Fleur Beale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fleur Beale
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Beale in 2015
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| Born | Fleur Una Maude Beale 1945 (age 79–80) |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
Fleur Una Maude Beale ONZM (born February 22, 1945) is a famous writer from New Zealand. She is best known for her books for teenagers, especially her novel I Am Not Esther. This book has been published all around the world.
About Fleur Beale
Fleur Beale grew up in a big family with five brothers and sisters. Her dad, Cedric Corney, was a dairy farmer. Her mum, Estelle Corney, was a teacher and also a writer. Fleur was born in a town called Inglewood in Taranaki, New Zealand. She was born right on the farm where her dad grew up.
Fleur went to Inglewood High School. Later, she studied at Victoria University and Christchurch Teachers' College. There, she met her husband, Tim Beale. She taught at Melville High School in Hamilton for many years.
Fleur's first stories were written for a children's radio show called Grandpa's Place. Her first book was a small picture book for young kids. She started writing books for teenagers in 1993. Her stories often feature young people facing challenges. These characters are sometimes involved in outdoor adventures.
Awards and Recognition
Fleur Beale has won many awards for her books. She was a finalist for the AIM Children's Book Awards. Her 1998 novel I Am Not Esther was a top choice for the 1999 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards.
In 1999, Fleur received the Children's Writing Fellowship. This award allowed her to stop teaching and write full-time. Her 2001 novel Ambushed was also a finalist for an award in 2002.
In 2005, two of her books, My Story A New Song in the Land and Walking Lightly, won Storylines Notable Book Awards. In 2012, she received the Margaret Mahy Award. This award is named after another famous New Zealand children's author.
In 2015, Fleur Beale was given a special honour. She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was for her great contributions to literature.
I Am Not Esther Book Series
I Am Not Esther is one of Fleur Beale's most famous books. It tells the story of fourteen-year-old Kirby Greenland. Kirby's mother leaves her with relatives she doesn't know. These relatives live in a strange city. Her mother says she is leaving New Zealand to help refugees.
Kirby's new guardians and their six children belong to a very strict religious group. They are called the Children of the Faith. This group believes in working hard and studying the Bible. They do not allow many fun activities. They also believe in dressing very modestly.
Kirby's new family insists she must change. They want her to leave her old self behind. If Kirby disagrees with them, her uncle makes the whole family pray over her. He does this until she agrees with them. Kirby feels responsible for her youngest cousin. So, she often gives in to their demands.
But Kirby soon realizes she is losing who she is. She decides she must escape. However, she feels responsible for her cousins, whom she has grown to love. She is also worried about her cousin Miriam. Miriam disappeared before Kirby arrived. The family rarely talks about Miriam, only saying she is "dead."
Kirby learns that not all the children in the group follow every rule. Her cousin Daniel wants to be a doctor. This is against the group's rules about higher education. Kirby and Daniel are eventually asked to leave the group. This happens after Daniel says he wants to be a doctor to help people. A difficult situation happens where Daniel is confronted by the Elders.
Kirby and Daniel go to Wellington. They find Kirby's mother, who is unwell and needs help. They help her to get better. Kirby has nightmares about becoming "Esther." This is what her aunt and uncle call her. She realizes "Esther is dead" when she sees a documentary about the faith.
The title I Am Not Esther comes from Kirby's catchphrase. She often says "I am not Esther." This is because her aunt, uncle, and others in the group insist on calling her Esther. Kirby worries she is turning into Esther. Someone even points out that Kirby would have said "I'm not Esther." The group did not use shortened words.
Fleur Beale was inspired to write this book by a boy she taught. He had been asked to leave his family because he wanted to be a doctor. She writes about the religious group with respect. She focuses on their actions, not on the people themselves.
Fleur Beale wrote a sequel to I Am Not Esther in 2012. It is called I am Rebecca. This book is told from the point of view of Kirby's cousin, Rebecca. Rebecca moves to Nelson with her family. The third book in the series is called Being Magdalene. It is told from Magdalene's point of view.
Published Books
- The Great Pumpkin Battle (1988)
- A Surprise for Anna (1990)
- Slide the Corner (1992)
- Against the Tide (1993)
- Driving a Bargain (1993)
- Over the Edge (1994)
- The Fortune Teller (1995)
- Dear Pop (1995)
- The Rich and Famous Body and the Empty Chequebook (1995)
- Fifteen and Screaming (1996)
- Rockman (1996)
- Further Back than Zero (1998)
- Keep Out (1999)
- Destination Disaster (1999)
- Playing to Win (2000)
- Trucker (2000)
- Deadly Prospect (2000)
- Ambushed (2000)
- Seven readers for Pearson Education, Singapore (2001)
- Lucky for Some (2002)
- Red Dog in Bandit Country (2003) [non-fiction]
- Lacey and the Drama Queens (2004)
- My Story A New Song in the Land. The Writings of Atapo, Pahia, c.1840 (2004)
- Walking Lightly (2004)
- A Respectable Girl (2006)
- The Transformation of Minna Hargreaves (2007)
- My Life of Crime (2007)
- Slide the Corner (2007)
- End of the Alphabet (2009)
- Dirt Bomb (2011)
- The Juno series:
- Juno of Taris (2008)
- Fierce September (2010)
- Heart of Danger (2011)
- I Am Not Esther series:
- Lyla: Through My Eyes (2018)
- The Calling (2021)
- Faraway Girl (2022)
- Once Upon a Wickedness (2023)
