Jan Slepian facts for kids

Janice Slepian (born January 2, 1921 – died November 2, 2016) was a talented American author. She wrote many books for children and young adults. She also wrote poetry. Before becoming a writer, Jan worked as a speech therapist. She helped people with their speech.

Jan Slepian's Career

Helping People with Words

Jan Slepian first studied psychology at Brooklyn College. She then learned about clinical psychology and and how to help people with their speech. This field is called speech pathology. She studied at the University of Washington.

She worked as a speech therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. There, she helped many people improve their speaking skills. After this important work, she decided to start her writing career.

Books for Young Readers

Jan Slepian wrote several popular books with her friend, Ann Seidler. These were part of a series called "The Listen-Hear Books." These books helped young readers learn about sounds in words. This skill is called phonemic awareness.

Some titles from this series include The Hungry Thing, The Hungry Thing Returns, and The Hungry Thing Goes to a Restaurant. They also wrote The Cat Who Wore a Pot on Her Head and Alfie and the Dream Machine.

Stories About Different Lives

Some of Jan Slepian's books explore important topics like mental disability. For example, The Alfred Summer (1980) and Lester's Turn (1981) tell stories from the point of view of a child with cerebral palsy. These books help readers understand different experiences.

She also wrote many books for older kids and teenagers. These include The Night of the Bozos (1983), The Broccoli Tapes (1989), and Pinocchio's Sister (1995). Other popular titles are Mind Reader (1997) and Emily Just in Time (1998).

Later Works and Poetry

Jan Slepian's husband was David Slepian, a famous mathematician.

When she was 88 years old, Jan Slepian wrote a book called Astonishment: Life in the slow lane (2009). This book was a collection of short essays. They were about getting older and living in a retirement community.

In 2010, a theater group in New Jersey turned Astonishment into a play. Jan Slepian also wrote a follow-up book in 2012 called How to Be Old.

Jan Slepian started writing poetry when she was 91 years old. Her first poetry book, Jellybeans in Space, came out in 2016. Her second book of poems, The Other Shoe, was published just before she passed away on November 2, 2016.

Jan Slepian's Books

• The Roaring Dragon of Redrose (1964) (with Ann Seidler), (The Listen-hear books)
• Magic Arthur and The Giant (1964) (with Ann Seidler), (The Listen-hear books)
• Mr. Sipple and the Naughty Princess (1964) (with Ann Seidler), (The Listen-hear books)
• Alfie and the Dream Machine (1964) (with Ann Seidler), (The Listen-hear books)
• Magic Arthur and The Giant (1964) (with Ann Seidler), (The Listen-hear books)
• Lester and the Sea Monster (1964) (with Ann Seidler), (The Listen-hear books)
• The Hungry Thing (1967) (with Ann Seidler)
• Bendemolena (1967) (with Ann Seidler)
• Cat Who Wore a Pot on Her Head (1980) (with Ann Seidler)
• The Alfred Summer (1981)
• Lester's Turn (1981)
• The Night of the Bozos (1983)
• Getting on with It (1985)
• Something Beyond Paradise (1987)
• Emily Just in Time (1987)
• The Broccoli Tapes (1989)
• Risk N' Roses (1991)
• Back to Before (1993)
• The Hungry Thing Returns (1993) (with Ann Seidler)
• The Hungry Thing Goes to a Restaurant (1993) (with Ann Seidler)
• Lost Moose (1995)
• Pinocchio's Sister (1995)
• The Mind Reader (1997)
• Astonishment: Life in the Slow Lane (2008)
• How to Be Old: A Beginner's Guide (2012)
• Jellybeans in Space (2015)
• The Other Shoe (2016)

Awards and Recognition

Jan Slepian's book The Alfred Summer received special honors. The School Library Journal included it on a list of "One Hundred Books that Shaped the Century" in 2000. It was also nominated for the American Book Award. In 1980, it was on the honor roll for the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.