Lois Lowry Books In Order

Publication Order of Anastasia Krupnik Books

Publication Order of J.P. TateBooks

Publication Order of Sam Krupnik Books

Publication Order of The Giver Books

Publication Order of Giver Graphic Novels

Publication Order of Gooney Bird Greene Books

Publication Order of Dear America Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of The Willoughbys Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Lois Lowry is an American writer who is credited for an autobiography and more than thirty children’s story books. She has so far won two Newbery medals; one for the ‘Number of Stars’ in 1989 and another one titled The Giver in 1993. In her appreciation as a great contributor and children writer, Lois Lowry became a finalist in 2000 and in 2004 when she was a U.S nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award that is being conducted biennially. This is the highest available recognition for the writers of children’s books in the United States of America. Lois Lowry later in 2007 received an award from the American Library Association (Margaret Edward Award), as the best contributor in writing for children.

As a very famous children author, Lois Lowry is popular for writing about various difficult matters that touches on children. In her writings, she has dug dip into complex issues such as terminal illness, racism, the Holocaust and murder among other topics that are very challenging to the teens. She is also famous for writing on controversial issues, even questioning the authority as exemplified in her book entitled The Giver quartet. Her exploration on such matters has brought her both criticism and praise in equal measure. In particular, her book; The Giver, has been reacted upon differently from various schools in America, with some incorporating it as a mandatory reference book in their curriculum, while others discouraging the use of the book in their schools to the extent of prohibiting students from reading it.

The Life and Career of Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry was born to parents Robert E. Hammersberg and Katherine Gordon on March 20th 1937. Her mother had an English, Scottish-Irish and German ancestry while her father had a Norwegian descent. Initially, Lois Lowry’s parents named her ‘Cena’ after her Norwegian grandmother. However, upon her grandmother hearing that, she quickly telegraphed them and told them to give the child an American name. Lois’ parents chose the name Ann and Lois, which were the names of sisters to her father.

Lowry was the second born in a family of three children. She had a younger brother called Jon and an elder sister called Helen. Helen, who was three years older than her, unfortunately died of cancer in 1962 while at the age of 28 years. This is the experience that inspired Lois Lowry to write her first book; A Summer to Die; which is all about a young lady who tragically lost her elder sister, and a subplot of the book Number the Stars. Lowry’s brother who was since years younger than her grew up to become a medical doctor and up to now they continue to enjoy a very close relationship between them.

Lowry’s father was a career military dentist, whose work moved his family not only in the whole of the United States of America but also in all parts of the world. In 1939, Lowry together with her family relocated from Hawaii to Brooklyn, New York and later moved to Carlisle, Pennsylvania which was her mother’s hometown in 1942, when her father was transferred to the pacific during the 2nd world war. Lowry’s father served in the island of Tinian and on a USS Hope hospital ship.

Lois Lowry together with her family moved to Tokyo Japan, following the events of World War II, where her father was stationed as from 1948 to 1950. Lois Lowry went through junior high school at Meguro’s Tokyo American School which was a special school for the military families’ children and then later returned to United States of America where she completed her high school education level. In 1950, Lois Lowry and her family lived shortly in Carlisle again before moving to fort jay’s Governors Island in New York. This is where Lois Lowry attended Staten Island’s Curtis High School. In 1952, Lois Lowry entered Brooklyn Heights’ Collegiate Institute, in New York where she completed her high school education. Lois Lowry joined Brown University as from 1954 where she attended for two years before she got married to a U.S Navy officer by the name Donald Grey Lowry at the age of 19 years in 1956. Their marriage bowed them four children namely: Grey and Benjamin who were sons and Kristin and Alix who were girls.

Donald’s military career in their early years of marriage made the family to move more frequently. The family lived in Florida where Grey was born, lived in California where Alix was born and finally settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Benjamin and Kristin were born. The family now gained some stability in Cambridge when Donald resigned from military and joined Harvard Law School. After Lois Lowry’s husband finished law school, the family relocated to Maine’s Portland.

The support from her husband and the growth of her children enabled Lois Lowry to complete her degree program in English literature at the University of Southern Maine in 1972.She also pursued graduate studies at Alma Mater after graduating with a B.A in English literature. It is at this juncture that Lois Lowry was introduced to photography that turned out to be her lifelong profession and passion. She highly specialized in child photography and at many instances took pictures that she attached on her articles when she worked as a freelance journalist. Lois Lowry’s first book opportunity was generated out of her freelance work for the Redbook magazine. A Houghton editor advised her to write a children’s book upon recognizing her talent.

Lois Lowry agreed to Houghton’s opinion and quickly wrote a book entitled A Summer to Die that was published in 1977 by Houghton Mifflin when Lois Lowry had turned forty years old. Donald and Lois Lowry divorced in that same year after they discovered that they were no longer compatible as Lois nurtured her writing career. Lois Lowry has mentioned this part of her life and children in almost all of her books.

Writing about serious and funny things has sustained Lois Lowry in all of her hard times. Her son Grey died in a fighter plane in 1995 and made her acknowledge that these was the most trying moments of her life as an author. However, her son Benjamin and his wife gave birth to a baby and named him Grey in honor of their brother along with the young Rhys.

Conclusion

Today, Lois Lowry is still very active and continues to speak in some special appearances in television shows and also in writing. She also spends some time to enjoy her time at her home in Maine and Massachusetts.

One Response to “Lois Lowry”

1. 2cairnterriers: 5 years ago

   um, it’s called “number the stars”!!!! NOT “number OF stars”!

   Reply