Lois Duncan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lois Duncan
Duncan in 1950
Born	Lois Duncan Steinmetz (1934-04-28)April 28, 1934 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	June 15, 2016(2016-06-15) (aged 82) Bradenton, Florida, U.S.
Pen name	Lois Kerry
Occupation	Writer journalist
Alma mater	University of New Mexico
Period	1947–2016
Genre	Young-adult PP mystery fiction supernatural fiction children's poetry picture books
Notable awards	1992 Margaret A. Edwards Award 2015 Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America
Spouse	Joseph Cardozo ​ ​ (m. 1953; div. 1962)​ Donald Arquette ​ (m. 1965)​
Children	5
Relatives	Joseph Janney Steinmetz (father)

Lois Duncan Steinmetz (April 28, 1934 – June 15, 2016), known as Lois Duncan, was an American writer. She wrote many books, especially for young adults. People remember her as a pioneer in young adult fiction. She was known for her exciting mystery, thriller, and supernatural stories.

Lois Duncan's parents were professional photographers. She started writing at a young age. She even published two early novels using the pen name Lois Kerry. Many of her books became movies. These include Hotel for Dogs (1971), I Know What You Did Last Summer (1973), Summer of Fear (1976), and Killing Mr. Griffin (1978).

Besides her novels, Duncan also wrote poetry and non-fiction. One of her non-fiction books, Who Killed My Daughter? (1992), was about the unsolved death of her teenage daughter, Kaitlyn. She won the 1992 Margaret Edwards Award for her great contributions to teen literature. After her daughter's death, Duncan wrote fewer thrillers. She focused more on picture books and novels for younger children. Her last book, One to the Wolves, was published in 2013. It was a follow-up to Who Killed My Daughter?.

Lois Duncan: Early Life and Inspiration

Duncan on the cover of a 1949 issue of Collier's magazine. Her father took the photo.

Lois Duncan Steinmetz was born on April 28, 1934, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the first child of Lois Duncan and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. Lois had one younger brother, William. Both of her parents were professional photographers. They took pictures for the famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

She spent her early years in Pennsylvania. Later, her family moved to Sarasota, Florida. There, her parents continued their work as circus photographers. Lois grew up around circus performers. These experiences later inspired her picture books. They were called The Circus Comes Home (1993) and Song of the Circus (2002).

Duncan described herself as a "shy, fat little girl." She was a "bookworm and dreamer." She loved playing in the woods. Her favorite childhood books included The Princess and the Goblin, The Wizard of Oz, and Mary Poppins. She started writing stories at age 10. She sold her first story when she was 13. At 15, her father took a photo of her at Siesta Key, Florida. This photo appeared on the cover of Collier's magazine in 1949.

She finished high school at Sarasota High School in 1952. She then went to Duke University. However, she left in 1953 to start a family. She married Joseph Cardozo, a fellow student.

Lois Duncan's Writing Journey

Starting Her Career as a Writer

Duncan in Sarasota, Florida, 1947.

After leaving college, Lois Duncan kept writing. She published over 300 articles in popular magazines. These included Ladies' Home Journal and Reader's Digest. Her first novel, Love Song for Joyce, came out in 1958. She used the name Lois Kerry for it. Her next book, Debutante Hill (1959), was almost rejected for an award. This was because a teen character drank a beer in the story.

In 1962, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. She had divorced her first husband, Joseph Cardozo. She supported her children by writing greeting cards and stories for magazines. In 1966, she published Ransom. This novel was about students held captive on a school bus. It was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award. This book showed her shift from romance to suspense.

In the early 1970s, Duncan taught journalism at the University of New Mexico. She was hired because of her magazine writing experience. She didn't even have a college degree yet! While teaching, she took classes herself. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1977.

In 1970, she published Peggy, a historical novel. In 1971, her children's book Hotel for Dogs came out. It was later made into a movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts.

Exploring Suspense and Horror Novels

Lois Duncan was interested in the supernatural and speculative fiction. This led her to write many suspense and horror novels for teenagers. Some of her books became movies. The most famous is the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. It was based on her 1973 novel. Duncan wasn't happy with the movie. This was because of a personal tragedy involving her daughter.

After I Know What You Did Last Summer, she wrote Down a Dark Hall (1974). This was a Gothic novel. It followed four students at a mysterious boarding school. In 1976, she published Summer of Fear. This supernatural horror novel also became a film in 1978. The famous director Wes Craven directed it.

In 1978, Duncan published Killing Mr. Griffin. This book was quite talked about. It was about three high school students who cause their English teacher's death. Critics praised Duncan's honest writing style. Killing Mr. Griffin was a big success. It was chosen as an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults.

In the 1980s, Duncan wrote more horror novels. They often had supernatural themes. These included Stranger with My Face (1981), about a girl's astral projection experiences. The Third Eye (1984) also had psychic themes. In 1985, she wrote another suspense novel, Locked in Time.

Later Works and New Directions

In 1988 and 1989, Duncan published the thrillers The Twisted Window and Don't Look Behind You. From 1987 to 1989, she also wrote several picture books for young children. Some came with audio CDs of songs.

After a difficult personal event involving her youngest daughter, Kaitlyn, in 1989, she wrote only one more horror novel. It was a supernatural thriller called Gallows Hill (1997). This event changed her writing path. She spent the rest of her career writing lighter stories. These were mainly children's chapter and picture books. In 1992, she published Who Killed My Daughter?. This non-fiction book shared her daughter's unsolved case.

In the 2000s, Duncan wrote two sequels to Hotel for Dogs. They were News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010). She also published her second poetry collection, Seasons of the Heart, in 2007. Her last book, One to the Wolves, was published in 2013. It was a non-fiction follow-up to Who Killed My Daughter?.

Starting in 2010, ten of Duncan's popular teen novels were updated. They were re-released with modern covers. Duncan changed details like clothing and dialogue. She also added new technologies like cell phones for the characters.

Lois Duncan's Personal Life

Lois Duncan had three children with her first husband, Joseph Cardozo. They were daughters Robin and Kerry, and son Brett. Her first marriage ended in 1962. In 1965, she married Donald Arquette, an electrical engineer. They had two children: son Donald, Jr., and daughter Kaitlyn. Her three oldest children later took her second husband's last name.

In 1989, Lois Duncan's youngest daughter, Kaitlyn Arquette, died in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Duncan's book Who Killed My Daughter? shares facts and ideas about the case. It seemed like a random act of violence. Duncan hoped to write a sequel to her book. She wanted to give her family's story a happy ending. This would only be possible if Kaitlyn's case was solved. Duncan also started a research center to help investigate unsolved cases. This later became a non-profit group. After her daughter's death, Duncan stopped writing about young women in danger. She began writing children's picture books instead.

On August 23, 2021, the Albuquerque Police Department announced a suspect had confessed to Kaitlyn's murder. The suspect, Paul Apodaca, was arrested in July on other charges. He also confessed to two other murders from around the same time. On February 21, 2022, Apodaca was formally charged with Kaitlyn's murder.

Remembering Lois Duncan

On June 15, 2016, Lois Duncan passed away at her home in Bradenton, Florida. She was 82 years old. Her husband, Donald Arquette Sr., said she had suffered several strokes in the years before.

Many critics and journalists say Duncan was a key figure in young adult fiction. Especially in teen suspense and horror. She was often called the "queen of teen thrillers." Emily Langer of The Washington Post noted that Duncan often took normal characters and put them in exciting, sometimes dark, situations. This was different from other authors of her time.

The ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award honors writers who make a big, lasting impact on young adult literature. Duncan won this award in 1992. The Young Adult Librarians named six of her books for the award. These included her autobiography Chapters and five novels: Ransom, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Summer of Fear, Killing Mr. Griffin, and The Twisted Window. The award noted that Duncan's characters learn an important lesson: "your actions are important and you are responsible for them."

In 2014, Duncan received the Grand Master award from the Mystery Writers of America. She shared the award with James Ellroy in New York City.

Lois Duncan's Books

Anthologies She Edited

• Night Terrors (1996)
• Trapped! (1998)
• On the Edge (2000)

Audiobooks She Wrote

• Dream Songs from Yesterday (1987)
• Songs from Dreamland (1988)
• Our Beautiful Day (1988)
• The Story of Christmas (1989)
• Psychics in Action (1993)

Novels She Wrote

• Love Song for Joyce (1958) †
• Debutante Hill (1958)
• A Promise for Joyce (1959) †
• The Middle Sister (1960)
• Game of Danger (1962)
• Season of the Two-Heart (1965)
• Point of Violence (1966)
• Ransom (1966) ‡
• They Never Came Home (1968)
• Major Andre, Brave Enemy (1968)
• Peggy (1970)
• Hotel for Dogs (1971) ‡
• A Gift of Magic (1971)
• I Know What You Did Last Summer (1973) ‡
• When the Bough Breaks (1973)
• Down a Dark Hall (1974) ‡
• Summer of Fear (1976) ‡
• Killing Mr. Griffin (1978) ‡
• Daughters of Eve (1979)
• Stranger with My Face (1981) ‡
• The Third Eye (1984)
• Locked in Time (1985)
• The Twisted Window (1987)
• Don't Look Behind You (1989)
• Gallows Hill (1997) ‡
• News for Dogs (2009)
• Movie for Dogs (2010)

† As Lois Kerry ‡ Works that have been adapted into films

Non-Fiction Books

• How to Write and Sell Your Personal Experiences (1979)
• Chapters: My Growth as a Writer (1982)
• Who Killed My Daughter? (1992)
• Psychic Connections (1995)
• One to the Wolves (2013) (sequel to Who Killed My Daughter)

Picture and Chapter Books

• The Littlest One in the Family (1959)
• Silly Mother (1962)
• Giving Away Suzanne (1962)
• The Terrible Tales of Happy Days School (1983)
• Horses of Dreamland (1985)
• Wonder Kid Meets the Evil Lunch Snatcher (1988)
• The Birthday Moon (1989)
• The Circus Comes Home (1993)
• The Magic of Spider Woman (1996)
• The Longest Hair in the World (1999)
• I Walk at Night (2000)
• Song of the Circus (2002)

Poetry Collections

• From Spring to Spring (1983)
• Seasons of the Heart (2007)

Movies Based on Lois Duncan's Books

Theatrical Films

TV Movies and Series

See also

In Spanish: Lois Duncan para niños