Gail Carson Levine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gail Carson Levine
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| Born | September 17, 1947 New York, New York |
| Alma mater | City College of New York |
| Genre | Young adult literature |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | Newbery Honor |
| Spouse |
David Levine
(m. 1967) |
Gail Carson Levine (born September 17, 1947) is an American writer. She writes books for young adults, which are often fantasy stories. Her first book, Ella Enchanted, won a special award called a Newbery Honor in 1998.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in New York
Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City. Her parents, David and Sylvia, helped her become creative. Her father owned an art studio. Her mother was a teacher who wrote plays for her students. Gail's older sister, Rani, became a painter.
Childhood Interests
As a child, Levine loved to read. Her favorite book was Peter Pan by James M. Barrie. She also enjoyed books by Louisa May Alcott and L. M. Montgomery. At first, she wanted to be an actress or a painter. She joined theater groups but later lost interest in acting.
College and Early Career
In 1967, she married David Levine. She studied philosophy at City College and earned her degree in 1969. For the next 27 years, she worked for the New York state government. She helped people find jobs. She also has an Airedale Terrier dog named Reggie.
Writing Career
Starting to Write
Gail Carson Levine took a class on writing and illustrating for children. She found that she loved writing much more than drawing. So, in 1987, she started writing. For nine years, all her stories were turned down. During this time, she took writing classes and joined writing groups. Levine says those years were some of her happiest because she was learning to write.
First Published Book
Her first book to be published was Ella Enchanted. It was accepted in 1996, which Levine called one of the happiest days of her life. The book came out in 1997. In 1998, it received a Newbery Honor award. Later, it inspired a movie in 2004. The success of Ella Enchanted allowed Levine to stop her government job and write full-time.
Exploring New Stories
Levine's next book, Dave at Night, was inspired by her father's childhood. He grew up in an orphanage. Levine created her own story about his experiences. She believes the character of Dave is a bit like her father. She also thinks the strong friendships among the boys in the book are similar to what happened in real life.
For her book The Wish, which is about popularity in middle school, Levine did some research. She had skipped eighth grade herself. She spent a day with an eighth-grade class and asked many questions. She also interviewed kids about their hobbies and opinions on popularity.
Fairy Tale Twists
After Ella Enchanted, which was a new version of the Cinderella story, Levine continued to retell fairy tales. These became her Princess Tales series. She had some old picture book ideas that her editor liked. One of them, The Fairy's Mistake, became a short novel. She was asked to write three more, and that's how the series began.
Her six short stories in the series add new ideas to traditional fairy tales. Levine likes to fill in parts that don't quite make sense. For example, in Sleeping Beauty, the prince falls in love with the princess even though he knows little about her. In Princess Sonora and the Long Sleep, Levine gives the prince a good reason to kiss Sonora.
Levine also wrote picture books based on fables. Betsy Who Cried Wolf is from The Boy Who Cried Wolf. In 2010, she released Betsy Red Hoodie, which is her version of "Little Red Riding Hood".
Original Fantasy Worlds
Levine continued to write fantasy novels. The Two Princesses of Bamarre is an original fairy tale. It is about the strong bond between two very different sisters. One sister must overcome her fears to save the other.
Another fantasy novel is Fairest. This book is inspired by the story of Snow White. It is set in the same world as Ella Enchanted. Later, she published Ever, a fantasy story set in ancient times that explores old myths.
Disney Fairies Books
In 2005, Levine wrote an illustrated novel called Fairy Dust and the Quest For the Egg. This book was part of the new "Disney Fairies" series from Disney Press. It explores the world of Neverland from Peter Pan. It shows the community of fairies who live in Fairy Haven. Well-known characters like Tinker Bell and Captain Hook appear, along with new characters. Two sequels followed: Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand (2007) and Fairies and the Quest for Never Land (2010).
Helping Young Writers
Levine also leads writing workshops for children in her community. She enjoys working with kids and finds it very rewarding. In these workshops, she created exercises for her students. These exercises led to her non-fiction book, Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly. This book helps children learn how to write their own stories.
Themes in Her Books
Levine's books often feature magic and magical creatures. They also explore themes of love and marriage. Many of her stories have strong female main characters. Most of her novels end with a romantic relationship, often marriage. Common messages in her books include the importance of kindness, being selfless, having self-confidence, and showing courage when facing danger.
