Evelyn Sibley Lampman facts for kids

Evelyn Sibley Lampman (born April 18, 1907 – died June 13, 1980) was an American author. She wrote many exciting books for children and young adults. Sometimes, she used different names for her books, like Jane Woodfin and Lynn Bronson.

Evelyn's Family and Early Life

Evelyn Maude Sibley was born in Dallas, Oregon. Her parents were Joseph Elmer Sibley and Harriet Bronson. Evelyn's father, Joe Sibley, worked as a lawyer and judge in Dallas. Harriet was related to Nancy Ann Woodfin. This is where Evelyn got one of her pen names, Jane Woodfin.

In 1935, Evelyn married Herbert Sheldon Lampman. Herbert's father was Ben Hur Lampman, a famous poet in Oregon. Herbert himself wrote for The Oregonian newspaper, focusing on wildlife. Evelyn and Herbert had two daughters: Linda Sibley Lampman (born 1936) and Anne Hathaway Lampman (born 1940). Sadly, Herbert passed away in 1943.

Starting a Career in Radio

After finishing Dallas High School in 1925, Evelyn went to Oregon Agricultural College. This school is now called Oregon State University. She graduated in 1929 with a degree in Vocational Education.

Soon after college, Evelyn saw a newspaper ad for a job at KEX radio. She decided to apply, even though she had no experience. She got the job and became one of the first important people in American radio. She wrote scripts for radio shows.

Evelyn wrote about her early radio days in her book Of Mikes and Men (1951). This book was for adults and was a funny look at how radio started. It showed how announcers often did many jobs, like making sound effects. She wrote this book using the name Jane Woodfin.

Over the next few years, Evelyn worked for both KEX and KGW radio stations. She started as a writer and then became the head of writing. She created scripts and planned shows for many radio dramas.

In late 1946, she became the Educational Director at KGW. In this role, she was in charge of writing most of the scripts for children's programs. These shows aired on weekdays and were made for different age groups in schools.

Becoming a Novelist

In 1947, a publishing company called Doubleday, Doran, & Co. accepted Evelyn's first book. Her children's novel, Crazy Creek, came out in August 1948. It was very popular and helped Evelyn start a new career as a writer.

She began writing one or two novels every year. Some of these books were published under her other pen name, Lynn Bronson. By 1951, she left her job as Educational Director at KGW. However, in 1952, she did agree to be an advisor for educational activities at KEX.

Evelyn Lampman was brave enough to write about important and sometimes tricky topics in her books. She wrote about Native American children learning new ways of life. She also explored racial tensions, child marriage, and how cultures change. She even wrote about migrant workers. She made these stories interesting and showed great understanding.

She also wrote books based on real people and events. For example, The Bounces of Cynthiann was about orphaned children who traveled the Applegate Trail. They became part of Dallas, Oregon's history. Wheels West: The Story of Tabitha Brown told the story of a woman who traveled the Oregon Trail. She later founded what became Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.

Evelyn Lampman passed away on June 13, 1980.

Awards and Lasting Impact

Evelyn Lampman received the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award in 1962. This was for her book City Under the Back Steps. It's a science fiction adventure about two children who shrink to the size of ants.

In 1968, she was honored with a Brotherhood Award. This award came from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. She also won two Golden Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America. She won the first in 1967 for Half Breed. The second was in 1970 for Cayuse Courage. This book told the story of the Whitman massacre from the point of view of a Cayuse boy.

The Evelyn Sibley Lampman Award was created in 1982. The Children's Services Division of the Oregon Library Association gives this award. It honors a living author, librarian, or teacher from Oregon. The award recognizes someone who has made a big difference in children's literature and library services in Oregon.

List of Works

Here are some of the books Evelyn Sibley Lampman wrote:

• Crazy Creek, Doubleday, 1948
• Treasure Mountain, Doubleday, 1949
• The Bounces of Cynthiann’', Doubleday, 1950
• Timberland Adventure, Lippincott, 1950 (as Lynn Bronson)
• Coyote Kid, Lippincott, 1951 (as Lynn Bronson)
• Elder Brother, Doubleday, 1951
• Of Mikes and Men, McGraw-Hill, 1951 (as Jane Woodfin)
• Captain Apple’s Ghost, Doubleday, 1952
• Rogue’s Valley, Lippincott, 1952 (as Lynn Bronson)
• The Runaway, Lippincott, 1953 (as Lynn Bronson)
• Tree Wagon, Doubleday, 1953
• Witch Doctor’s Son, Doubleday, 1954
• The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek, Doubleday, 1955
• Darcy’s Harvest, Doubleday, 1956 (as Lynn Bronson)
• Navaho Sister, Doubleday, 1956
• Rusty’s Space Ship, Doubleday, 1957
• Popular Girl, Doubleday, 1957 (as Lynn Bronson)
• Rock Hounds, Doubleday, 1958
• Special Year, Doubleday, 1959
• The City Under the Back Steps, Doubleday, 1960
• Princess of Fort Vancouver, Doubleday, 1962
• The Shy Stegosaurus of Indian Springs, Doubleday, 1962
• Mrs. Updaisy, Doubleday, 1963
• Temple of the Sun, Doubleday, 1964
• Wheels West, Doubleday, 1965
• The Tilted Sombrero, Doubleday, 1966
• Half-Breed, Doubleday, 1967
• The Bandit of Mok Hill, Doubleday, 1969
• Cayuse Courage, Harcourt Brace World, 1970
• Once Upon the Little Big Horn, Crowell, 1971
• The of Small Shadow, Harcourt Brace Jovanich, 1971
• Go Up the Road, Atheneum, 1972
• Rattlesnake Cave, Atheneum, 1974
• White Captives, Atheneum, 1976
• The Potlatch Family, Atheneum, 1976
• Bargain Bride, Atheneum, 1977
• Squaw Man’s Son, Atheneum, 1978
• Three Knocks on the Wall, Atheneum, 1980

Book to TV Adaptations

The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek was made into a TV episode. It appeared on a show called CBS Storybreak in 1987. J. Michael Straczynski wrote the TV version.