Part XIII: E. White/Thurber/Funke/Sharp/Norton/Babbitt/Riordan/Paolini/Rowling

[Coír Draoi Ceítien]

Masters of Fantasy: Part XIII

<img class="aligncenter" src="http://www.lostpathway.com/images/coir/rowling.jpg" alt="" width="300">

Photo: J.K. Rowling

Now we come to our last big list of children's authors. This will probably be the biggest one, despite my efforts to divide them up fairly. I don't have much else to say, so let's just start.



E. B. WHITE (1899-1985)

The career of E. B. White's, a graduate of Cornell University, was highlighted as an essayist for The New Yorker, being one of its most notable contributors, as well as a co-author with William Strunk, Jr. of the influential writing handbook The Elements of Style. His greatest claim to fam lies in the three children's fantasies he published in his lifetime - Stuart Little, the story of a mouse in a human family and his life and adventures; Charlotte's Web, the famous tale of a timid pig and his close friendship with a barnyard spider; and The Trumpet of the Swan, in which a mute swan learns to express himself through the music of a trumpet.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._B._White)
Bio.com - E. B. White (https://www.biography.com/people/eb-white-9529308)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/E-B-White)
NPR.org - How E. B. White Spun 'Charlotte's Web' (https://www.npr.org/2011/07/05/137452030/how-e-b-white-spun-charlottes-web)
Brain Pickings - E. B. White on Why He Wrote 'Charlotte's Web', Plus His Rare Illustrated Manuscripts (https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/10/15/e-b-white-on-charlottes-web/)



JAMES THURBER (1894-1961)

James Thurber was one of the most celebrated humorist of the 20th century, best know for his contributions to The New Yorker through cartoons and short stories; he also developed a friendship with his fellow contributor, E. B. White. Among his best remembered stories are "The Dog That Bit People", "The Night the Bed Fell", "The Catbird Seat", and "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." For children, he turned his wit to book-length fairy tales with surreally offbeat settings, notably The White Deer (where three sons of a king try to woo an amnesiac princess who had been a white deer), The 13 Clocks (in which a prince and his sagely companion must complete an impossible task to save a princess from her wicked uncle, the Duke, who believes he has killed time itself), and The Wonderful O (where a pair of pirates seize control of an island and outlaw the letter O).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Thurber)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=thurber_james)
Thurber House - The Official Website (http://www.thurberhouse.org/)
Interview in The Paris Review - The Art of Fiction No. 10 (https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/5003/james-thurber-the-art-of-fiction-no-10-james-thurber)
Encyclopedia of World Biography (http://www.notablebiographies.com/St-Tr/Thurber-James.html#b#ixzz1lYqi1LAm)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Thurber)
New World Encyclopedia (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/James_Thurber)



CORNELIA FUNKE (1958- )

Born and raised in Germany, Cornelia Funke studied pedagogy (the study of education) and became a social worker before trying her hand at writing. Highly popular in her native land during the 80's and 90's, she reached English-speaking audiences in the new millennium with The Thief Lord, followed by Dragon Rider. She received her greatest acclaim with the Inkworld trilogy - Inkheart, Inkspell, and Inkdeath - in which the characters of a fantasy novel manage to find a way to cross over into the real world.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornelia_Funke)
Cornelia Funke: The Official Website (http://www.corneliafunke.com/en)
Biography at Scholastic (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/cornelia-funke/)
Biography - Encyclopedia.com (http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/social-sciences-and-law/political-science-biographies/cornelia-funke)



MARGERY SHARP (1905-1991)

Margery Sharp was an English author of considerable wit, writing for magazines such as Punch, Harper's Bazaar, Ladies' Home Journal, and Good Housekeeping. Until recently, all of her adult works were out of print, but now there are at least ten novels available in ebook format. Her most famous work is an animal fantasy originally written for adults but becoming beloved by children - The Rescuers, which follows Miss Bianca, a socialite mouse who provides assistance to both people and animals in various plights through an aid society. A total of nine books were written between 1959 and 1978, and the series achieved further recognition through two Disney films.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margery_Sharp)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=sharp_margery)
The Margery Sharp Blog (https://margerysharp.wordpress.com/)
The Independent - Forgotten Authors No. 16: Margery Sharp (http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/forgotten-authors-no-16-margery-sharp-1038137.html)



MARY NORTON (1903-1992)

Born Kathleen Mary Pearson, Mary Norton began her writing career while working for the British Purchasing Commission in New York City during WWII. Her first work was a fantasy, The Magic Bed Knob, which, together with its sequel, Bonfires and Broomsticks, became the basis for Disney's film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Her most famous work was The Borrowers, a classic of children's fantasy following a family of tiny people who live in the walls and floors of a large Georgian house; four sequels followed its success.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Norton_(author))
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=norton_mary)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mary-Norton)



NATALIE BABBITT (1932-2016)

Natalie Babbitt spent most of her time drawing and reading myths and fairy tales when she was a child. At first, she only wanted to be an illustrator, but eventually she collaborated with her husband Samuel on a picture book, and soon she was working solo after Samuel became too busy. Her most beloved work is Tuck Everlasting, where a family of immortals try to lead an inconspicuous life and are discovered by a young girl who has grown dissatisfied with her own life; together, they must keep the secret to eternal life from being exploited.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_Babbitt)
Encyclopedia of Fantasy (http://sf-encyclopedia.uk/fe.php?nm=babbitt_natalie)
Natalie Babbitt Info (https://nataliebabbittinfo.weebly.com/)
Biography and Interview at Scholastic (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/natalie-babbitt/)
Black Gate - The Courage of the Question: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (https://www.blackgate.com/2018/02/13/the-courage-of-the-question-tuck-everlasting/)



RICK RIORDAN (1964- )

Born and raised in San Antonio, Rick Riordan originally wanted to be a guitarist; studying at the University of Texas, he eventually taught English and Social Studies at Presidio Hill School. Though he began with a series of mystery novels for adults, his breakthrough came with the series developed originally as a bedtime story for his ADHD/dyslexic son - Percy Jackson and the Olympians, a homage to Greek mythology made up of The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, and The Last Olympian. The success of these books gave way to a sequel series, The Heroes of Olympus, and two more series based on other mythologies - The Kane Chronicles (Egyptian) and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard (Norse).

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Riordan)
The Official Rick Riordan Website (http://rickriordan.com/)



CHRISTOPER PAOLINI (1983- )

Born in Southern California and raised in Paradise Valley, Montana, not to mention a lifelong homeschooler, Christopher Paolini self-published his first novel, Eragon, in 2002 at age 19, promoting the book himself at over 135 schools and libraries; later, he was discovered by professional children's author Carl Hiaasen, who recommended the book to his own publisher. Paolini was catapulted to fame on the bestseller charts, kicking off three sequels - Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance - which would collectively be called The Inheritance Cycle. As of this writing, a fifth book is planned for the future.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Paolini)
Paolini.net - The Official Paolini Family Website (https://www.paolini.net/)
Alagaesia.com - The Official Inheritance Cycle Website (http://www.alagaesia.com/)
Rolling Stone - The Prince of Dragons: Christopher Paolini and the Rise of 'Inheritance' (http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-prince-of-dragons-christopher-paolini-and-the-rise-of-inheritance-20120308)
The Washington Post - The Education of a Best-Selling Teenage Author [must have subscription] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/11/10/the-education-of-a-best-selling-teenage-author/?utm_term=.f897e54bcec5)



J. K. ROWLING (1965- )

Joanne Rowling struggled through her life, living on welfare benefits as a researcher and bilingual secretary at Amnesty International and suffering depression and an unhappy first marriage, before becoming one of the most well-known children's authors in the world, sparking a worldwide phenomenon with her series of magic and mystery featuring the young wizard Harry Potter at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Seven books in total were written - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone [UK: Philosopher's Stone], Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In addition to drastically changed fortunes, Mrs. Rowling has been credited with inspiring children to fall in love with reading once more.

Offsite resources:

Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling)
Official Website of J. K. Rowling (https://www.jkrowling.com/)
Pottermore - The Digital Heart of the Wizarding World (https://www.pottermore.com/)
Encyclopedia Britannica (https://www.britannica.com/biography/J-K-Rowling)
The New Yorker - "Mugglemarch" by Ian Parker (https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/01/mugglemarch)
Failure. Rejection. Success: The J. K. Rowling Story (https://blog.uncollege.org/failure-rejection-success-j-k-rowling)
The Telegraph - J. K. Rowling: 10 Facts About the Writer (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/9564894/JK-Rowling-10-facts-about-the-writer.html)
Conceptual Fiction - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (http://www.conceptualfiction.com/harry_potter_stone.html)



Well, that's all for now. I plan on releasing more children's authors very sparsely in more various lists. Next time will be back to basics with some more legendary adult-oriented masters of the genre. For further discussion, you can once again find the forum topic here: http://www.lostpathway.com/tavern/index.php/topic,16.0.html