Budge Wilson facts for kids

Budge Wilson (born Budge Marjorie Archibald; May 2, 1927 – March 19, 2021) was a Canadian writer. She was especially known for her amazing books for children and young adults.

Wilson began her writing journey when she was in her fifties. Her first book came out in 1984, when she was 56 years old. She wrote over thirty books in total. Many of these were popular children's books. She also won several awards for her writing. She was even given special honours like the Order of Canada and the Order of Nova Scotia.

About Budge Wilson's Life

Early Life and Education

Budge Wilson was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. This was on May 2, 1927. Her father, Maynard Brown Archibald, was a judge. Her mother was Helen MacGregor Archibald.

Wilson went to Dalhousie University. She studied philosophy and psychology there. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1949. She also studied at the University of Toronto for a few years.

Starting Her Career

Budge Wilson first worked as a teacher. She taught English and art at Halifax Ladies’ College. Later, she worked at the Institute of Child Study in Toronto. She also worked at the Toronto Public Library.

In 1968, Wilson went back to teaching. She became a fitness instructor in Peterborough. She worked there until 1987.

Budge Wilson's Writing Journey

Becoming a Full-Time Writer

Wilson decided to focus on writing full-time in 1978. It took her six years to get her first book published. She said it was a challenging time. She felt "pretty discouraged" by the fifth year.

Her first book, The Best/Worst Christmas Present Ever, was published in 1984. She was 56 years old then. By 2011, she had written 33 books.

Famous Books and Stories

One of her most famous books is Before Green Gables. This book tells the story of what happened before the well-known Anne of Green Gables series. It was released to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Anne series.

Before Green Gables became a huge success. It was the biggest foreign rights sale ever for Penguin Canada. It was even turned into an animated TV show in Japan. The show was called Kon'nichiwa Anne: Before Green Gables.

Wilson also wrote The Leaving. This is a collection of short stories. It won first prize in a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation writing contest in 1991. It also won the Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book Award. The American Library Association listed it as one of the "75 best children's books of the last 25 years."

Other notable books by Wilson include Lorinda's Diary and Thirteen Never Changes. She wrote Fractures (2002) and dedicated it to her teachers. One of her last works was After Swissair (2016). This was a collection of poems. It was about the crash of Swissair Flight 111 in 1998.

Awards and Recognition

Budge Wilson received many awards for her writing. These include:

• 23 "Our Choice" selections from the Canadian Children's Book Centre.
• Two Ann Connor Brimer Awards.
• The Canadian Authors Association Lilla Stirling Award.
• The National IODE (Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire) Violet Downey Award.
• An IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) Honour Award.

She was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2004. This is a very high honour in Canada. In 2011, she received the Order of Nova Scotia. The next year, she was given the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Wilson also received honorary degrees from two universities. These were Dalhousie University (2010) and Mount Saint Vincent University (2012).

Personal Life and Legacy

Budge Wilson married Alan Wilson in 1953. They met while studying at Dalhousie University. Alan was a professor and helped start history departments. They had two children, Glynis and Andrea.

After living in Peterborough, Ontario, for many years, they moved back to Nova Scotia in 1989. They lived in Northwest Cove. Later, they moved to a retirement home in Halifax.

Budge Wilson passed away on March 19, 2021. She was 93 years old. She died in a hospital in Halifax after a fall. Her stories continue to inspire young readers around the world.

Selected Works

• The best/worst Christmas present ever. Richmond Hill: Scholastic. 1984. ISBN 9780590714303. OCLC 70423980.
• A house far from home. Richmond Hill: Scholastic-TAB. 1986. ISBN 9780590716796. OCLC 16056445.
• Mr. John Bertrand Nijinsky and Charlie. Illustrated by Terry Roscoe Boucher. Halifax: Nimbus. 1986. ISBN 9780920852576. OCLC 16049024.
• Thirteen never changes. New York: Scholastic. 1989. ISBN 9780590434881. OCLC 25072715.
• The leaving. Toronto: Anansi. 1990. ISBN 9780887841590. OCLC 21152651.
• Oliver's wars. Toronto: Stoddart. 1992. ISBN 9780773755086. OCLC 25203030.
• Cordelia Clark. Toronto: Stoddart. 1994. ISBN 9780773674233. OCLC 32857017.
• The courtship. Concord: Anansi. 1994. ISBN 9780887845505. OCLC 29597583.
• The dandelion garden and other stories. New York: Philomel Books. 1995. ISBN 9780399227684. OCLC 30893737.
• Mothers and other strangers. San Diego: Harcourt Brace. 1996. ISBN 9780152003128. OCLC 32465206.
• Duff the giant killer. Illustrated by Kim LaFave. Halifax: Formac. 1997. ISBN 9780887803826. OCLC 36188074.
• Sharla. Toronto: Stoddart Kids. 1997. ISBN 9780773674677. OCLC 37981812.
• The long wait. Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes. Toronto; Buffalo: Stoddart Kids. 1997. ISBN 9780773730212. OCLC 35934927.
• Duff's monkey business. Illustrated by Kim LaFave. Based on Going bananas by Max Dann. Halifax: Formac Pub.. 2000. ISBN 9780887804984. OCLC 43277535.
• The fear of Angelina Domino. Illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes. Toronto; New York: Stoddart Kids. 2000. ISBN 9780773732179. OCLC 43283669.
• A fiddle for Angus. Illustrated by Susan Tooke. Toronto; Plattsburgh: Tundra Books. 2001. ISBN 9780887765001. OCLC 46616474.
• Fractures. Toronto: Penguin. 2002. ISBN 9780143312017. OCLC 49305435.
• Izzie : the Christmas that almost wasn't. Toronto: Penguin. 2002. ISBN 9780141002729. OCLC 49305361.
• Friendships. Toronto: Penguin. 2006. ISBN 9780143017660. OCLC 62227631.
• Before Green Gables. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 2008. ISBN 9780399154683. OCLC 233173795. (IODE Violet Downey Book Award, 2009).