Hurwitz, Johanna

Johanna Hurwitz is one of the most popular and prolific authors of chapter books for beginning readers and novels for older children. She was born in New York City in 1937, the child of book-loving parents. Johanna decided at an early age to become a librarian and writer, both of which she did. After graduation from Queens College and Columbia University, she began her career as a children's librarian in 1959. Two years later she married and soon had two children.She had been writing poems and stories since she was a child, but didn't publish her first book, Busybody Nora, until 1976. She has written books in a variety of loosely jointed series, focusing on children's lives and problems that they may encounter, such as death of a parent or divorce. Her books generally have an optimistic ending, reflecting her own attitude. She has also written a few non-fiction works that are biographies of people whose lives will be interesting to children. She loves writing for children because she is interested in that period of life. She has said, "'There is an intensity and seriousness about childhood which fascinates me.'"Biographical Source: Something About the Author, vol. 113, p.84-89.