Mem Fox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mem Fox
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Fox speaking to audience in 2014
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| Born | Merrion Frances Partridge 5 March 1946 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Pen name | "Mem" Fox |
| Occupation | Author |
| Education | Rose Bruford College Flinders University |
| Genre | Children's literature |
| Notable works | Possum Magic |
| Notable awards | Nan Chauncy Award, 2017 |
Merrion Frances "Mem" Fox, also known as Mem Fox, is a famous Australian author. She writes many popular books for children. She is also an expert in literacy, which means helping people learn to read and write.
Mem Fox was born on March 5, 1946. Even though she has been mostly retired since 1996, she still writes new books. She also gives talks and workshops. Today, she lives in Adelaide, South Australia.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Africa
Mem Fox was born Merrion Frances Partridge in Melbourne, Australia. This was on March 5, 1946. When she was just a baby, her parents moved to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). They worked there as teaching missionaries.
Mem and her two sisters grew up and went to school in Africa. She was the only white child at her mission school. Later, she had to go to an all-white school. There, she was teased for her African accent.
Studying Drama and Moving to Australia
After finishing high school, Mem Fox volunteered in Switzerland. She worked at a conference center for the World Council of Churches. She really wanted to become an actress. Her father agreed to send her to drama school in England.
She attended Rose Bruford College in London starting in 1965. This school also required her to get a teaching degree. During her three years there, she realized she didn't want to act. But she still wanted to be well-known. She also met Malcolm Fox, who was a fellow student. They got married in 1969. After that, they lived in Rwanda and England before settling in Adelaide, South Australia.
Later, Mem Fox took a course about children's books. This was at Flinders University.
Mem Fox's Career
Starting as a Teacher
When Mem Fox moved to Adelaide, she tried to get a job in radio. She only got small parts in radio plays. Because she wasn't earning enough money, she started teaching. By 1973, she was teaching drama full-time. This was at Sturt's Teachers University, which is now part of Charles Sturt University.
The Story of Possum Magic
Mem Fox's daughter, Chloe, loved reading. Because of this, Mem decided to take a course in children's literature. One of her assignments was to write a children's book. She wrote a story called Hush the Invisible Mouse.
Her professor thought the story was good enough to be published. A student named Julie Vivas illustrated it. The book was turned down nine times over five years. Finally, a publisher called Omnibus Books accepted it. But they asked Mem to rewrite it. They wanted it to sound more like a song. They also asked her to make it much shorter and change the mice to possums.
In 1983, the book was published as Possum Magic. It tells the story of Hush, a possum who is made invisible by her Grandma Poss. This is to keep her safe. To become visible again, Hush and Grandma Poss travel Australia. They eat special Australian foods. Possum Magic is now a classic Australian children's book. It is also Australia's bestselling children's book.
Other Popular Books
In 1984, Mem Fox's second book was published. It was called Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. This book is about a boy who helps his elderly neighbor. She has lost her memory. He helps her remember things by giving her special gifts. The title of the book was named after Mem Fox's own father.
Another one of her books is Guess What?. This book was on a list of the 100 most-challenged books in the U.S. between 1990 and 2000. A "challenged book" means that groups or people try to stop it from being available to the public. The book has been removed from libraries in Duval County, Florida.
Teaching About Literacy
In 1981, while still teaching drama, Mem Fox decided to study literacy. She said that literacy became a huge part of her life. She felt it was her passion and her mission. She has written many books about literacy. These books are for children, parents, and teachers.
She worked as a professor at Flinders University. She taught about literacy studies. She retired from teaching in 1996. Since then, Mem Fox has traveled all over the world. She gives presentations and talks about children's books and how important literacy is.
Awards and Recognition
Mem Fox has received many awards for her work. Here are some of them:
- Won – New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Ethel Turner Prize for young people's literature for Possum Magic (1984)
- Won – Dromkeen Medal (1990)
- Won – Member of the Order of Australia for "services to children's literature" (1993)
- Won – COOL Award for Possum Magic (1994)
- Won – Centenary Medal (2001)
- She also received honorary doctorates from Wollongong and Flinders Universities in Australia. These were given in 1996 and 2004.
Mem Fox's Works
Children's Books
- Possum Magic (1983), illustrated by Julie Vivas
- Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (1984), illustrated by Julie Vivas
- A Cat called Kite (1985), illustrated by K. Hawley
- Zoo-Looking (1986), illustrated by Rodney McRae
- Arabella, the Smallest Girl in the World (1986), illustrated by Vicky Kitanov
- Hattie and the Fox (1986), illustrated by Patricia Mullins
- Just Like That (1986) with Kilmeny Niland
- Sail Away: The Ballad of Skip and Nell (1986), illustrated by Pamela Lofts
- The Straight Line Wonder (1987), illustrated by Meredith Thomas
- A Bedtime Story (1987), illustrated by Sisca Verwoert
- Goodnight Sleep Tight (1988), illustrated by Helen Semmler
- Guess What? (1988) with Vivienne Goodman
- Koala Lou (1988), illustrated by Pamela Lofts
- With Love at Christmas (1988), illustrated by Fay Plamka
- Night Noises (1989), illustrated by Terry Denton
- Feathers and Fools (1989), illustrated by Lorraine Ellis
- Shoes from Grandpa (1989), illustrated by Patricia Mullins
- Sophie (1989), illustrated by Craig Smith
- Time for Bed (1993), illustrated by Jane Dyer
- Tough Boris (1994), illustrated by Kathryn Brown
- Wombat Divine (1995), illustrated by Kerry Argent
- A Bedtime Story (1996), illustrated by Elivia Savadier
- Boo to a Goose (1996), illustrated by David Miller
- Whoever You Are (1997), illustrated by Leslie Staub
- Sleepy Bears (1999), illustrated by Kerry Argent
- Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild! (2000), illustrated by Marla Frazee
- The Magic Hat (2002), illustrated by Tricia Tusa
- Where is the Green Sheep? (2004), illustrated by Judy Horacek
- Hunwick's Egg (2005), illustrated by Pamela Lofts
- A Particular Cow (2006), illustrated by Terry Denton
- Where the Giant Sleeps (2007), pictures by Vladimir Radunsky
- Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes (2008), illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
- The Goblin and the Empty Chair (2009), illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon
- Hello, Baby! (2009), illustrated by Steve Jenkins
- A Giraffe in the Bath (March 2010) with Olivia Rawson, illustrated by Kerry Argent
- Let's Count Goats! (October 2010), illustrated by Jan Thomas
- The Little Dragon (April 2011), illustrated by Roland Harvey
- Two Little Monkeys (May 2012), illustrated by Jill Barton
- Tell Me About Your Day Today (2012), illustrated by Lauren Stringer
- Good Night, Sleep Tight (2012), illustrated by Judy Horacek
- Yoo-hoo, Ladybird! (2013), illustrated by Laura Ljungkvist
- Baby Bedtime (2013), illustrated by Emma Quay
- Nellie Belle (2015), illustrated by Mike Austin
- This & That (2015), illustrated by Judy Horacek
- Ducks Away! (2016), illustrated by Judy Horacek
- I'm Australian Too (2017), illustrated by Ronojoy Ghosh
- Bonnie and Ben Rhyme Again (October 2018), illustrated by Judy Horacek
- The Tiny Star (2019), illustrated by Freya Blackwood
- Early One Morning (2021), illustrated by Christine Davenier
- Cat Dog (2021), illustrated by Mark Teague
- Meerkat Mayhem (2024), illustrated by Judy Horacek
Non-fiction Books
- Thereby Hangs a Tale (1980)
- How to Teach Drama to Infants Without Really Crying (1984)
- Mem's the Word (1990)
- English Essentials: The Wouldn't-Be-Without-It Guide To Writing Well (1993 and 2009) with Lyn Wilkinson
- Memories: An Autobiography (1992)
- Radical Reflections: Passionate Opinions on Teaching, Learning, and Living (1993)
- Reading Magic: How Your Child Can Learn to Read Before School - and Other Read-aloud Miracles (2001)
See also
In Spanish: Mem Fox para niños
