Eleanor Estes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eleanor Estes
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| Born | Eleanor Ruth Rosenfeld May 9, 1906 West Haven, Connecticut |
| Died | July 15, 1988 (aged 82) Hamden, Connecticut |
| Occupation | Writer, illustrator, librarian |
| Education | Pratt Institute School of Information and Library Science |
| Period | 1941–1988 |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | Newbery Medal 1952 Caroline Hewins Scholarship for Children's Librarians Pratt Institute Alumni Medal 1968 |
Eleanor Estes (born May 9, 1906 – died July 15, 1988) was an American author who wrote many books for children. She also worked as a children's librarian. Her book, Ginger Pye, won the important Newbery Medal.
Three of her other books were named Newbery Honor books. Another one of her books received the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Eleanor Estes often based her stories on her own life. She grew up in a small town in Connecticut in the early 1900s.
Contents
About Eleanor Estes' Life
Eleanor Ruth Rosenfield was born in West Haven, Connecticut. She was the third child in her family. Her father, Louis Rosenfeld, worked for a railway. Her mother, Caroline Gewecke Rosenfeld, was a seamstress and a great storyteller.
Eleanor's father passed away when she was young. Her mother supported the family by making dresses. Eleanor Estes said her parents loved books. She also said her mother had "an endless supply of songs, stories, and anecdotes." Her mother would entertain them while cooking dinner. This helped Eleanor love reading and storytelling.
Becoming a Librarian
After finishing West Haven High School in 1923, Eleanor trained at the New Haven Free Library. She then became a children's librarian there. In 1931, she won a special scholarship. This scholarship, the Caroline M. Hewins scholarship, was for children's librarians.
It allowed her to study at the Pratt Institute library school in New York. In 1932, she married Rice Estes, who was also a student there. They both worked as librarians in New York. Rice later became a professor and head of the Pratt Institute Library.
Eleanor worked as a children's librarian for the New York Public Library. She continued this work until 1941. Eleanor started writing when she had tuberculosis. This illness meant she had to stay in bed.
Stories Inspired by Her Life
Many of Eleanor Estes's most famous characters are the Moffats. They live in a town called Cranbury, Connecticut. This town is based on West Haven, where Eleanor grew up. She based the Moffat family on her own family.
For example, the younger daughter, Janey, was like Eleanor herself. The character Rufus was based on her brother, Teddy.
Eleanor also wrote The Hundred Dresses. This story was based on a real experience from her life. She felt bad for not defending a girl like Wanda Petronski in real life. So, she wrote the story to help herself feel better. She also hoped it would encourage others to stand up against bullies.
Later Life and Legacy
Eleanor and Rice Estes had one child, Helena, born in 1948. They were living in Los Angeles at the time. In 1952, they moved back to the East Coast. Eleanor lived there until she passed away.
Besides writing and being a librarian, Estes also taught. She taught at the University of New Hampshire Writer's Conference. Eleanor Estes passed away on July 15, 1988, in Hamden, Connecticut. She wrote 20 books during her life.
Awards and Recognition
Eleanor Estes received many awards for her books. Her book Ginger Pye (published in 1951) won the famous Newbery Medal.
Three of her other books were recognized as Newbery Honor books:
In 1961, The Moffats won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Eleanor Estes also received an award in 1968 for her great contributions to children's literature. This was from the New York Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development. She also received the Pratt Institute Alumni Medal in 1968. In 1970, she was nominated for the Children's Literature Legacy Award.
Books by Eleanor Estes
Here is a list of the books Eleanor Estes wrote:
- The Moffats (1941)
- The Middle Moffat (1942)
- The Sun and the Wind and Mr. Todd (1943)
- Rufus M. (1943)
- The Hundred Dresses (1944)
- The Echoing Green (1947)
- Sleeping Giant and Other Stories (1948)
- Ginger Pye (1951)
- A Little Oven (1955)
- Pinky Pye (1958)
- The Witch Family (1960)
- Small but Wiry (1963)
- The Alley (1964)
- The Lollipop Princess (1967)
- Miranda the Great (1967)
- The Tunnel of Hugsy Goode (1972)
- The Coat-Hanger Christmas Tree (1973)
- The Lost Umbrella of Kim Chu (1978)
- The Moffat Museum (1983)
- The Curious Adventures of Jimmy McGee (1987)
Images for kids
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Eleanor Estes
