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Betsy Byars

ベッツィ・バイアーズ

Betsy Byars

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1928-08-07 （Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.）
Died
2020-02-26 （Seneca, South Carolina, U.S.） age 91
Nationality
American
Languages
English
Residence History
Charlotte, North Carolina (birth) → Clemson, South Carolina (residence) → Urbana, Illinois (residence) → Seneca, South Carolina (longtime residence)

Career

Occupations
Children's author, Novelist, Freelance writer, Licensed pilot
Active Years
1962-2010

Education

Furman University
Period: 1946–1948（在籍、転校）
Country: United States
Attended 1946–1948; transferred to Queens College
Queens College (now Queens University of Charlotte)
English
Degree: Bachelor's degree
Period: 1948–1950
Year of Graduation: 1950
Country: United States
Graduated 1950 with a bachelor's degree in English

Awards

Newbery Medal
1971
Work: Summer of the Swans
Category: 児童文学
Organization: American Library Association
Result: 受賞
National Book Award (Children's Literature)
1981
Work: The Night Swimmers
Category: 児童文学
Organization: National Book Foundation
Result: 受賞
Edgar Award
1991
Work: Wanted... Mud Blossom
Organization: Mystery Writers of America
Result: 受賞
Regina Medal
1987
Category: 功労賞
Organization: Catholic Library Association
Result: 受賞
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
1973
Work: The Eighteenth Emergency
Organization: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Clementine

1962 Children's fiction

Byars's first novel; a child-centered story reflecting early themes of her work.

familygrowing up

Summer of the Swans

1970 Children's fiction / Young adult fiction

A coming-of-age novel about a teenage girl, family bonds, and self-acceptance. Winner of the 1971 Newbery Medal.

self-discoveryfamilyadolescence

The Night Swimmers

1980 Children's fiction

A novel centered on young protagonists; recipient of the 1981 National Book Award.

friendshipfamilygrowing up

The Pinballs

1977 Children's fiction

A story about children facing foster care and family difficulties.

foster carefriendshiphealing

Wanted... Mud Blossom

1991 Children's / Young adult

Part of the Blossom family series; winner of an Edgar Award.

familymystery elements

The Cartoonist

1978 Children's fiction

A humorous story about a child aspiring to be a cartoonist.

creativityaspiration

Bibliography

  • Clementine (1962)
  • Summer of the Swans (1970)
  • The Pinballs (1977)
  • The Cartoonist (1978)
  • The Night Swimmers (1980)
  • Wanted... Mud Blossom (1991)
  • The Moon and I (memoir, 1991)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
concise, accessible narrationrealistic depiction from a child's perspectivebalance of humor and emotion
Recurring Motifs
family relationshipscoming of age / self-discoverynature and small-town/suburban settings

Legacy

Betsy Byars was a prominent American children's author active from the mid-20th to early 21st century. Winner of the Newbery Medal for Summer of the Swans, among other honors, she had a substantial influence on children's literature and is highly regarded in educational and library communities.

Museums

  • Clemson University Special Collections (Betsy Byars Papers) Clemson, South Carolina, U.S.

Archives

  • Clemson University Special Collections (Betsy Byars Papers)
  • University of Southern Mississippi de Grummond Children's Literature Collection (holds materials)

In Popular Culture

  • Listed among the Educational Paperback Association's top 100 authors

Quotes

  • "She is one of the ten best writers for children in the world."
    Source: Nancy Chambers, editor of the British literary journal Signal

Trivia

  • She and her husband Edward Byars were licensed pilots and lived on an airstrip with the bottom floor of their house as a hangar.
  • Daughters Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers are also children's writers.
  • She retired in 1990.
  • Recipient of multiple children's literature awards.