In 1957, Harper published its first I Can Read title, Little
Bear, written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice
Sendak. Large type, simple vocabulary, chapter-like divisions, and
decorative pictures made Little Bear perfect for emerging
readers.
關於作者:
Alvin Schwartz
April 25, 1927, in Brooklyn, New York – March 14, 1992 in
Princeton, New Jersey was the author of more than fifty books
dedicated to and dealing with topics such as folklore and word
play, many of which were intended for young readers.[1] He is often confused with
another Alvin Schwartz, who wrote Superman and Batman daily comics
strips and a novel titled The Blowtop.
After a stint in the navy,
Schwartz became interested in writing. He got his bachelors degrees
from Colby College and a masters degree in journalism from
Northwestern University. He reported for The Binghamton Press from
1951 to 1955. During his professional writing career his work had
been published by a variety of firms, including Lippincott Williams
Wilkins, Bantam Books, and Harper Collins.
A series of his books on
folklore for children were illustrated by Glen Rounds and each
featured a type of folklore: the first, A Twister of Twists, a
Tangler of Tongues, was published in 1972. Others in this
series included Tomfoolery, which featured wordplay;
Witcracks which was about smart-aleck riddles and jokes; and
Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat, about
superstitions.
He is best known for the "Scary
Stories to Tell in the Dark" series, which featured gruesome,
nightmarish illustrations by Stephen Gammell. The series was
America''s most frequently challenged book or book series for
library inclusion of 1990-2000 Source: American Library
Association.
Some of his other books, such as
When I Grew Up Long Ago, were aimed at an older audience,
and presented glimpses of life in the United States during the late
18th century and the early 19th century.
At the time of his death in
Princeton, New Jersey, where he lived, Schwartz was survived by his
wife and four children.