Natalie Babbitt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Natalie Babbitt
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| Born |
Natalie Zane Moore
July 28, 1932 Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | October 31, 2016 (aged 84) Hamden, Connecticut, U.S.
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| Resting place | Grove Street Cemetery New Haven, Connecticut |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | BA (Arts) |
| Alma mater | Smith College |
| Occupation | Writer, illustrator |
| Years active | 1966–2012 |
| Spouse(s) | Samuel Fisher Babbitt |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards |
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Natalie Zane Babbitt (born Natalie Moore; July 28, 1932 – October 31, 2016) was an American author and artist who created wonderful books for children. Her most famous book, Tuck Everlasting, was published in 1975. This popular story has been made into two movies and even a Broadway musical! Natalie Babbitt received special honors like the Newbery Honor and the Christopher Award for her amazing work. In 1982, she was chosen as the U.S. nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award.
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About Natalie Babbitt
Natalie Moore was born in Dayton, Ohio, on July 28, 1932. She went to school at Laurel School in Cleveland. Later, she studied at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She married Samuel Fisher Babbitt. They had three children together, who were born between 1956 and 1960.
How She Started Writing
Natalie Babbitt first worked with her husband, Samuel. They created a picture book called The Forty-ninth Magician in 1966. Samuel wrote the story, and Natalie drew the pictures. Soon, Samuel became very busy. But an editor named Michael di Capua encouraged Natalie to keep making children's books on her own.
Natalie then wrote and illustrated two short books that were written in verse. After that, she started writing longer stories for children. Her fourth novel, Knee-Knock Rise, was very successful. It won a Newbery Honor in 1971. This award is a big deal in children's literature!
Her Most Famous Book
Tuck Everlasting, published in 1975, became one of her most loved books. Teachers and students still enjoy it today. In 2012, a survey by School Library Journal ranked it as the 16th best "Top 100 Chapter Books" of all time.
Tuck Everlasting has been adapted into movies twice. The first movie came out in 1981, and another in 2002. Her book The Eyes of the Amaryllis was also made into a movie in 1982. In 2015, Tuck Everlasting even became a Broadway musical! It first opened in Atlanta and then played on Broadway in 2016.
Besides her own books, Natalie Babbitt also drew pictures for many books by another author, Valerie Worth. Natalie Babbitt passed away on October 31, 2016, at her home in Hamden, Connecticut.
What Critics Said About Her Books
Many people thought Natalie Babbitt was a very talented writer. In 1977, The New York Times newspaper called her "Indisputably one of our most gifted and ambitious writers for children." This means they thought she was one of the best and most determined authors for young readers.
In 1982, another reviewer from the Times, George Woods, enjoyed her book Herbert Rowbarge. He said that Mrs. Babbitt created a believable world with real characters. He also mentioned how enjoyable it was to read her stories.
In 2002, Melanie Rehak, also writing for the Times, described Tuck Everlasting as a "slim, ruminative" novel. She said that children and parents have loved it since it first came out. They loved how it honestly and smartly dealt with big topics like growing older and death.
In 2012, Natalie Babbitt received a special award. It was the first E.B. White Award for her achievements in children's literature. This award came from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Books by Natalie Babbitt
Picture books (‡) were written and illustrated by Natalie Babbitt unless noted.
As a Writer
- 1967 Dick Foote and the Shark ‡
- 1968 Phoebe's Revolt ‡
- 1969 The Search for Delicious, self-illustrated
- 1970 Knee-Knock Rise, self-illustrated
- 1970 The Something ‡
- 1971 Goody Hall, self-illustrated
- 1974 The Devil's Storybook, self-illustrated
- 1975 Tuck Everlasting
- 1977 The Eyes of the Amaryllis
- 1982 Herbert Rowbarge
- 1987 The Devil's Other Storybook, self-illustrated
- 1989 Nellie: A Cat on Her Own ‡
- 1990 "Bus for Deadhorse", illustrated by Jon Agee, in The Big Book for Peace
- 1994 ' ‡
- 1998 Ouch!: A Tale from Grimm, illustrated by Fred Marcellino ‡
- 2001 Elsie Times Eight ‡
- 2007 Jack Plank Tells Tales, self-illustrated
- 2011 The Moon Over High Street
- 2012 The Devil's Storybooks – a collection of The Devil's Storybook and The Devil's Other Storybook
- 2018 Barking with the Big Dogs: On Writing and Reading Books for Children
As an Illustrator
- 1966 Samuel Babbitt, The Forty-ninth Magician ‡
- 1972 Valerie Worth, Small Poems
- 1994 Valerie Worth, All the Small Poems and Fourteen More
- 2002 Valerie Worth, Peacock and Other Poems
