Lauren Tarshis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lauren Tarshis
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Lauren Tarshis in 2026
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| Born | Lauren Tarshis November 23, 1963 Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author |
| Language | English |
| Education | Barnard College |
| Period | 1988–present |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Subject | History |
Lauren Tarshis is a famous American author who writes exciting books for young readers. She was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on November 23, 1963. She went to college at Barnard College in New York City. Tarshis is best known for creating the widely read I Survived historical series. Her books are loved by students and teachers around the globe. Many of her stories are featured on The New York Times Best Seller list. Her work has been translated into several foreign languages. Her tales help young people discover major events from human history. She also works at Scholastic Inc. where she leads educational magazines for schools.
Contents
Early Life and Career in Publishing
Lauren Tarshis discovered her love for storytelling early in life. She later became an editor for educational materials. She joined Scholastic Inc., an important company that publishes educational books and magazines for schools. Tarshis became the senior vice president and editor-in-chief of their Classroom Magazine Division.
In that role, she spent many years editing Storyworks magazine. This is a special language arts magazine made for kids in elementary and middle school. Through this magazine, she helped children learn to read closely, think critically, and appreciate good stories. Working with teachers and students helped her understand what young readers enjoy most. In 1988, she also helped create a book about the movie Ironweed alongside writers Claudio Edinger and William Kennedy.
Popular Book Series by Lauren Tarshis
Tarshis has written several famous books that are found in thousands of school libraries. She creates stories that show how young people find courage during challenging moments.
Emma-Jean Lazarus Stories
Before writing about major disasters, Tarshis wrote humorous and touching novels about a unique girl named Emma-Jean Lazarus. The first novel was titled Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree and came out in 2007. The story was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club pick and won honors from the Golden Kite awards. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books gave it strong reviews.
Emma-Jean is a very logical, quirky girl who tries to solve problems for her classmates in unusual ways. The book became so popular that it was translated into French, German, and Japanese. Tarshis wrote a fun sequel called Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell in Love in 2009. Many schools use these books in anti-bullying programs to teach empathy and kindness.
The I Survived Series
Tarshis is most famous for the I Survived series. These exciting children's literature books are written for students in elementary school. The official motto of the series is "When Disaster Strikes, Heroes Are Made."
Each book follows a fictional young boy or girl who experiences a real historical event. The readers learn real facts about the past while reading a thrilling adventure. Tarshis shows how everyday people help one another stay safe during difficult events.
Major Disasters in the Series
The very first book in the series was released in 2010. It is titled I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912. This story follows a boy aboard the famous ship when it hits an iceberg.
Tarshis went on to write dozens of other adventures in the series. Some of her popular topics include:
- I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906
- I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916
- I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941
- I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005
- I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001
- I Survived the Dust Bowl, 1935
True Stories and Graphic Novels
Tarshis also wrote non-fiction books called I Survived True Stories. These titles tell the actual accounts of real survivors rather than fictional characters. She published Five Epic Disasters in 2014, followed by Nature Attacks! in 2015 and Tornado Terror in 2017.
Starting in 2020, Scholastic adapted the series into colorful graphic novels. Artists drew comic panels for famous books like the Titanic disaster and the 1916 shark attacks. These visual books help reluctant readers enjoy learning about the past.
Global Translations
The I Survived books are read by children across the planet. They have been translated into ten different languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Czech, French, Japanese, Korean, Romanian, Russian, Swedish, and Vietnamese. Starting in 2018, special Spanish editions were created for readers across the United States. Lauren Tarshis continues to write books that show the strength, hope, and resilience of kids throughout history.
