Cynthia Voigt facts for kids

Cynthia Voigt (born February 25, 1942) is an American author who writes exciting books for young people. Her stories often explore themes like adventure, mystery, and how characters overcome challenges.

One of her most famous books is Homecoming. It was even made into a movie in 1996! Another well-known novel, Dicey's Song, won the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1983. This award is given to the author of the most outstanding American book for children.

In 1995, Cynthia Voigt received the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association. This special award honors writers who have made a big and lasting contribution to young adult literature.

About Cynthia Voigt's Life

Cynthia Voigt was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on February 25, 1942. She went to Dana Hall School and Smith College in Massachusetts. After college, she worked in advertising in New York City for a while.

In 1964, she got married and moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she started teaching. She taught second grade and later high school English. She loved teaching, but she also loved writing.

After winning the Newbery Medal for Dicey's Song, she decided to focus on writing full-time. She moved to Deer Isle, Maine, and continued to create many wonderful stories. She has two children, Peter and Jessica.

Awards and Special Honors

Cynthia Voigt has received many awards for her amazing books.

Margaret Edwards Award

The Margaret Edwards Award is a very important honor for authors who write for teens. It celebrates a writer's work that has made a "significant and lasting contribution" to young adult literature. Cynthia Voigt won this award in 1995.

The award recognized seven of her books published between 1981 and 1986. These included Homecoming, Dicey's Song, A Solitary Blue, Building Blocks, The Runner, Jackaroo, and Izzy, Willy-Nilly. Librarians praised her for creating "genuine people" in her stories. Her characters often face tough situations but show incredible strength to overcome them.

Awards for Specific Books

• Dicey's Song: Newbery Medal 1983
• The Callender Papers: Edgar Allan Poe Award Young Adult category 1984 (This award is for mystery stories!)
• The Runner: Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Non-fiction book 1989 (A German award for youth literature)
• On Fortune's Wheel: ALA Best Books for Young Adults
• A Solitary Blue: Newbery Honor Book 1984; Phoenix Award Honor Book 2003

Cynthia Voigt's Books

Cynthia Voigt has written many books, often grouped into series. Each series has its own unique characters and adventures.

The Tillerman Cycle

The Tillerman Cycle is a popular series that follows the adventures of the Tillerman family. It begins with Homecoming, where four young children are left alone by their mother. The oldest, thirteen-year-old Dicey, leads her siblings on a journey to find their grandmother.

These books explore the emotional challenges the Tillerman children face. Some books in the series focus on other characters who are connected to the Tillerman family.

• 1981 Homecoming
• 1982 Dicey's Song
• 1983 A Solitary Blue
• 1985 The Runner
• 1986 Come a Stranger
• 1987 Sons from Afar
• 1989 Seventeen Against the Dealer

The Kingdom Series

Most of Cynthia Voigt's books are set in modern times or historical periods. However, her "Kingdom" books are different! They take place in a made-up land that feels like a medieval time. Even though the world is invented, it feels very real.

The stories in the Kingdom series are connected by the history and geography of this special land. Characters in later books might be related to those in earlier ones, but their adventures are usually new and exciting.

• 1985 Jackaroo (also known as The Tale of Gwyn)
• 1990 On Fortune's Wheel (also known as The Tale of Birle)
• 1993 The Wings of a Falcon (also known as The Tale of Oriel)
• 1999 Elske (also known as The Tale of Elske)

The Rosie Series

• 1986 Stories about Rosie
• 2003 Good Morning Rosie

The Bad Girls Series

This series follows the adventures of two friends, Mikey and Margalo, who are often getting into trouble.

• 1996 Bad Girls
• 1997 Bad, Badder, Baddest
• 2000 It's Not Easy Being Bad
• 2001 Born to be bad
• 2002 Bad Girls in Love
• 2003 From Bad To Worse then back to good
• 2006 Bad Girls, Bad Girls, Whatcha Gonna Do?

The Davis Farm Series

These books are about animals living on a farm.

• 2005 Angus and Sadie
• 2011 Young Fredle
• 2018 Toaff’s Way

The Mister Max Series

This series follows a young boy named Max who solves mysteries.

• 2013 Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things: Mister Max 1
• 2014 Mister Max: The Book of Secrets: Mister Max 2
• 2015 Mister Max: The Book of Kings: Mister Max 3

Other Books by Cynthia Voigt

• 1982 Tell Me If the Lovers Are Losers
• 1983 Callender Papers
• 1984 Building Blocks
• 1986 Izzy, Willy-Nilly
• 1988 Shore Writers' Sampler II
• 1988 Tree by Leaf
• 1991 Glass Mountain
• 1991 The Vandemark Mummy
• 1992 David and Jonathan
• 1992 Orfe
• 1994 When She Hollers
• 2016 Teddy & Co.
• 2017 By Any Name

Short Stories

• 2011 "The Stepsister" (This story was part of a collection called What You Wish For)