Monica Hughes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Monica Hughes
Born	(1925-11-03)November 3, 1925 Liverpool, England
Died	March 7, 2003(2003-03-07) (aged 77) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Occupation	Writer
Period	1974–2002
Genre	Children's science fiction, adventure, and historical fiction
Notable works	The Keeper of the Isis Light and its sequels
Spouse	Glen Hughes
Children	Elizabeth, Adrienne, Russell, Thomas

Monica Hughes (born November 3, 1925 – died March 7, 2003) was a famous English-Canadian writer. She wrote many books for kids and teenagers. She was especially known for her exciting science fiction stories. Monica Hughes also wrote adventure and historical novels, which are stories set in the past. Some of her most famous books are the Isis trilogy, a series of science fiction novels for young adults.

About Monica Hughes

Monica Hughes lived in many different countries during her life. These included Egypt, Scotland, England, and Zimbabwe. Her parents, Phylis Fry and E.L. Ince, both worked at the University of Liverpool. Her father was a mathematician, and her mother was a biologist.

When she was in school, her teachers always encouraged her to write. They told her to join essay writing contests. Monica Hughes went to Edinburgh University from 1942 to 1943.

Her studies were stopped because of World War II. She joined the Military service, working for the Women's Royal Naval Service. From 1943 to 1946, she helped break secret German codes. After the war, Hughes went back to school to study Meteorology, which is the study of weather.

She married Glen Hughes on April 22, 1957. They had four children together.

Before she became a writer, Monica Hughes had many different jobs. She worked as a dress designer in London, England, and Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, from 1948 to 1949. She was also a bank clerk in 1951. Later, she worked as a laboratory technician from 1952 to 1957.

Monica Hughes wrote over 35 books for young people. Many people think she is one of Canada's best writers for kids and teens. A critic named Sarah Ellis called her "Canada's finest writer of science fiction for children." This was written in The Horn Book Magazine.

When she wasn't writing or studying, Hughes enjoyed swimming, walking, and gardening. She also liked beachcombing, which is looking for interesting things on the beach.

Her Books

Monica Hughes wrote about 40 books in total. Even though she spent a lot of her life writing, her first book was published when she was almost 50 years old. This book was called Gold-Fever Trail: A Klondike Adventure. It was a Canadian historical novel about the Klondike Gold Rush.

One of her most famous series is the Isis trilogy. This series includes The Keeper of the Isis Light, The Guardian of Isis, and The Isis Pedlar. These books were published between 1980 and 1982.

Another very popular book by Monica Hughes is Invitation to the Game, published in 1990. This book is a dystopian novel. A dystopian story is about a future world where things have gone wrong and life is often unfair or difficult. This book is set on Earth in the year 2154.

Her last book was The Maze, published in 2002. This story is about a girl and two bullies who are magically put into a maze. They all depend on the girl to help them escape.

Awards and Recognition

Monica Hughes won several awards for her books.

The Keeper of the Isis Light won the Phoenix Award in 2000. This award is given to the best English-language children's book that didn't win a major award when it was first published 20 years earlier. The award is named after the mythical bird phoenix, which rises from its ashes. This suggests the book became famous again after being less known.

Invitation to the Game (1990) won the Hal Clement Award. This award is given to the best science fiction novel for young adults each year.

Hughes also won other important awards. These include the Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, the Alberta Culture Juvenile Novel Award, the Bay's Beaver Award, and the Alberta R. Ross Annett Award.

List of Works