Smith, Doris Buchanan

Doris Buchanan Smith, Georgia author of children's literature.

Doris Buchanan Smith ws born June 1, 1934, in Washington, D.C., and died August 8, 2002, in Atlanta Georgia. She lived most of her life in Georgia. She attended South Georgia College from 1952-1953, but never entered the job market. Instead, she married and became a full-time mother, and also, over the years, a foster mother to over 200 children. In the early 1970s she used her knowledge and understanding of children and adolescents to write a series of realistic young adult novels which dealt with issues such as death, divorce, child abuse, and dyslexia. She was, in fact, the first modern writer to tackle the difficult theme of the death of a playmate. Her work has received much critical acclaim, and several awards and honors. Biographical Sources: Something About the Author, vols. 28, 75, 140, Something About the Author Autobiographty Series, vol. 10.

Doris Buchanan Smith is the recipient of the ALA norable book citation (1973), the Child Study Association Book of the Year Award (1973), the Georgia Children's Book Author of the Year (1974, 1975, 1982), Georgia General Author of the Year (1974), Georgia Children's Book Award (1975), a Breadloaf fellowship (1975), and other awards.