Marilyn Sachs
Marilyn Sachs (December 18, 1927 – December 28, 2016) was an American author of award-winning children's books.
Marilyn Sachs | |
---|---|
Born | Marilyn Stickle December 18, 1927 New York, New York[1] |
Died | December 28, 2016 89) (aged San Francisco, California[1] |
Occupation | Author |
Nationality | American |
Alma mater | Hunter College (B.A.) Columbia University (M.L.S.) |
Genre | Children's literature |
Notable works | Veronica Ganz |
Spouse | Morris Sachs |
Website | |
marilynsachs |
Early life and education
Sachs was born in New York City[1] and grew up in the Bronx. She earned a bachelor's degree from Hunter College and a master's in library science from Columbia University.[2][3] Sachs worked as a children's librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library while working toward her graduate degree.[4][5]
Career
Sachs began focusing on her writing during a leave of absence from her library job in 1954.[5] Unable to sell her first novel, Amy Moves In, she set it aside and moved with her husband and children to San Francisco, California in 1961, taking a job at the Main Library.[5][4][3]
Sachs found a publisher for her book in 1964.[5] By 1968, she had made enough money from her first four published novels to quit her librarian job and become a full-time writer.[3][5] Sachs wrote 40 books in total, between 1964 and 2006.[3]
Personal life
While living in New York, Sachs was active in the political organization American Youth for Democracy, which is where she met her future husband, sculptor Morris Sachs.[5] Sachs continued her activism later in life, fighting for public school integration and demonstrating against the Vietnam War.[3] In 1991, she co-edited The Big Book for Peace; the proceeds were donated to peace organizations.[3][5]
Selected works
- Amy Moves In. Doubleday. 1964. ISBN 9780590323017.
- Laura's Luck. Doubleday. 1965. ISBN 9780385056878.
- Amy and Laura. Doubleday. 1966. ISBN 9780590322997.
- Veronica Ganz. Dell. 1968. ISBN 9780440792055.
- The Bears' House. Doubleday. 1971. ISBN 9780385033633.
- A Pocket Full of Seeds. Doubleday. 1973. ISBN 9780385060912.
- The Fat Girl. E.P. Dutton. 1984. ISBN 9780525440765.
- Lost in America. Macmillan. 2005. ISBN 9781596430402.
- First Impressions. Macmillan. 2006. ISBN 9781596431171.
Awards and recognition
- 1968 – Veronica Ganz – American Library Association Notable Book[2][5]
- 1972 – The Bears' House – National Book Award finalist[2][5]
- 1973 – A Pocket Full of Seeds – New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year[2][3]
- 1991 – The Big Book for Peace (co-editor) – Jane Addams Children's Book Award[6][7]
- American Jewish Library Award[8]
References
- Sachs, Marilyn, GND 13596475X
- "Brief Biographies Encyclopedia, Marilyn Sachs". Retrieved January 14, 2016.
- J.K. Dineen (December 31, 2016). "Marilyn Sachs, influential SF author and political activist, dies". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- Alethea Helbig; Agnes Perkins (1986). Dictionary of American Children's Fiction, 1960-1984. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 9780313252334. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- Shannon Maughan (January 5, 2017). "Obituary: Marilyn Sachs". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- "Book Award Winners" (PDF). Jane Addams Peace Association. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- Susan C. Griffith (September 5, 2013). The Jane Addams Children's Book Award: Honoring Children's Literature for Peace and Social Justice since 1953. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 100. ISBN 9780810892033. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- Edward Zerin (October 9, 2006). Jewish San Francisco. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439618172. Retrieved December 31, 2016.