Virginia Hamilton

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Virginia Hamilton (born March 12, 1936 in Yellow Springs , Ohio , † February 19, 2002 ) was an American children's author.

Virginia Hamiliton was raised in Yellow Springs, Ohio, the youngest of five siblings. She studied at Antioch College there and then attended Ohio State University , where she graduated in literature. In 1958 she moved to New York. There she met Arnold Adoff, whom she married in 1960. The marriage produced a daughter and a son. In 1967 Hamiliton published her first book, Zeely .

Her main work, MC Higgins, the Great , won the National Book Award in 1974 and the Newbery Medal in 1975 . It tells of the Black Mayo Cornelius Higgins, who knows that he has to leave this country to which his great-great-grandmother Sarah had fled as a slave. He is therefore hoping for the song collector Lewis, who wants to record the voice of MC's mother. Because Banina has the most beautiful voice far and wide and still knows the old black songs. But it is only through the girl Lurhetta, who completely confuses him, that MC finally realizes that running away is no solution.

Virginia Hamilton's extensive work includes picture books and collections of folk tales as well as genres such as mystery and science fiction . Her books have received the Coretta Scott King Award several times and the Boston Globe / Horn Book Award three times. In 1992 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Award . In 1995 she received the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for great merits in children's literature.

Virginia Hamilton died of breast cancer in 2002.

Awards

Works (selection)

  • Zeely , 1967
  • MC Higgins the Great (dt. MC Higgins, the Great )
  • The House of Dies Drear
  • The Planet of Junior Brown (German: The Planet of Patrick Brown , 1975, translated by Jeannie Ebner )
  • Plain City
  • Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed
  • The People Could Fly
  • Justice Cycle

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Hamilton, Virginia
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American children's author
DATE OF BIRTH March 12, 1936
PLACE OF BIRTH Yellow Springs , Ohio
DATE OF DEATH February 19, 2002