October 14 – Happy Birthday, Lois Lenski!

nPostednOctober 14, 2016

Key Points

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nShenwrote – she drew and painted – she published!

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nBornnin Ohio on this date in 1893, Lois Lenski was encouraged to paint andndraw by many of the adults in her life. She had talent, they said. Anvisiting artist and a teacher encouraged her parents to buy hernquality art materials. Her parents agreed and bought her quality artnmaterials.

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nStill,nLenski later related, nobody ever encouraged her to be original, ornto draw the things she saw around her. Instead, pretty much thenentirety of her childhood, she copied other people’s pictures.

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Lenskinattended university and earned a B.S. Degree in education, plus anteaching certificate. But instead of jumping into teaching, shenreceived a scholarship to some further art training, so she studiednart in three different institutions, in New York City and London, andnshe even traveled through Italy to see more art.

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nLenskinmarried an artist whose wife had died some years before; he had twonsmall children. Years later, Lenski had a child of her own. Like manynhusbands, Lenski’s husband expected her to take full responsibilitynfor the house and kids and didn’t seem to mind if that left her nontime for her art. But Lenski minded.

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nShenhire household help and worked on writing books and making art.

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nAndnit paid off: she published 98 books! She also provided illustrationsnfor other authors. She earned a Newbery Honor and a Newbery Medal. n

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nHerenare a few of her books:

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nNote:nLenski was one of the authors who ushered in a new kind of realismninto kids’ books. When she first wrote them, some called them “grim,”nand some definitely didn’t like the grimness.

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nNowadays,nsome of her books seem problematic because of old-fashioned attitudes that we now realize are pretty racist.

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nChecknout her other books here.

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nAlsonon this date:

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