Francesca Lia Block facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francesca Lia Block
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | December 3, 1962 Los Angeles, California, US |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Language | English |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley |
| Period | 1989–present |
| Notable awards | Margaret Edwards Award 2005 |
| Children | 2 |
Francesca Lia Block, born on December 3, 1962, is an American writer. She writes books for both adults and young adults. She is well-known for her Weetzie Bat book series. She started writing these books when she was a student at UC Berkeley.
Contents
Early Life and School
Francesca Lia Block was born in Los Angeles in 1962. Her mother was a poet, and her father, Irving Block, was a screenwriter and painter. Francesca went to North Hollywood High School. She later studied at the University of California, Berkeley. She also earned a special degree from the University of California at Riverside.
Her Writing Career
Francesca Lia Block writes both novels and poetry. Her first two books, Moon Harvest (1978) and Season of Green (1979), were collections of poetry. These books are no longer printed. Since then, she has published many other poetry collections. She also includes poems and song lyrics in her novels. She has written more than 40 books in total.
Francesca found success partly because publishers were interested in shorter books. In 2014, she became a special writer at Pasadena City College. This means she taught and shared her writing skills there.
In 2018, it was announced that her book Weetzie Bat would become a movie. Justin Kelly was chosen to direct it. Francesca Lia Block herself wrote the script for the film.
Block is famous for how she uses vivid descriptions, especially when writing about Los Angeles. One critic from New York Times Book Review said she describes Los Angeles better than almost anyone.
Writing Style and Types of Books
Francesca Lia Block describes her books as being like "magical realism." This is a style where magical things happen in a real-world setting. She has said that writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende greatly influenced her. She was also inspired by the poet Emily Dickinson.
Her books are often compared to those by S.E. Hinton. This is because they both write about young people facing tough situations. Block's stories often explore themes like growing up, family challenges, and finding your place in the world. Many of her books are for young adults. However, she has also written books for adults, non-fiction, short stories, and poetry.
Her Life
Francesca Lia Block has two children, a son and a daughter. She lives in Los Angeles, where she grew up.
Awards and Recognitions
Francesca Lia Block has received several awards for her writing:
- In 1996, her book Baby Be-Bop was nominated for an award for young adult books.
- In 2001, her book Dangerous Angels was added to a special Hall of Fame.
- In 2005, she won the Margaret A. Edwards Award from the American Library Association (ALA). This award is for writers who have made a big and lasting impact on young adult literature. She received it for her first five Weetzie Bat books.
- In 2009, Weetzie Bat won the Phoenix Award from the Children's Literature Association. This award is given to the best English-language children's book that did not win a major award when it was first published.
