Janet Taylor Lisle facts for kids

Janet Taylor Lisle (born February 13, 1947 – died October 5, 2023) was an American author. She wrote many books for kids and young adults. Her stories often mixed exciting fantasy with real-life situations.

Janet Lisle's Early Life and Reading Habits

Janet Taylor Lisle was born on February 13, 1947. Her birthplace was Englewood, New Jersey. She spent her childhood in the countryside of Farmington, Connecticut. Summers were often spent by the sea in Rhode Island.

Janet grew up with four younger brothers. All of them loved to read. She went to local schools for most of her education. At age fifteen, she attended the Ethel Walker School. This was a boarding school for girls in Simsbury, Connecticut.

Education and Start of a Writing Career

Lisle went to Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She earned a degree in English in 1969. After college, she got married. She then joined VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1971, she returned to college. She studied journalism at Georgia State University. After an internship, she worked as a reporter. She wrote for local newspapers in Atlanta. Later, she worked in Westchester County, New York.

Becoming a Children's Author

Janet's career changed after she got married again. Her daughter was born in 1977. She decided to start writing children's books from home. Her first book was The Dancing Cats of Applesap. Her own childhood memories inspired this story.

After that first book, she kept writing. She created over seventeen books for children and young adults. She also wrote some history books for adults. Janet Lisle lived on the coast of Rhode Island. She lived there with her husband, Richard Lisle. She passed away in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 5, 2023. She was 76 years old.

Janet Lisle's Published Books

• The Dancing Cats of Applesap, illustrated by Joelle Shefts, 1984.
• Sirens and Spies, 1985.
• The Great Dimpole Oak, illustrated by Stephen Gammell, 1987.
• Afternoon of the Elves, 1989.
• The Lampfish of Twill, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin, 1991.
• Forest, 1993.
• The Gold Dust Letters, 1994.
• Looking for Juliette, 1994.
• A Message from the Match Girl, 1995.
• Angela's Aliens, 1996.
• The Lost Flower Children, 1999.
• The Art of Keeping Cool, 2000.
• How I Became a Writer and Oggie Learned to Drive, 2002.
• The Crying Rocks, 2003.
• Black Duck, 2007.
• Highway Cats, 2008.
• Quicksand Pond, 2017.

Awards for Janet Lisle's Books

• 1990 Newbery Honor Book for Afternoon of the Elves.
• 2001 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction for The Art of Keeping Cool.