Ilene Cooper facts for kids

Ilene Cooper (born March 10, 1948) is an American author and reviewer who helps decide which children's books are great. She has written many books for young readers herself.

Early Life and Learning

Ilene Cooper was born in Chicago. She went to Sullivan High School there. Later, she studied at the Missouri School of Journalism, where she learned about radio and television. After working at WGN-TV for a few years, she went back to school at Rosary College. There, she earned a special degree called a Master of Science in Library Science, which helped her become a librarian.

Her Work as a Librarian and Editor

Cooper started her career helping kids find books as a children's librarian at the Winnetka Public Library. Today, she is the children's books editor at a magazine called Booklist. This means she helps choose and review new books for kids and teens. She has also written many children's books about important topics like fairness and how governments work.

Mentoring John Green

In the mid-2000s, a famous author named John Green worked at Booklist. Ilene Cooper was his mentor, guiding him in his work. Around this time, John Green's book Looking for Alaska won a big award called the Michael L. Printz Award.

Before Looking for Alaska was published, John Green shared an early version of the book with Cooper. She remembered thinking, "He had a voice you could tell was quite original." She decided she wanted to work with him. Cooper has even called herself Green's "fairy godmother," showing how much she supported him.

Awards and Recognition

Ilene Cooper has won several awards for her writing. In 2002–2003, she received a National Jewish Book Award for her book Jewish Holidays All Year Round. This award recognized her work in children's literature. In 2007, she also won the Illinois Reading Council Prairie State Award for Excellence in Writing for Children, celebrating her great stories for young people.