Bette Greene facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bette Greene
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Greene in her Boston home, 2011
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| Born | Bette Jean Evensky June 28, 1934 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | October 2, 2020 (aged 86) Lakewood Ranch, Florida, U.S. |
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| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Children's fiction, young adult fiction |
| Notable works | Summer of My German Soldier |
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Bette Jean Greene (born Evensky; June 28, 1934 – October 2, 2020) was an American author. She wrote many popular books for young people. Her most famous books include Summer of My German Soldier and Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe. The second book even won a special award called the Newbery Honor.
Bette Greene grew up in Parkin, Arkansas. She was a Jewish girl living in the American South during a tough time, the Great Depression and World War II. This made her feel different from others. Her books often explore ideas about fairness and what it's like to feel like an outsider. Summer of My German Soldier is based a lot on her own childhood experiences. She won several awards for her writing, like the Golden Kite Award and the Newbery Honor.
Contents
About Bette Greene's Life
Early Life and Growing Up
Bette Greene was born on June 28, 1934, in Memphis, Tennessee. Her parents were Arthur and Sadie Evensky. She grew up in a small town called Parkin, Arkansas, where her parents ran a general store. Her grandparents also had a successful store nearby.
Being a Jewish girl in a town where most people were Christian made her feel different. She learned what it was like to be an outsider. Bette was mostly raised by her family's housekeeper, Ruth. Ruth later became a character in Bette's first book, Summer of My German Soldier.
Starting Her Writing Journey
Before high school, Bette's family moved back to Memphis. She started writing for newspapers while still in high school. She even won a local essay contest. Even though she was a good writer, she had trouble with spelling and punctuation in English class.
After finishing school, Bette spent a year studying in Paris, France. This trip later inspired her book Morning Is a Long Time Coming. When she returned to Memphis, she became a reporter for United Press International.
Becoming a Published Author
Bette took classes at several colleges. She then went to Columbia University in New York City to study writing and astronomy. After college, she worked as a journalist and a public information officer.
She married a doctor named Donald Sumner Greene and moved to Boston. They had two children. After her daughter Carla was born, Bette started writing Summer of My German Soldier. It took her five years to finish the book. Then, it took two more years and eighteen rejections before a publisher, Dial Press, finally published it in 1973.
Bette Greene passed away on October 2, 2020, in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
Awards for Her Books
Bette Greene's books received many important awards. These awards show how much her stories touched readers and critics.
Awards for Summer of My German Soldier (1973)
- 1973 Golden Kite Award
- New York Times Outstanding Book Award
- ALA Notable Book Award
- National Book Award Finalist
- Massachusetts Children’s Book Award
Awards for Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe (1974)
- 1975 Newbery Honor
- New York Times Outstanding Book Award
- New York Times Outstanding Title Award
- ALA Notable Children’s Book Award
- Child Study Association Children’s Book Award
- Kirkus Choice Award
Awards for Them That Glitter and Them That Don’t (1983)
- Parent’s Choice Award, Parent’s Choice Foundation
Books Made into Movies and More
Some of Bette Greene's books were turned into movies or other forms of media. This helped even more people enjoy her stories.
Summer of My German Soldier was made into a television movie in 1978. It starred Kristy McNichol and Esther Rolle. The film was also released as a filmstrip. Later, a new musical version of the novel opened in Ohio in 2003. Summer of My German Soldier has also been released as an audio-cassette.
Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe was also made into a filmstrip in 1979. Both books are available as audio-cassettes.
Images for kids
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Greene in her Boston home, 2011
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Bette Greene's signature
