Elisa in the Middle - Softcover

Hurwitz, Johanna

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0140387838 ISBN 13: 9780140387834

Publisher: Puffin, 1998

Synopsis

Elisa and her brother, Russell, share many good times, but sometimes Elisa becomes mischievous and does bad things--such as giving Russell's fish a bubble bath--and must find a way to make amends and set things right. Reprint.

About this title

About the Author:

Johanna Hurwitz is the author of over five dozen books for young readers. She is the recipient of many state awards, including the Texas Bluebonnet Award, the Kentucky Bluegrass Award, and the Garden State Children's Choice Award. She lives in Great Neck, NY, and Wilmington, VT.

Johanna Hurwitz always knew she wanted to be a writer. She started by telling stories to her brother, who is six years her junior, and she's been making up stories ever since. Born and raised in New York City, she earned her B.A. degree from Queens College and went on to receive a master's in library science from Columbia University. She embarked on a career as a children's librarian, but she never forgot that one day she wanted to write books, too.

She worked at the New York Public Library and in a variety of other public and school library positions. She also taught graduate courses in children's literature and storytelling at Queens College. When she and her husband, Uri--a college teacher and writer-and their children, Nomi and Beni, moved to Long Island, she continued her library work.

Although she had told original stories to her children, it was not until they were well along in school that Mrs. Hurwitz actually began to write down her stories. That's why, when children ask her how long it takes to write a book, she replies that her first, Busybody Nora, took her whole life.

But since then she has been writing with regularity, portraying with humor and sympathy the everyday incidents that are so important to children. She is particularly fond of seven- to nine-year-olds, because they are " so very open and get excited about small things," and she enjoys writing realistic fiction for and about them.

That these youngsters are equally fond of Mrs. Hurwitz's books is obvious. She has received many child-chosen state awards, including the Texas Bluebonnet Award, the Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Award, the Kentucky Bluegrass Award, the Garden State Children's Choice Award, the West Virginia Children's Book Award, and others.

In recent years, Johanna Hurwitz has crisscrossed the United States from Juneau, Alaska, to Jackson, Mississippi, and from San Diego, California, to St. Albans, Vermont. She has even spoken abroad, from Morocco to Mozambique and from Portugal to Nicaragua. On these trips she has met and spoken to schoolchildren, teachers, librarians, and parents. She has made many new friends and has often brought home new ideas for her next book.

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3?This latest book featuring Elisa and Russell Michaels will be welcomed by friends of these contemporary, middle-class, New York City kids. The big news this time is the addition of a new baby to the family. Elisa really comes into her own as she tries hard to be a good sister to both of her brothers. Unfortunately, five-year-old girls don't always make the best choices. Fortunately, her misadventures lead to humor and to a good time for young readers. Each of the six chapters tells a complete story; this makes the book episodic, but also gives young readers a feeling of satisfaction when they finish each one. The writing is consistently lively and natural, with occasional challenging words thrown in appropriately. Hoban's charming pencil drawings appear throughout. The titles in this series can be read individually, but youngsters will enjoy watching the characters grow and mature from book to book. The mistakes Elisa makes are totally in character, and readers will gleefully keep a step ahead of her and predict the results. Hurwitz is successful at describing the sacrifices siblings make for one another, and the love and pride they share.?Darcy Schild, Schwegler Elementary School, Lawrence,
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Puffin
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0140387838
• ISBN 13: 9780140387834
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96
• Illustrator: Hoban Lillian