Jane+Yolen

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"[Yolen] adds much to understanding the effects of the Holocaust, which will reverberate throughout histor, today and tomorrow." -SLJ, starred review

Having been referred to as the Aesop of the 20th century and the Hans Christian Anderson of America, Jane Yolen is well known for her work in children's literature, having written over 300 children's books. Jane Yolen and her stories have received many awards, including: the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, the Golden Kite Award, the Jewish Book Award, the World Fantasy Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Association of Jewish Libraries Award, just to name a few.

Before Yolen became such a renowned author and poet, she lived in New York City, near Central Park, in an apartment building. While living here, she

and her younger brother wrote their own personal newspapers which they sold to their neighbors in the apartment building--each for 5 cents

(which got them everything a kid could want...candy and comic books).

Two years later, Yolen moved to Westport, Connecticut where she would grow to attend Staples High School. During high school, she sang in the

school choir, was captain of the basketball team, was the News Editor of the school newspaper, and held the vice presidency of the Latin and

Spanish Clubs. She graduated seventh in her class.

Following high school, Yolen attended Smith College, even though her first choice would have been Radcliffe, if she had been accepted.

Jane Yolen's personal website consists on her own personally written biography. She wrote of her experience at Smith College, saying, " I discovered (again) that all the gold star girls around America were there. I had to work hard just to stay in the middle of the class. But by the end of my four years, I was president of the Press Board, won all the poetry writing awards, the journalism award—and wrote the lyrics to the class musical as well as starred in our senior show, singing a song that got a standing O. I didn’t have the highest grades, but I wrote a book of poetry, many poems of which were published in various small journals like //The Grecourt Review//, and //i.e// and the //Chicago Jewish Forum//.

After having graduated college, she " moved to New York City and became an editor—writing during lunch breaks and evenings and weekends. I considered myself a poet and a journalist/nonfiction writer. But to my surprise, I became a children’s book writer, selling my first book on a cold February day. My 22nd birthday, as a matter of fact. It was called //Pirates in Petticoats." (Yolen).//