Mary Norton (author) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Norton
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Mary Norton
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| Born | Kathleen Mary Pearson 10 December 1903 London, England, UK |
| Died | 29 August 1992 (aged 88) Bideford, Devon, England, UK |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | British |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novels |
| Notable works |
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| Notable awards | Carnegie Medal 1952 |
Kathleen Mary Norton (born Pearson, 10 December 1903 – 29 August 1992), known as Mary Norton, was a famous English author. She wrote many popular children's books. She is most famous for her The Borrowers series of fantasy novels. These books are about tiny people who live secretly among humans.
Mary Norton won the 1952 Carnegie Medal for The Borrowers. This award is given to the best children's book by a British author. Her books The Magic Bed Knob and Bonfires and Broomsticks were made into the 1971 Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
About Mary Norton
Kathleen Mary Pearson was born in London, England. Her father was a doctor. She grew up in a large house in Leighton Buzzard. This house is now part of Leighton Middle School. Many people believe this house was the inspiration for the tiny world of The Borrowers.
Mary Norton married Robert Charles Norton in 1927. They had four children together. Later, she married Lionel Bonsey in 1970.
She started working for the government in 1940. During World War II, her family moved to the United States. She began writing her first books while living in New York City.
Her first book was The Magic Bed Knob; or, How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons. It was published in 1945. Its sequel, Bonfires and Broomsticks, came out two years later. These two stories were later combined into one book. They also became the basis for the well-known 1971 Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks.
In her later years, Mary Norton lived in Hartland, England. She passed away in Bideford, Devon, on 29 August 1992.
Her Books
Mary Norton wrote several beloved books for children. Her stories often involve magic and tiny characters.
Her first two books were:
- The Magic Bed Knob (1945)
- Bonfires and Broomsticks (1947)
These two books were later published together as Bed-Knob and Broomstick in 1957. The Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks was based on these stories.
Mary Norton is most famous for her Borrowers series. These books tell the adventures of tiny people who "borrow" things from humans.
- The Borrowers (1952) – This book won the Carnegie Medal.
- The Borrowers Afield (1955)
- The Borrowers Afloat (1959)
- The Borrowers Aloft (1961)
- Poor Stainless: A New Story About the Borrowers (1966)
- The Borrowers Avenged (1982)
She also wrote another book not related to the Borrowers:
- Are All the Giants Dead? (1975)
Movies and TV Shows
“Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there. I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumnal rain.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.”
(Extract from a poem by Mary Elizabeth Frye.)
Many of Mary Norton's books have been made into movies and TV shows.
Her books The Magic Bed Knob and Bonfires and Broomsticks were made into the 1971 Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. This movie starred Angela Lansbury.
The Borrowers series has also been adapted several times:
- The Borrowers: A TV movie from America in 1973.
- The Borrowers: A BBC TV series from 1992. It had a sequel in 1993 called The Return of the Borrowers.
- The Borrowers: A movie from 1997 with actors like John Goodman.
- The Secret World of Arrietty: A Japanese animated film from 2010 by Studio Ghibli.
- The Borrowers: A British film from 2011 starring Stephen Fry.
There have also been many plays based on The Borrowers stories.Template:KIDDLE XL START
See also
In Spanish: Mary Norton para niños Template:KIDDLE XL END
