Lynne Jonell was the third child or a pastor and a music teacher and describes her child self as less than “the model of decorum that neighbors and parishioners seemed to expect.” After marrying and having children of her own, she found herself in sympathy with her own children’s frustrations over their limitations, and their longing for more freedom and control over their lives. These issues became central in her books, in which fantasy helps children to cope with their frustrations. Her books try to speak for children, and to express what they feel but lack the maturity to express.
Biographical Sources:
Children's Literature Network website
www.childrensliteraturenetwork.org
From the guide to the Lynne Jonell Papers, (University of Minnesota Libraries Children's Literature Research Collections [clrc])
