Lloyd Alexander facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lloyd Alexander
Born	Lloyd Chudley Alexander (1924-01-30)January 30, 1924 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	May 17, 2007(2007-05-17) (aged 83) Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Novelist
Alma mater	University of Paris
Period	1955–2007
Genre	Fantasy, children's literature
Notable works	The Chronicles of Prydain Westmark trilogy Newbery Medal 1969 The High King National Book Award 1971 The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian 1982 Westmark
Spouse	Janine Denni ​ ​ (m. 1946; died 2007)​
Children	1 (adopted)
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Lloyd Chudley Alexander (born January 30, 1924 – died May 17, 2007) was an American author. He wrote over forty books, mostly fantasy novels for children and young adults. Over his long career, Alexander wrote 48 books. His stories have been translated into 20 languages around the world.

His most famous work is The Chronicles of Prydain. This is a series of five high fantasy novels. The last book in the series, The High King, won the 1969 Newbery Medal. This award is given for excellent American children's literature. He also won U.S. National Book Awards in 1971 and 1982.

Alexander grew up in Pennsylvania during the Great Depression. This was a time when many people had little money. He loved reading books and writing poetry. He only went to college for one term. He felt he could learn more outside of school. He joined the United States Army and worked in intelligence. He met his wife, Janine Denni, while he was stationed in France. He also studied French literature at the University of Paris.

After returning to the United States, he found it hard to make a living from writing. His first book, And Let the Credit Go (1955), was about his own life. Later, his interest in Welsh mythology led him to write The Chronicles of Prydain series. Alexander was nominated twice for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. He received three awards for his lifetime of writing before he died in 2007.

Lloyd Alexander's Early Life

Lloyd Alexander was born in Philadelphia on January 30, 1924. He grew up in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. His parents mostly read newspapers, but they bought books from the Salvation Army. They wanted to fill their empty shelves. Lloyd taught himself to read around age four. He skipped first and second grade at a private Quaker school.

After his father lost money in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Lloyd went to public school. He skipped another grade and started seventh grade at age nine. He loved reading books by Shakespeare, Dickens, and Mark Twain. He also enjoyed myths, especially stories about King Arthur. When he was thirteen, he wanted to become a priest. But his family could not afford to send him to divinity school.

Lloyd was very passionate about writing. He believed he could share his ideas through his stories and art. In high school, he wrote romantic poetry and short stories. But publishers were not interested in his work. He got a job as a bank messenger. This job later inspired his first published book, And Let the Credit Go (1955). He graduated from Upper Darby High School in 1940 at age sixteen.

He attended West Chester State Teachers College. But he left after only one term. He felt the classes were not challenging enough. After leaving college, Alexander worked in a mailroom for six months. He decided that adventure was a better way to learn for a writer than college. So, he joined the US Army during World War II.

He was not good with weapons and would faint at the sight of blood. So, he couldn't be a soldier or a medic. He briefly played the cymbals in a marching band in Texas. Then he became a chaplain's assistant. The army gave him a chance to study French language and culture at Lafayette College. Later, he received special intelligence training in Maryland. There, he met war veterans, scholars, and people from the Cherokee tribe. He became a staff sergeant in the intelligence corps.

Alexander was stationed in Wales and England for a short time. Then he was sent to eastern France. He translated radio messages for six months. His next job was in Paris for the Counter Intelligence Corps. He worked as a translator until the end of 1945. After the war, Alexander studied French literature at the University of Paris. He was very interested in the poetry of Paul Éluard. He even became Éluard's only English translator. In Paris, he met Janine Denni, who had a young daughter named Madeleine. Lloyd and Janine got married on January 8, 1946. They soon moved to Philadelphia.

Becoming a Writer

For about fifteen years, Lloyd Alexander wrote mostly books for adults. He also did translations. He was desperate for a job and worked as a potter's helper for his sister. In 1948, he started writing advertisements. He also began earning more money from his translations. This allowed him to buy a house for his family. However, he lost his advertising job after three months. His wife had to work in a textile factory to help pay the bills.

Alexander kept writing, but no publishers bought his novels for seven years. One of his short stories, "The Fantastic Symphony" (1949), was published. His big break came with his novel And Let the Credit Go (1955). This was his first book about his own life. He wrote about his experience as a bank messenger when he was a teenager. His next book, My Five Tigers (1956), was about his cats. He continued to write about things he knew well.

He found work as a copyeditor and a cartoonist. He wrote two more books about his life: Janine is French (1959) and My Love Affair with Music (1960). He also co-wrote Park Avenue Vet (1960) with a cat veterinarian named Louis Camuti. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals then asked him to write their history. This became Fifty Years in the Doghouse (1964). During this time, he also wrote two non-fiction books for children. These were biographies of August Bondi and Aaron Lopez. The book about August Bondi won an award in 1959.

Alexander's next novel was his first fantasy book: Time Cat (1963). He called it "the most creative and liberating experience of my life." The story is about a cat that can visit its past lives in different time periods. Alexander did a lot of research for this book.

When he was almost forty, he started writing mostly children's fantasy. This is the type of book he is best known for. His time in Wales during the war inspired many of his book settings. He loved Welsh mythology, especially the Mabinogion. The story for The Book of Three came from an old Welsh text. Alexander signed a book deal for a trilogy called The Sons of Llyr. He wanted to keep the Welsh names in the books because they gave the stories a special mood.

After the first book, The Book of Three (1964), came out, the series became known as The Chronicles of Prydain. The second book, The Black Cauldron, followed in 1965. Alexander planned for the series to have four books, then five. The five novels tell the adventures of a young man named Taran. He dreams of being a hero but is only an Assistant Pig-Keeper. He grows from a boy to a mature young man. He must finally choose whether to become the High King of Prydain. Alexander also wrote two spin-off picture books from the Prydain series: Coll and His White Pig (1965) and The Truthful Harp (1967). He won the Newbery Medal for The High King in 1969.

Alexander's novel The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian (1970) was rejected at first. He rewrote it three times before it was published. It won the National Book Award in 1971. He also published two picture books: The King's Fountain (1971) and The Four Donkeys (1972). In 1973, he wrote The Cat Who Wished to be a Man. That same year, he published The Foundling: And Other Tales of Prydain, a companion book to the Prydain series.

After the success of Prydain, Alexander was a writer-in-residence at Temple University from 1970 to 1974. He said it was like being a "visiting uncle." In 1975, Alexander published The Wizard in the Tree. The character Arbican was based on Alexander and his own struggles. In 1977, he published The Town Cats. His next book, The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha (1978), was set in a fantasy world like 15th-century Persia. It won awards in Holland and Austria.

Alexander's other famous series are Westmark (1981 to 1984) and Vesper Holly (1987 to 1990 and 2005). Westmark is about a printer's helper who gets involved in a rebellion in a fictional European kingdom. The Vesper Holly series is about a smart and wealthy girl from Philadelphia. She has adventures in different fictional countries in the 1870s. Alexander's last novel, The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio, was published in August 2007.

Alexander helped create the children's literary magazine Cricket. He also served on its editorial board. He worked on the library committee for World Book Encyclopedia in 1974. He kept a strict writing schedule, waking up at 4 AM and working until late afternoon. He would then have his only meal with his wife. He stuck to this routine even when he didn't feel inspired. He believed he couldn't rely on inspiration alone. He often wrote back to fans, and sometimes they even visited him.

Lloyd Alexander died on May 17, 2007, from cancer. This was just a few weeks after his wife of sixty-one years passed away. His stepdaughter, Madeleine Khalil, had died before both of them in 1995. He is buried at Arlington Cemetery in Drexel Hill.

What His Stories Are About

The Prydain Chronicles are set in a fantasy world that is much like Welsh folklore and myths. Critics have called these stories "one of the most important examples of Welsh myth-making." Alexander's books have "special depth and insight." His characters not only act but also think, feel, and struggle with problems similar to those people face today. Alexander said his writings were based on myths, but also on his own life experiences.

Alexander's books are usually coming-of-age stories in fantasy settings. The main characters go on quests. These characters are often ordinary people who return to their normal lives after their adventures. While his settings are inspired by fairy tales and legends, his stories feel modern. Learning to accept and understand oneself is very important for his main characters to grow. Alexander's books are hopeful about human nature. Their endings are usually positive, not sad. He said that in his fantasy worlds, "good is ultimately stronger than evil." He believed that "courage, justice, love, and mercy actually function."

The Prydain Chronicles explore ideas of good and evil. They also look at what it means to be a hero. The Westmark Trilogy also deals with good and evil. It shows how bad leaders can cause trouble and even revolution. The main character, Mickle, unwillingly joins an army in a war. This shows a different side of war heroes. Alexander's books are exciting adventure stories. But they also discuss important ethical questions.

Alexander tried to create strong female characters. He wanted them to be more than just a prize for the hero. For example, Eilonwy in the Prydain Chronicles is independent and strong-willed.

Critics have praised Alexander's writing style. One reviewer said his writing was "elegant, witty, [and] beautifully paced." Reviewers also liked the action scenes in the Prydain chronicles. They said the scenes made the reader feel like they were there, without being too gruesome. Alexander's writing style changed depending on what he was writing. While his fantasy style has been compared to J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, his later writings had a different style. He used fantasy stories to help understand real life.

Awards and Recognition

Lloyd Alexander first gained a lot of praise for his The Chronicles of Prydain series.

• The second book, The Black Cauldron, was a runner-up for the 1966 Newbery Medal.
• The fourth book, Taran Wanderer, was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.
• The fifth and final book, The High King, won the 1969 Newbery Medal.

Alexander was included in the 1972 Book of Junior Authors and Illustrators. This was early in his career as a children's writer, but after the Prydain series was finished. For his work as a children's writer, Alexander was nominated for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award in 1996 and again in 2008. This is the highest award for children's book creators.

Many of Alexander's later books also won awards:

• The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian won the 1971 National Book Award in the Children's Books category.
• Westmark also won a National Book Award in 1982.
• The Fortune-Tellers, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, won the 1992 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award in the Picture Book category.
• The American Library Association chose The Beggar Queen as one of the best books for young adults in 1984.
• The Illyrian Adventure was named a "notable book" in 1986.

He received at least three lifetime achievement awards:

• In 1991, he received the Pennbook Lifetime Achievement Award.
• In 2001, he received the first Parents' Choice Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award.
• In 2003, Alexander received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.

On January 28, 2010, an exhibit opened at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. It displayed items from Alexander's home office, which he called "the Box." These items included his manuscripts, copies of all his books, his violin, typewriter, and desk. A documentary about his life and writings, titled "Lloyd Alexander," was released on October 19, 2012. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the series, Henry Holt published a special "50th Anniversary Edition" of The Book of Three on September 23, 2014.

List of His Books

The Prydain Chronicles

• The Book of Three (1964)
• The Black Cauldron (1965), a Newbery Honor book
• The Castle of Llyr (1966)
• Taran Wanderer (1967)
• The High King (1968), winner of the 1969 Newbery Medal

Supplementary books for Prydain

• Coll and His White Pig (1965), a picture book
• The Truthful Harp (1967), a picture book
• The Foundling and Other Tales of Prydain (1973, expanded 1999)

The Westmark Trilogy

• Westmark (1981) — won a National Book Award
• The Kestrel (1982)
• The Beggar Queen (1984)

The Vesper Holly Adventures

• The Illyrian Adventure (1986)
• The El Dorado Adventure (1987)
• The Drackenberg Adventure (1988)
• The Jedera Adventure (1989)
• The Philadelphia Adventure (1990)
• The Xanadu Adventure (2005)

Other Great Books

• And Let the Credit Go (1955) — his first novel, based on his own life
• My Five Tigers (1956)
• Border Hawk: August Bondi (1958) — a biography for children
• Janine is French (1960)
• My Love Affair with Music (1960)
• The Flagship Hope: Aaron Lopez (1960) — a biography for children
• Park Avenue Vet (1962), with Dr. Louis J. Camuti
• Fifty Years in the Doghouse (1963); also called Send for Ryan! — a non-fiction book about saving animals
• Time Cat: The Remarkable Journeys of Jason and Gareth (1963) — his first children's fantasy book
• The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian (1970) — won a National Book Award
• The King's Fountain (1971)
• The Four Donkeys (1972)
• The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man (1973)
• The Wizard in the Tree (1974)
• The Town Cats and Other Tales (1977)
• The First Two Lives of Lukas-Kasha (1978)
• The Big Book for Peace (1990)
• The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen (1991)
• The Fortune-Tellers (1992)
• The Arkadians (1995)
• The House Gobbaleen (1995)
• The Iron Ring (1997)
• Gypsy Rizka (1999)
• How the Cat Swallowed Thunder (2000)
• The Gawgon and the Boy (2001); also called The Fantastical Adventures of the Invisible Boy
• The Rope Trick (2002)
• Dream-of-Jade: The Emperor's Cat (2005)
• The Golden Dream of Carlo Chuchio (2007) — his last published book

Translations He Made

• The Diary of Antoine Roquentin (1949), the first English translation of La Nausée by Jean-Paul Sartre.
• Intimacy (1949), translation of Le Mur by Jean-Paul Sartre.
• Selected Writings (1952), by Paul Éluard.

Book and Movie Adaptations

The Cat Who Wished to Be a Man and The Wizard in the Tree were made into plays in Japan. Also in Japan, The Marvelous Misadventures of Sebastian became a TV series.

In 1985, Disney made an animated film called The Black Cauldron. It was based on the first two books of the Prydain series. This was the first Disney animated film to use computer-generated images. However, it did not do well at the box office and got mixed reviews. It was not released for home video for over ten years. As of 2016, Disney was planning another movie based on the Prydain series.

See also

In Spanish: Lloyd Alexander para niños