Anne Isaacs facts for kids

Anne Isaacs (born March 2, 1949) is an American author. She is well-known for writing books for children and young adults.

Early Life and Learning

Anne Isaacs was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1949. She lived there until she went to college in 1967.

She studied at the University of Michigan. She earned degrees in English Literature and Environmental Education. She also received a Master of Science degree in 1975.

In 1978, Anne Isaacs married Samuel Koplowicz, who works as a media producer. Today, she lives in Berkeley, California.

Her Writing Career

Before becoming a full-time writer, Anne Isaacs worked in environmental education until the mid-1980s. She then started writing fiction as a second job.

Isaacs is famous for her picture book, Swamp Angel. Paul O. Zelinsky illustrated this book, and it was published in 1994. Swamp Angel was recognized with several awards. In 2014, it was an Honor Book for the Phoenix Picture Book Award.

Anne Isaacs has shared that poetry has always been very important to her. She said, "All my life, poetry has affected me more than any other genre." She has read, memorized, and written poetry since she was nine years old. As a child, she described herself as shy. She often got lost in her imagination. She read many books, including works by Shakespeare and Samuel Taylor Coleridge. She especially loved Little Women, reading it many times.

Her Books

Swamp Angel

Swamp Angel is a picture book written by Anne Isaacs and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. It tells the story of a very strong woodswoman named Angelica Longrider.

This book received many honors. It was a 1995 Caldecott Honor book. It also won the 1995 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award Honor Book. Many other groups, like the ALA and The New York Times, also recognized it as a top book in 1994.

Treehouse Tales

Anne Isaacs' book Treehouse Tales shares the fairytale-like adventures of three farm children. These stories are set in Pennsylvania in the 1880s. The book is partly based on funny experiences Anne Isaacs had as a counselor at a girl scout camp. She changed the details to make the stories perfect for children.

Cat Up a Tree

Cat Up a Tree is a book of poems by Anne Isaacs. It focuses on a common situation: a cat stuck high in a tree. The story unfolds through different poems. Each poem introduces a new character. All the characters have their own ideas about how to help the cat.

Torn Thread

Torn Thread is a powerful story based on the true experiences of Anne Isaacs' mother-in-law. The book is about a 12-year-old girl named Eva. In 1943, in Poland, Eva's life changes when her sick sister is taken by the Nazis. To try and save his daughters, Eva's father sends her to join her sister in a Nazi labor camp. There, the girls are forced to work, spinning thread to make blankets for the German army.

Eva faces many challenges, like not having enough clothes or food. She works hard to survive and to help her sick sister. These two teenagers try to create a sense of home and family for each other. They do this even in the very difficult and cruel conditions of Nazi Germany.

This book has won many awards. These include the Outstanding International Book and the American Library Association: Notable Book. It was also a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award.

Pancakes for Supper

Pancakes for Supper features a character named Toby Littlewood. One day, her family's wagon hits a bump. Toby is thrown into the air and lands in a forest. In the forest, she meets a porcupine, a bear, and a hungry cougar. Toby is very clever. She talks each animal out of eating her by offering them her fancy clothes. In the end, the animals chase each other around a maple tree. They turn into maple syrup, which Toby eats on her pancakes for supper.

The Ghosts of Luckless Gulch

The Ghosts of Luckless Gulch was published in 2008. It was illustrated by Dan Santat. The story takes place in 1848, just as the California Gold Rush is beginning. The main character is Estrella, a Latina girl. She can run so fast that she leaves a trail of flames behind her. Her pets are unusual creatures based on old tall tales. Estrella has the power to heal her pets and other wild animals.

When the Ghosts of Luckless Gulch steal her pets, Estrella must use her powers. She needs to save the day and stop the ghosts from stealing all the gold in California.

Anne Isaacs lived in Petaluma, California, when she wrote this book. She was near Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a historic park. This old rancho house helped her imagine Estrella's home. The Vallejo family, who once lived there, inspired Estrella's family. Isaacs researched many historical details about Northern California during the Gold Rush. She learned about towns, supplies, prices, and settings from libraries.

Dust Devil

Dust Devil is a sequel to Swamp Angel. Anne Isaacs and Paul O. Zelinsky created it more than 15 years after the first book, publishing it in 2010. Swamp Angel is known as the best woodswoman in Tennessee. But she grows too big for that state. So, she moves to Montana.

In Montana, she wrestles a huge storm to the ground. Inside the storm, she finds a horse. She names the horse Dust Devil. When an outlaw named Backward Bart starts causing trouble, Angel and Dust Devil are the only ones strong enough to stop him.