Elizabeth Foreman Lewis facts for kids

Elizabeth Foreman Lewis (born May 24, 1892 – died August 7, 1958) was an American writer who wrote exciting books for children. She won two important awards for her work: the Newbery Award and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award.

Early Life and Learning

Elizabeth Foreman was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 24, 1892. When she was younger, from 1909 to 1910, she studied art at the Maryland Institute of Fine Arts. She grew up surrounded by books, nature, horses, and many pets. Her family loved to laugh, sing, and share good food.

Elizabeth often said that wise sayings, called proverbs, taught her a lot. One proverb that really stuck with her was: "If worth doing at all, it is worth doing well!" This saying encouraged her to always do her best, even when writing and rewriting her stories.

Later, in 1916 and 1917, she went to a secretarial school in Baltimore. This helped her get ready to travel to China. In 1917, she also studied religion at the Bible Seminary in New York.

Life and Work in China

After finishing her studies, Elizabeth became a Methodist missionary and teacher in China. She first worked in Shanghai from 1917 to 1918, helping manage money for a missionary group.

For the next two years, she taught at schools in Nanjing and also helped oversee schools in Chongqing. In Nanjing, she taught at both a girls' boarding school and a boys' academy. While in China, she met John Abraham Lewis, who was also a Methodist missionary. They got married in 1921 and later had a son named John Fulton Lewis. Her son grew up to become a newspaper editor and writer.

Sadly, Elizabeth had to leave China because she became ill. When she returned to the United States, her amazing experiences in China became the inspiration for her books and short stories.

Famous Books and Awards

Her first book, Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, was based on her time working with schools in Chungking (which is now called Chongqing). This book was a big success! It won the 1933 Newbery Award, which is a very important prize for children's literature. It also received the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1960.

Elizabeth Foreman Lewis passed away in Baltimore, Maryland. Her stories continue to share her experiences and adventures with young readers.