Eve Bunting facts for kids

Anne Evelyn Bunting (born December 19, 1928 – died October 1, 2023) was a very popular American writer. She was born in Northern Ireland but later moved to the United States. She wrote more than 250 books! Most of her books are for children and young adults. She also wrote stories for picture books.

Her stories cover many different topics. Some are set in Northern Ireland, where she grew up. Others are about places like Los Angeles or events like Thanksgiving. Her first book, The Two Giants, was published in 1971. Because kids loved her books so much, she was named one of the top 100 authors by the Educational Paperback Association.

About Eve Bunting's Life

Eve Bunting was born in Maghera, Northern Ireland. Her father, Sloan Edmund Bolton, was a postmaster. Her mother, Mary Bolton, was a homemaker. On March 26, 1950, she married Edward Davidson Bunting. They met while they were in college. They had three children: Christine, Sloan, and Glenn.

Eve went to school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She attended Methodist College in the early 1940s. She graduated in 1945. Then she went to Queen's University. This is where she met her husband. After they got married, the family moved to Scotland.

In 1958, the Bunting family moved to the United States. They settled in California. Eve later took a writing class at a community college. She felt a strong desire to write about her Irish background. About her first published story, The Two Giants, she said: "I thought everybody in the world knew that story. When I found they didn't, I thought they should."

Eve Bunting passed away on October 1, 2023. She was 94 years old. She died in Santa Cruz, California.

Eve Bunting's Writing Career

Eve Bunting grew up in Northern Ireland. Storytelling was a big part of her childhood. In Ireland, there were "Shanachies." A Shanachie was a storyteller who traveled from house to house. They would share tales of ghosts, fairies, and old Irish heroes. Eve Bunting felt like she was a bit of a Shanachie herself. She loved telling stories to anyone who would listen. This love for stories inspired her writing career.

Exploring Different Topics

Eve Bunting wrote over 250 books. Her books often explore many different social issues. Each story usually focuses on a unique topic. For example, Smoky Night talks about racism and the Los Angeles riots. It uses colorful pictures to help tell the story. Fly Away Home shows a homeless father and son living in an airport.

Bunting also wrote about other important subjects. These include dealing with death, the effects of war, and challenges in family life. She always made sure her stories were thoughtful and helpful for young readers.

Awards and Honors

Eve Bunting won many awards for her books. She received the Rishabh award for outstanding inspiration. In 1976, she won the Golden Kite Award. This was from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators for her book One More Flight.

Other honors she received include:

• The Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People Award.
• The PEN Los Angeles Center Literacy Award for Special Achievement in Children's Literature.
• The Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People Award Excellence in a Series Award.

Her book Coffin on a Case! won an Edgar Award in 1993. This award is for the best mystery book for young people.

Eve Bunting also received the "Heal the World" award from a school. A young reader wrote to her about this special achievement. She said it was "among the most cherished honors I have ever received." The award plaque hung proudly above her desk.

David Díaz won the 1995 Caldecott Medal. He won it for his illustrations in Smoky Night. This was a picture book written by Eve Bunting.

In 2006, Bunting's book One Green Apple won the first Arab American Book Award. This award was for books written for children and young adults. One Green Apple tells the story of a young girl. She has just moved to America from an Arab country. She learns that her differences are what make her special.

Selected Works by Eve Bunting

Here are some of the many books Eve Bunting wrote:

Fiction Books

• The Cart that Carried Martin (2013)
• One Green Apple (2006)
• The Blue and the Gray (1996)
• Dandelions (1995)
• A Day's Work (1994)
• Coffin on a Case! (1992) – This book won an Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery.
• Fly Away Home (1991)

  This story is about a homeless father and son. They sleep at an airport. The son watches the planes fly away. He hopes one day he will be able to leave too.

• Gleam and Glow

  Viktor finds hope from two fish during a harsh war in the 1990s.

• The Ghost Children (1989)
• How Many Days to America?

  This book describes a family secretly leaving their country. They take a small boat to America. When they arrive, they celebrate Thanksgiving.

• Is Anybody There? (1988) – This book was nominated for an Edgar Award.
• Scary, Scary Halloween (1986)
• Face at the Edge of the World (1985)
• The Memory String

  A young girl remembers her family using a string of buttons. Each button belongs to a family member and a memory. She is dealing with changes in her family life.

• Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust (1980)

  This story uses woodland animals to show how people can ignore injustice. Animals are taken away one by one. The others are too scared to help. A little white rabbit thinks that if they had stood together, things might have been different.

• Moon Stick
• Twinnies (1997)
• Nasty, Stinky Sneakers (1997) – This book won the Sequoyah Children's Book Award.
• Night Tree

  A family travels through a forest. They decorate a Christmas tree with oranges and popcorn. They sing and drink hot chocolate with the animals. They leave the tree for the animals to enjoy Christmas.

• One More Flight (1976) – This book won the Golden Kite Award.
• The Presence: A Ghost Story (2003)
• Little Bear’s Little Boat (2003)
• S.O.S Titanic
• The Lambkins (2005)
• That's What Leprechauns Do (2006)
• The Sixth Grade Sleepover (1989) – This book won the Sequoyah Children's Book Award.
• Smoky Night (1994)

  A young boy wakes up during riots. His family must leave their home. Even with hatred in the city, two families become friends because of the events.

• So Far from the Sea (1998)

  A young Japanese American girl visits her grandfather's grave. It is at Manzanar. She goes with her parents and younger brother.

• Someone is Hiding on Alcatraz Island
• Spying on Miss Muller (1995) – This book was nominated for an Edgar Award.
• A Sudden Silence
• A Picnic in October (1999)
• The Summer of Riley (2001)
• The Man with the Red Bag (2007)
• Big Bear’s Big Boat (2013)

Non-fiction Books

• The Great White Shark (1982)
• The Sea World Book of Sharks (1984)
• The Sea World Book of Whales (1987)
• Skateboards: How to Make Them, How to Ride Them (1977)