Sonia Levitin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sonia Levitin
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| Born | August 18, 1934 Berlin, Nazi Germany |
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| Nationality | German-American |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley University of Pennsylvania |
| Spouse | Lloyd Levitin |
Sonia Wolff Levitin, born on August 18, 1934, is a German-American writer, artist, and producer. She is known for writing more than forty books for young people, including novels and picture books. Sonia has also written plays and essays for adults.
Her book Incident at Loring Groves (1988) won a special award called the Edgar Allan Poe Award.
Contents
Sonia's Early Life Story
Sonia Levitin was born in Berlin, Nazi Germany, on August 18, 1934. Her family was Jewish, and they had to escape danger during a very difficult time in history. Sonia, her mother, and her two sisters traveled to Switzerland to find safety.
Her father, who was a talented clothing designer, went to New York City and then to Los Angeles. He later brought Sonia and her sisters to live with him there. Sonia later wrote books about what it was like to be an immigrant in the United States. These books include The Journey to America and Silver Days. They tell the story of a German Jewish family escaping the terrible events of the Holocaust.
Sonia always loved to read. In 1952, she went to the University of California, Berkeley. There, she met her future husband, Lloyd Levitin. They got married after one year. Sonia then earned a degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania.
Sonia's Career as a Writer
Sonia Levitin started her career writing columns for newspapers. But her first novel, Journey to America, quickly became very popular. This helped her become a full-time professional writer.
Sonia wrote many novels for young adults. Often, her characters were a bit like herself. A common theme in her books is brave main characters facing tough problems. They learn to "take charge" and overcome these challenges. Her books often describe important historical events, especially those related to Jewish people.
Sonia's Art: A Hidden Talent
Sonia Levitin is also a very skilled painter. Her artwork was shown to the public for the first time in June 2015. This first art show happened at Christofle in Beverly Hills, California. Many important people from Los Angeles attended the event.
The show featured ten of Sonia's expressionist paintings. These artworks had never been seen by the public before.
Books Written by Sonia Levitin
- Adam's War
- All the Cats in the World
- Annie's Promise
- Beyond Another Door
- Boom Town
- Clem's Chances
- The Cure
- Dream Freedom
- Escape from Egypt
- Evil Encounter
- The Fisherman and the Bird (with Francis Livingston)
- The Golem and the Dragon Girl
- The Goodness Gene
- Incident at Loring Groves
- Jason and the Money Tree
- Journey to America
- The Man Who Kept His Heart in a Bucket
- The Mark of Conte
- Nine for California
- Nobody Stole the Pie
- The No-Return Trail
- A Piece of Home
- Reigning Cats and Dogs
- The Return
- Rita, the Weekend Rat
- Roanoke: A Novel of the Lost Colony
- Room in the Heart
- A Season for Unicorns
- Silver Days
- The Singing Mountain
- A Single Speckled Egg
- Smile Like a Plastic Daisy
- A Sound to Remember
- Strange Relations
- Taking Charge
- Who Owns the Moon?
- The Year of Sweet Senior Insanity
- Yesterday's Child
Awards Sonia Levitin Has Won
Sonia Levitin has received many awards for her writing, including:
- Edgar Allan Poe Award
- 1971: National Jewish Book Award for Journey to America
- 1988: National Jewish Book Award for The Return
- Association of Jewish Libraries Sydney Taylor Award
- Jewish Book Council Best Juvenile Fiction
- American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults
- Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People, Distinguished Body of Work Award
- German Bishops’ Conference, Children’s Book Prize
- PEN Los Angeles Award for Young Adult fiction
