PROOF+READING


 * Lois Lowry**
 * Proofread this story. Correct any errors.**

Lois Lowry was born on March 20, 1937 in Hawaii. Her parents' names were Robert and Katharine Hammersberg. Her father was an Army dentist, so her family lived as other military families traditionally did. They moved all over the world. In her family, Lois was the middle child out of three. She had an older sister named Helen and a younger brother named Jon.

As a young child, Lois enjoyed being alone, reading books, and using her imagination. Lois wanted to be a writer from the time she was eight years old. She loved to write. She developed a love for language by reading, even as a child. Lois wanted to read more than play ball or hang out.

As Lois got older, she lived in New York and Pennsylvania for a while. She went to high school in New York City. She started college at Brown University in Rhode Island. At the age of 19, she married a naval officer. Lois and her husband moved around a great deal as well - California, Connecticut, Florida, South Carolina, and so on. By now they had four children under the age of 5. Her husband finished his service and attended Harvard Law School. When they were in Maine, she raised the children. She also returned to college, attending the University of Southern Maine. She even went on to graduate school. Then she started to write professionally.

Lois' first book was __A Summer To Die__. It was the tale of two sisters, Meg and Molly, who fought like most sisters do. Then Molly gets very sick and the book continues to follow what happens to Meg as a result of her sister's serious illness. This book is a work of fiction, but it does loosely follow the death of Lois' sister in real life.

In 1979, Lois began her famous Anastasia series. (__Anastasia Krupnik__, __Anastasia on Her Own__, etc...) The Anastasia books make kids laugh. They are light and fun, although there are some serious topics inside the books. The Sam Krupnik series came from the Anastasia books. Sam is the brother of Anastasia. This is considered the little brother series. Some of the titles include __All About Sam__ and __Attaboy Sam!__ In the Anastasia and Sam books, there are many comedic misadventures but understanding and reason usually wins out.

Another series of Lois Lowry's is the Tate series. These are a set of books about a brother and sister who fight a lot. One example from this set is __The One Hundredth Thing About Caroline__. Lois has also written a series about Mrs. Pidgeon and her second grade class. These are the Gooney Bird books. One example from this set is __Gooney Bird and the Room Mother__.

In 1990, Lois Lowry published __Number the Stars__. This is the story of a family who protects a child when the Germans begin to relocate the Jewish people during the Holocaust. Ordinary citizens become heroes. Lois Lowry won her first Newbery Medal for this book.

Lois Lowry has also completed a trilogy. This means a set of three books. The first one is very famous. It is called __The Giver__. The setting is in the future in a society where everything seems perfect and no one lacks anything - or so it seems. Lois won the Newbery Medal for this book in 1994. The saga continues in __Gathering Blue__ and __Messenger__.

Lois Lowry currently lives in Massachusetts. She is no longer married. Her son was killed in a plane crash in 1995 as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force. This broke her heart. Since he passed away, she would like to see an end to conflict. One of her daughters has become disabled from a central nervous system disease. This has taught her the need for people to connect with one another. On a happier note, Lois now has four grandchildren - three boys and a girl. This has taught her the importance of caring for one another.

Lois continues to write. She likes to sit at her desk and begin writing by 8 A.M. Then she'll stop for lunch and write until the middle of the afternoon. It usually takes her six months to finish a book.

Lois loves dogs. She enjoys knitting, reading, and going to the cinemas. She likes to garden and cook as well.

What does Lois tell children who want to have the same career as her? Lois recommends that children read a lot if they want to become an author. They should think about how someone writes as they read a book. She also feels children should observe others. Her observations combined with her imagination create most of what she writes.

Lois has covered many topics in her work: adoption, mental illness, cancer, Holocaust, and the future. She puts her characters in situations which make the readers think. Her recurring themes of saying goodbye, finding a place to belong, and the importance of making connections reflect the message she tapestries to convey. Lois believes she writes about what she has a passion for and readers certainly have responded to her work.