Elizabeth George Speare (November 21, 1908 – November 15, 1994) was an American children's author who won many awards for her historical fiction novels, including two Newbery Medals. She has been called one of America’s 100 most popular children’s authors [1] and much of her work has become mandatory reading in many schools throughout the nation. Indeed, because her books have sold so well she is also cited as one of the Educational Paperback Association’s top 100 authors. [2] November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... A historical novel is a novel in which the story is set among historical events, or more generally, where the time the action takes place in predates the time of the first publication -- distinguish and contrast the genre of alternate history. ... The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association (ALA) to the author of the outstanding American book for children. ...

Speare was born in Melrose, Massachusetts her parents were Harry Allan and Demetria George. Her childhood, as she later recalled, was "exceptionally happy" and Melrose was "an ideal place in which to have grown up, close to fields and woods where we hiked and picnicked, and near to Boston where we frequently had family treats of theaters and concerts." [3] She had an extended family with one brother and many aunts, uncles, and cousins, and most importantly, very loving and supportive parents. Speare lived much of her life in New England, the setting for many of her books. Melrose Veterans Memorial Middle School prior to its demolition in 2005 Melrose is a city located in the Greater Boston metropolitan area and Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ...

Speare discovered her gift for writing at the age of eight and began composing stories while still in high school. After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree at Smith College in 1930, she earned her Master's degree in English from Boston University and taught English at several private Massachusetts high schools from 1932 to 1936. In 1936 she met her future husband, Alden Speare, and together the two moved to Connecticut where they married and raised two children; Alden, Jr., who was born in 1939, and Mary in 1942. Although Speare always intended to write, the challenges and responsibilities of being a mother and wife drained her of any free time. In fact, Speare only seriously began to focus on literature when her children were in junior high school. Bachelor of Arts (B.A., BA or A.B.), from the Latin Artium Baccalaureus is an undergraduate bachelors degree awarded for either a course or a program in the liberal arts or the sciences, or both. ... Smith College, located in Northampton, Massachusetts, is the largest womens college in the United States []. Smith admits only female undergraduates, but admits both men and women as graduate students. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate (or graduate) course of one to three years in duration. ... For the unrelated Jesuit university in Chestnut Hill, see Boston College. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ...

Speare's first published work was a magazine article about skiing with her children. She also wrote many other magazine articles based on her experiences as a mother, and even experimented with one-act plays. Eventually her work saw circulation in Better Homes and Gardens, Woman's Day, Parents, and American Heritage. Better Homes and Gardens Better Homes and Gardens is one of the most widely circulated magazines in the United States. ... John Clymer cover for Womans Day (December, 1942) Womans Day is a magazine, aimed at a female readership, which A & P launched in the 1930s. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Speare published Calico Captive, her first novel, in 1957. The next year she completed her second historical fiction work, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, which won numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal. Ideas and inspiration for both books came to Speare while she was researching the history of New England and Connecticut, respectively. She earned her second Newbery Medal for her third book, The Bronze Bow, published in 1961. In 1984 The Sign of the Beaver was published and received a Newbery Honor Citation, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and the Christopher Award. In 1989, Speare received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her distinguished and enduring contribution to children's literature. Calico Captive is Elizabeth George Speares first historical fiction childrens novel. ... SUCKERS! ... The Bronze Bow is a book by Elizabeth George Speare that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American childrens literature in 1962. ... The Sign of the Beaver is a historical fiction childrens novel by author Elizabeth George Speare, which won numerous awards for its strong literary merit (list below). ... The Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal is a prize awarded by the American Library Association to writers or illustrators of childrens books published in the U.S. who have made substantial and lasting contributions to childrens literature. ...

Speare, who once said "it was always a thrill to watch some girl or boy discover for the first time the enchantment of reading and writing", died of an aortic aneurysm on November 15, 1994 in Northwest General Hospital in Tucson, Arizona. She was 85 years old. [4] An aortic aneurysm is a general term for any swelling (dilatation or aneurysm) of the aorta, usually representing an underlying weakness in the wall of the aorta at that location. ... Nickname: The Old Pueblo Location in Pima County and the state of Arizona Coordinates: Country United States State Arizona Counties Pima  - Mayor Bob Walkup (R) Area    - City 505. ...

Selected bibliography

• Calico Captive (1957)
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958) Winner of the 1959 Newbery Medal.
• The Bronze Bow (1961) Winner of the 1962 Newbery Medal.
• The Sign of the Beaver (1983)

Calico Captive is Elizabeth George Speares first historical fiction childrens novel. ... SUCKERS! ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Bronze Bow is a book by Elizabeth George Speare that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American childrens literature in 1962. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... The Sign of the Beaver is a historical fiction childrens novel by author Elizabeth George Speare, which won numerous awards for its strong literary merit (list below). ...

References

• McElmeel, Sharron L., 100 Most Popular Children's Authors: Biographical Sketches and Bibliographies, Libraries Unlimited, May 1999, ISBN 1-56308-646-8
• H.W. Wilson Company (1963) "Speare, Elizabeth George" by Elizabeth George Speare, special autobiographical statement for More Junior Authors. Retrieved February 15, 2006.
• Educational Paperback Association "EPA’s Top 100 Authors" Retrieved February 15, 2006.
• The New York Times (November 16, 1994) "Elizabeth G. Speare, 84, Author Of Children's Historical Novels" by Ronald Sullivan; Obituary. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 15, 2006.

she got shot 359 in the chest.

External links

• Internet resources for The Sign of the Beaver
• Fact or Fiction: An Analysis of Historical Fiction Literature by Elizabeth George Speare