Lois LowryBy Rachel Nilles

Early LifeLowry was born on March 20, 1937, in Hawaii. Lowry's father was a career military officer, an Army dentist, whose work moved the family all over the United States and to many parts of the world. From the time she was eight Lois Lowry wanted to be a writer. Writing was what she liked best in school.

Lowry at age 3

SchoolingFollowing World War II, Lowry and her family moved to Tokyo, Japan, where she went through junior high school at the Tokyo American School at Meguro. Lowry later returned to the United States to attend high school at Curtis High School on Staten Island. In 1952, Lois entered Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights, New York, where she finished high school. Lowry then entered Brown University in 1954. After two years of school Lowry married.

Lowry in 1954 while attending Brown University

Lowry’s CareerAs her children became older, Lowry found time to complete her degree in English literature from the University of Southern Maine. It was during this coursework that she was introduced to photography, which became a life-long passion as well as a profession. Her specialty was child photography, but she also took pictures to accompany the articles she submitted as a freelance journalist.

Lowry in her days as a photographer

How the books got startedIt was while working on a freelance journalism piece for Redbook magazine that Lowry got her first book opportunity, when the article she wrote caught the attention of an editor at Houghton Mifflin publishing. The story Lowry had written for the magazine was meant for adults but was written through the eyes of a child. The editor at Houghton Mifflin recognized an upcoming talent and suggested that Lowry write a children's book. She agreed and wrote A Summer to Die which was published in 1977.

The cover of Lowry’s first book

Lois Lowry TodayToday, Lois Lowry remains active by not only continuing to write and speaking at appearances, but also enjoying time at her homes in Massachusetts and Maine. Lois takes pleasure in reading, knitting, gardening, and entertaining her four grandchildren.

Memorable Quotes about her work“The man that I named the Giver passed along to the boy knowledge, history, memories, color, pain, laughter, love, and truth. Every time you place a book in the hands of a child, you do the same thing. It is very risky. But each time a child opens a book, he pushes open the gate that separates him from Elsewhere. It gives him choices. It gives him freedom. Those are magnificent, wonderfully unsafe things.” ― Lois Lowry

“There is something about that moment, when literature becomes accessible, and a door of the world opens. ” ― Lois Lowry

Works By Lois LowryThe Giver Trilogy• 1993 The Giver, winner of the

1994 Newbery Medal• 2000 Gathering Blue• 2004 MessengerThe Anastasia Series• 1979 Anastasia Krupnik• 1981 Anastasia Again!• 1982 Anastasia at Your Service• 1984 Anastasia, Ask Your Analyst• 1985 Anastasia on Her Own• 1986 Anastasia Has the Answers• 1987 Anastasia's Chosen Career• 1991 Anastasia at This Address• 1995 Anastasia Absolutely

Works by Lois Lowry continuedThe Sam Series• 1988 All About Sam• 1992 Attaboy Sam!• 1996 See You Around, Sam!• 1999 Zooman Sam.The Tates Series• 1983 The One Hundredth Thing

About Caroline• 1985 Switcharound• 1990 Your Move, J.P.!The Gooney Bird Series• 2002 Gooney Bird Greene-winner of

Rhode Island Children's Book Award• 2006 Gooney Bird and the Room

Mother• 2007 Gooney the Fabulous• 2009 Gooney Bird Is So Absurd

Works by Lois Lowry continuedAutobiographical• 1998 Looking BackOthers• 1977 A Summer to Die• 1978 Here in Kennebunkport• 1978 Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye• 1980 Autumn Street• 1983 Taking Care of Terrific• 1984 Us and Uncle Fraud• 1987 Rabble Starkey• 1989 Number the Stars, winner of

the 1990 Newbery Medal• 1997 Stay! Keeper's Story• 2003 Silent Boy• 2006 Gossamer• 2008 The Willoughbys• 2009 Crow Call• 2010 The Birthday Ball

Related Websites• Lois Lowry’s personal website and blog

www.loislowry.com• Wikipedia article on Lois Lowry

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_Lowry• Lois Lowry’s Scholastic page

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/lois-lowry