Johanna Hurwitz

Johanna Hurwitz (born October 9, 1937)[1] is an American author of more than sixty children's books.[2][3] She has sold millions of books in many different languages.[4]

Life and career

Hurwitz graduated from Queens College, New York with a degree in English and Columbia University with a master's in library science.[4][5]

After many years working as a librarian,[6] Hurwitz wrote her first book, Busybody Nora, in 1976,[4] one of the first in the chapter book genre for transitioning young readers from shorter stories to novels. Busybody Nora took 17 tries for publishing companies to publish the book. Ravenstone Press published the book three months after Hurwitz submitted the story.[6][7]

Hurwitz's books include biographies for children on subjects such as Anne Frank, Astrid Lindgren, Leonard Bernstein, and Helen Keller.[8] Her 1999 book, The Just Desserts Club, combined related short stories with recipes.[9]

Hurwitz is the aunt of Garance Franke-Ruta and Ted Frank.[10]

Selected works

Fiction

References

  1. ^ "Juvenile Books Author of the Month". Greenville, Rhode Island Public Library. Archived from the original on October 12, 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  2. ^ "Johanna Hurwitz". kidsread.com. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  3. ^ "Johanna Hurwitz Interview Transcript". scholastic.com. Archived from the original on October 3, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  4. ^ a b c Nahas, Donna Kutt (January 17, 1999). "Books and Authors With Roots on the Island; Lending a Guiding Hand By Her Children's Books". New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  5. ^ Weiss, Jacqueline Schachter (2001). Profiles in Children's Literature. Scarecrow Press. pp. 159–64. ISBN 0-8108-3787-0.
  6. ^ a b "Johanna Hurwitz". Ravenstone Press. October 22, 2003. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  7. ^ Loer, Stephanie (April 29, 2001). "Chapter Books Lead Young Readers from Pictures to Novels". Boston Globe.
  8. ^ "Johanna Hurwitz". scholastic.com. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  9. ^ Creedon-Sandell, Catherine (November 14, 1999). "Especially for Young Readers". New York Times. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
  10. ^ Much Ado About Aldo (1978).