Louise Fitzhugh facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Louise Fitzhugh
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Fitzhugh, date unknown
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| Born | October 5, 1928 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | November 19, 1974 (aged 46) New Milford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation | Writer, illustrator |
| Period | 1959–1974 |
| Genre | Children's and young adult fiction |
| Notable works | Harriet the Spy |
Louise Fitzhugh (born October 5, 1928 – died November 19, 1974) was an American writer and artist. She is most famous for writing and illustrating books for children. Her best-known book is Harriet the Spy. She also wrote two more books about Harriet, called The Long Secret and Sport. Another one of her novels was Nobody's Family is Going to Change.
Contents
About Louise Fitzhugh
Her Early Life
Louise Fitzhugh was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1928. Her parents were very wealthy. They divorced when she was a baby. Louise lived with her father, Millsaps Fitzhugh, in the southern United States.
She went to Miss Hutchison's School and three different universities. She also lived in Washington, D.C., and traveled to France and Italy.
Louise studied at Bard College, where she became interested in politics and fighting against racism. She studied art in Italy and France. Later, she continued her art studies in New York City. She spent most of her adult life living in New York City. She also had homes in Long Island and Bridgewater, Connecticut.
Her Writing Career
Louise Fitzhugh started her career as an illustrator. In 1961, she illustrated a children's book called Suzuki Beane. This book was a funny take on another popular book, Eloise. While Eloise lived in a fancy hotel, Suzuki Beane was the daughter of "beatnik" parents. She slept on a mattress in a small apartment in Greenwich Village. Louise Fitzhugh worked closely with the author, Sandra Scoppettone, to create Suzuki Beane. The book used unique typewriter fonts and drawings. It became a popular book and is still sought after today.
Fitzhugh's most famous book, Harriet the Spy, came out in 1964. Some people found it a bit controversial at first. This was because many characters were not always perfect or admirable. However, the book quickly became a classic. According to her obituary in The New York Times in 1974, Harriet the Spy helped bring a new sense of realism to children's books. Many other books have copied its style since then.
Harriet is a girl from a rich family in New York City. Her parents often leave her with her nanny, Ole Golly. Harriet loves to write. She writes down everything she observes about people in her notebook. One day, her notebook falls into the wrong hands. Ole Golly gives Harriet important advice: "Sometimes you have to lie. But to yourself you must always tell the truth." Harriet the Spy was very well-received. It won the New York Times Outstanding Book Award in 1964. It has sold over 4 million copies. The book was especially popular with young girls who felt different or didn't see themselves in other stories.
Two characters from Harriet the Spy, Beth Ellen and Sport, appeared in Fitzhugh's later books. These books were The Long Secret and Sport. The Long Secret talks honestly about girls growing up and how their bodies change.
Louise Fitzhugh illustrated many of her own books. Her artwork was shown in galleries, including the Banfer Gallery in New York in 1963.
Her Passing
Louise Fitzhugh passed away in 1974. She died from a brain aneurysm. Her obituary was published in The New York Times.
Her Published Works
Here are the books Louise Fitzhugh published during her lifetime:
- Suzuki Beane, written by Sandra Scoppettone, illustrated by Fitzhugh (Doubleday, 1961),
- Harriet the Spy (Harper & Row, 1964)
- The Long Secret (Harper & Row, 1965) – a follow-up to Harriet the Spy
- Bang, Bang, You're Dead, a play by Fitzhugh and Scoppettone, illustrated by Fitzhugh (Harper & Row, 1969),
- Nobody's Family Is Going to Change (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1974),
These books were published after she passed away:
- I Am Five, written and illustrated by Fitzhugh (Delacorte Press, 1978),
- Sport (Delacorte, 1979) – another follow-up to Harriet,
- I Am Four, illustrated by Susan Bonners (Delacorte, 1982),
- I Am Three, illustrated by Susanna Natti (Delacorte, 1982),
Awards and Recognition
- New York Times Outstanding Books of the Year citation, 1964
- Oklahoma Sequoyah Book Award, 1967 (for Harriet the Spy)
- Awards received after her death
- Children's Book Bulletin, 1976 (for Nobody's Family is Going to Change)
- Children's Workshop Other Award, 1976 (for Nobody's Family is Going to Change)
- Emmy Award for children's entertainment special (for The Tap Dance Kid, which was based on Nobody's Family is Going to Change).
