E. L. Konigsburg
Encyclopedia
Elaine Lobl Konigsburg is an American author and illustrator of children's books
and young adult fiction. She is one of five authors to win two Newbery Medal
s, awarded annually for one contribution to American children's literature.
Her first two manuscripts were submitted to editor Jean E. Karl
at Atheneum Books
, accepted, and published in 1967: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
.
They made her the only person to win a Newbery Honor (honorable mention) and the Newbery Medal in one year.Award dates 1968. The Newbery Honor was initiated for the 1970/71 cycle and Newbery Honors for books published before 1970 were named in retrospect.
Konigsburg won her second Newbery Medal in 1997 for The View from Saturday
, 29 years later, the longest span between two Newberys awarded to one author.
As a child, Konigsburg was an avid reader even though reading was not strongly encouraged by her family.
She graduated from high school in Farrell, Pennsylvania
as valedictorian, and worked briefly as a bookkeeper in a wholesale meat plant to earn money for college. There she met her future husband, David Konigsburg, the brother of one of the owners.
Konigsburg enrolled in the Carnegie Institute of Technology
in Pittsburgh, and earned a degree in chemistry, becoming the first person in her family to graduate from college.
After graduating, she married David Konigsburg, then a graduate student in psychology. She entered graduate school in chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh
, but after her husband attained his doctorate, they moved to Jacksonville, Florida
, where Konigsburg worked as a science teacher at a school for girls. There she began to think about a new direction for her talents and also became the mother of three children, Paul, Laurie, and Ross. This new direction would begin after the family moved to Port Chester, New York
, and she started art lessons and then began writing. Her first novel Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
was inspired by her daughter's experiences moving to a new home. Along with being a very accomplished chapter book writer, Konigsburg is also the author and illustrator of picture books. Her three published pictures books are Samuel Todd's Book of Great Colors,Samuel Todd's Book of Great Inventions, and Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
and young adult fiction. She is one of five authors to win two Newbery Medal
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
s, awarded annually for one contribution to American children's literature.
Her first two manuscripts were submitted to editor Jean E. Karl
Jean E. Karl
Jean Edna Karl was an American book editor who specialized in children's and science fiction titles. She founded and led the children's division and young adult and science fiction imprints at Atheneum Books, where she oversaw or edited books that won two Caldecott Medals and five Newbery Medals...
at Atheneum Books
Atheneum Books
Atheneum Books was a publishing house and adult publisher created by Alfred A. Knopf, Jr. in 1959. He recruited editor Jean E. Karl personally, to come and establish a Children's Book Department in 1961....
, accepted, and published in 1967: Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, or Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth and Me in some editions, is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It was her first book published, in 1967, the same year as her second book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler...
and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It was published by Atheneum Books in 1967, the second published from two manuscripts the new writer had submitted to editor Jean E...
.
They made her the only person to win a Newbery Honor (honorable mention) and the Newbery Medal in one year.Award dates 1968. The Newbery Honor was initiated for the 1970/71 cycle and Newbery Honors for books published before 1970 were named in retrospect.
Konigsburg won her second Newbery Medal in 1997 for The View from Saturday
The View from Saturday
The View from Saturday is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It won the annual Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1997, the author's second Medal.-Summary:...
, 29 years later, the longest span between two Newberys awarded to one author.
Biography
Born Elaine Lobl in New York, Konigsburg grew up in small towns in Pennsylvania, the second of three daughters.As a child, Konigsburg was an avid reader even though reading was not strongly encouraged by her family.
She graduated from high school in Farrell, Pennsylvania
Farrell, Pennsylvania
Farrell is a city in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 6,050 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
as valedictorian, and worked briefly as a bookkeeper in a wholesale meat plant to earn money for college. There she met her future husband, David Konigsburg, the brother of one of the owners.
Konigsburg enrolled in the Carnegie Institute of Technology
Carnegie Institute of Technology
The Carnegie Institute of Technology , is the name for Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Engineering. It was first called the Carnegie Technical Schools, or Carnegie Tech, when it was founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie who intended to build a “first class technical school” in Pittsburgh,...
in Pittsburgh, and earned a degree in chemistry, becoming the first person in her family to graduate from college.
After graduating, she married David Konigsburg, then a graduate student in psychology. She entered graduate school in chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
, but after her husband attained his doctorate, they moved to Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, where Konigsburg worked as a science teacher at a school for girls. There she began to think about a new direction for her talents and also became the mother of three children, Paul, Laurie, and Ross. This new direction would begin after the family moved to Port Chester, New York
Port Chester, New York
Port Chester is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The village is part of the town of Rye. As of the 2010 census, Port Chester had a population of 28,967...
, and she started art lessons and then began writing. Her first novel Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, or Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth and Me in some editions, is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It was her first book published, in 1967, the same year as her second book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler...
was inspired by her daughter's experiences moving to a new home. Along with being a very accomplished chapter book writer, Konigsburg is also the author and illustrator of picture books. Her three published pictures books are Samuel Todd's Book of Great Colors,Samuel Todd's Book of Great Inventions, and Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's
Themes
Konigsburg is known to write stories that reflect adolescent struggles with which school-age children can easily relate. Her books often deal with children striving to find the answers to big questions that will help shape their self-identities. Many of Konigsburg's characters are based on her own experiences as a child, the observations she made of children while a teacher, and those of her children.Works
- 1967 Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, ElizabethJennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, ElizabethJennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, or Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth and Me in some editions, is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It was her first book published, in 1967, the same year as her second book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler...
- 1967 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. FrankweilerFrom the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. FrankweilerFrom the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It was published by Atheneum Books in 1967, the second published from two manuscripts the new writer had submitted to editor Jean E...
- 1969 About the B'nai Bagels
- 1970 (George)
- 1971 Altogether, One at a Time
- 1973 A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver (a novel based on the life of Eleanor of AquitaineEleanor of AquitaineEleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
) - 1974 The Dragon in the Ghetto Caper
- 1975 The Second Mrs. GiacondaThe Second Mrs. GiacondaThe Second Mrs. Giaconda is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. Written from the point of view of Salai, apprentice to Leonardo da Vinci, the book explores the origin of da Vinci's Mona Lisa, and the question of why he chose to paint "the second wife of an unimportant Florentine merchant" when...
(also published as The Second Mrs. Gioconda) - 1976 Father's Arcane Daughter (later published as My Father's Daughter), made into the Hallmark movie Caroline?
- 1979 Throwing Shadows
- 1982 Journey to an 800 Number
- 1986 Up from Jericho TelUp from Jericho TelUp from Jericho Tel is a book aimed at 4th-6th graders written and illustrated by E. L. Konigsburg. It was published by Atheneum in 1986 and republished by Aladdin Paperbacks in November 1998....
- 1990 Samuel Todd's Book of Great Colors, a picture bookPicture bookA picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. The images in picture books use a range of media such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor and pencil.Two of the earliest books with something like the format picture books still retain now...
, written and illustrated by Konigsburg - 1991 Samuel Todd's Book of Great Inventions, a picture bookPicture bookA picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. The images in picture books use a range of media such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor and pencil.Two of the earliest books with something like the format picture books still retain now...
, written and illustrated by Konigsburg - 1992 Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's, a picture bookPicture bookA picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. The images in picture books use a range of media such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor and pencil.Two of the earliest books with something like the format picture books still retain now...
, written and illustrated by Konigsburg - 1993 T-Backs, T-Shirts, COAT, and SuitT-Backs, T-Shirts, COAT, and SuitT-Backs, T-Shirts, COAT, and Suit is a young-adult novel by E.L. Konigsburg, a two-time winner of the Newbery Medal.-Plot:Chloë Pollack, in order to evade the pressures of her friends, agrees to spend the summer with her stepfather Nick's sister Bernadette, whom Chloë hasn't seen since Nick...
- 1995 TalkTalk
- 1996 The View from SaturdayThe View from SaturdayThe View from Saturday is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It won the annual Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1997, the author's second Medal.-Summary:...
- 2000 Silent to the BoneSilent to the BoneSilent to the Bone is a young adult mystery novel by E. L. Konigsburg, published in 2000.-Plot summary:Silent to the Bone is a mystery written from the point of view of a 13 year old boy named Connor Kane. In the beginning, Connor's friend Branwell Zamborska is accused of dropping and injuring his...
- 2004 The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler PlaceThe Outcasts of 19 Schuyler PlaceThe Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place is a 2004 young adult novel by E. L. Konigsburg. The novel tells the story of Margaret Rose Kane, a 12-year-old girl, who is a victim of pranks made by the other girls at Camp Talequa and leaves to spend the summer with her two uncles...
- 2007 The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic WorldThe Mysterious Edge of the Heroic WorldThe Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World is a young adult novel by E.L. Konigsburg, who has won two Newbery Medals and one Newbery Honor. It was first published in 2007.-Plot summary:...
Awards
- Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, ElizabethJennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, ElizabethJennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, or Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth and Me in some editions, is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It was her first book published, in 1967, the same year as her second book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler...
: 1968 Newbery Honor - From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. FrankweilerFrom the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. FrankweilerFrom the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It was published by Atheneum Books in 1967, the second published from two manuscripts the new writer had submitted to editor Jean E...
: 1968 Newbery MedalNewbery MedalThe John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
, 1968 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award; 1970 William Allen White Children's Book AwardWilliam Allen White Children's Book AwardThe William Allen White Children's Book Award is an annual book award chosen by Kansas students. It was established by Ruth Garver Gagliardo in 1952, in memory of William Allen White and is administered by Emporia State University. It was the first statewide readers' choice book award in the United... - The View from SaturdayThe View from SaturdayThe View from Saturday is a children's novel by E. L. Konigsburg. It won the annual Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1997, the author's second Medal.-Summary:...
: 1997 Newbery MedalNewbery MedalThe John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ... - 1999 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award from Carnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon UniversityCarnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....