RIP E.L. Konigsburg
Last week, the world of children’s literature lost another great creator: E.L. Konigsburg. Known mainly for her thoughtfully written middle grade and young adult fiction, Konigsburg was also an accomplished illustrator of picture books. She was one of only five authors who have won'two Newbery Medal awards.
In an interview on Scholastic’s Teachers website, Konigsburg said “… the kids I write about are asking for the same things I wanted. They want two contradictory things. They want to be the same as everyone else, and they want to be different from everyone else. They want acceptance for both.”
This theme of identity along with friendship, relationships with others and independently overcoming obstacles are all found in Konigsburg’s novels. Any of the four novels below are worth recommending to young readers hungry for stories that are intelligent, moving and funny.
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