forgot what it was like to be a kid. Barbara Lynne Park was born in New Jersey in 1947. As a child, she considered herself the “class clown” and was often into trouble. She studied to be a history teacher, but ultimately decided to write her first books instead in favor of remaining at home with her two sons. She went on to publish several middle grade novels, picture books, and the Junie B. books—over 50! Sadly, she passed away at 66 in 2013 after a 7-year battle with ovarian cancer. I remember my mom telling me about it when she heard, and even though we only knew her through her books, we still felt that the world had lost something beautiful that day.

Read a review of the book Barbara Park declared her proudest accomplishment, inspired by an accident that occurred to a child in her own neighborhood: https://barbaralynnepark.weebly.com/the-books/mick-harte-was-here

C. S. Lewis

(Photo "C S Lewis plaque, Belfast" by Albert Bridge is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0)

C. S. Lewis, though he also wrote novels for adults based on the Christian faith, is probably best known for his much-loved fantasy children’s series, The Chronicles of Narnia. Before I could even read, I remember practically drooling over the covers of my mom’s collection of these books and fantasizing about what fascinating stories could possibly be inside. In spite of his reputation as a prestigious English author, Clive Staples Lewis came to us in Ireland in 1898. He grew up an avid reader, fantasizing with his brother about talking animals similar to those included in the works of Beatrix Potter. At a young age, he discovered his talent for satire and published his first work, Dymer. He went on to graduate from Oxford University and work as a professor at Cambridge. In his later life, he married Joy Davidman and took part in the meetings of the informal writing group, the Inklings, in which J. R. R. Tolkien also participated. His career in children’s literature came with three young girls evacuated from London whom he and his family took into their home and a burst of inspiration. He never planned to write a series of seven until after The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was finished. Sadly, Lewis died of kidney failure in his home in Oxford at the age of 64.

Read more interesting facts about the Chronicles of Narnia on this Barnes and Noble webpage:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/9-things-never-knew-chronicles-narnia/

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Okay, finishing this list has me grinning from nostalgia. These were my heroes, guys! I wore out their words. The Witches. Green Eggs and Ham. The Silver Chair. The list goes on, and on, and on, and on, and ON. What are your favorites from these amazing authors?

Today, I dare you to take a look back at where you came from. In middle school, I would try to hide the fact that I still read children’s literature, even from my parents. One day, my mom caught me. “You’re never too old for children’s books,” she told me, “Not even when you’re my age.” So why not flip through an old favorite? Whether it be a book, notebook, photo album, or memory quilt, I’m sure you’ll find yourself smiling at the close of your quick road trip down memory lane.