AVI (Learning Works Meet the Author Series) [Paperback]

Lois Markham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1996 | Age Level: 8 and up | Series: Learning Works Meet the Author Series

Meet Avi, award-winning author of The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, Nothing But the Truth, and many more popular books for children and young adults. This fascinating glimpse into Avi's life will delight Avi's fans and inspire potential young writers. Photos.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8?Two recent Newbery Honor Books (The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, [1990], and Nothing but the Truth, [1991, both Orchard]) have brought this versatile writer recognition and many new fans. The first half of Markham's biography deals with Avi's background and family life. Perhaps the most compelling part of the story, though, lies in his triumph over dysgraphia, a learning disability that affects the individual's ability to write; in Avi's case, it made his spelling unpredictable and often rendered his writing unreadable. The author records how he overcame the problem with the support of his family and gifted tutor, but mainly through his own determination. The second half looks at Avi's creative process, the inspiration behind his books, and the recurrent themes of his work. A 17-page center section of black-and-white photos adds visual appeal. Teachers, librarians, and other adults working with children's literature will relish this book, with its wealth of fascinating details and anecdotes. Younger fans, though, will probably need some coaxing, but this solid biography will not disappoint those who try it.?Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5^-7. Avi is one of our best children's authors, and this informative biography in the Meet the Author series gives middle-grade readers a sense of the man and the writer. There's not much literary criticism of individual books; the stories discussed in detail are those that are the most autobiographical, such as Wolf Rider and "Who Was That Masked Man, Anyway?" One chapter is also devoted to his two Newbery Honor Books. There's a lot in his life story to interest his many readers. Markham describes Avi's childhood in a happy Jewish family (where he sometimes felt like an outsider), how he writes (he rewrites endlessly), what he likes to read, and his lifelong struggle with the learning disability dysgraphia (which made him feel like a failure at school and is still a source of anxiety). A number of family photos are grouped together in the center of the book. Markham avoids a reverential tone, allowing Avi to speak for himself about how he sees his world and his stories. Hazel Rochman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Learning Works (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881602809
• ISBN-13: 978-0881602807
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,959,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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