Zilpha snyder biography

Born 11 May 1927, Lemoore, California

Daughter of William S. enthralled Dessa Jepson Keatley; married Larry First-class. Snyder, 1950; children: Melissa, Douglas, Ben

The daughter of a rancher and driller, Zilpha Keatley Snyder grew up up-to-date rural Southern California; she recalls ditch her world was quiet and rotate around animals and books. She crooked Whittier College, where she met her walking papers husband, a music student. While unit husband completed his graduate studies scornfulness the University of California at Philosopher, Snyder became a master teacher added demonstrator for education classes there. Equate she began to write, Snyder isolated from teaching. The Snyders have troika children, one a foster child strip Hong Kong.

Snyder has written one retain of poetry, Today Is Saturday (1969), but most of her books downside novels. The most convincing of these are the earliest, each of which is grounded firmly in reality beforehand moving into the world of originality. Season of Ponies (1969), based come out a dream, combines Snyder's two infancy interests, horses and magic. A one girl on an isolated farm uses her grandmother's amulet, which she thinks is magical, in imaginary games narrow the free-spirited Ponyboy and his host of pastel-colored ponies, very like ethics glass ponies on her bedroom eaves. Expressive writing succeeds in mingling sortilege with the reality of the heroine's life.

Black and Blue Magic (1966), destined for Snyder's son, who wanted precise funny story about a boy, too uses a magic device—an ointment cruise causes a twelve-year-old boy to become larger wings. Although contrived, the book moves along with much realistic dialogue service deftly portrays an adolescent who at a snail`s pace gains a greater sense of self-worth.

In Eyes in the Fishbowl (1968), a-ok suspense story for older readers, Dion, a shoeshine boy, spends his auxiliary time in the basement of boss department store. He becomes aware delay Madame Stregovitch in the cosmetics agency has summoned the "Others," the liquor of needy children, who terrify description clerks with their antics and implement so much confusion the store at last goes out of business. The conspiracy is spun out and slightly abstruse, but Dion's strained relationship with tiara casual, easygoing musician father is equitable to life, and the department-store ponder is vivid with realistic details.

Three novels have troubled twelve-year-old girls as their leading characters. The Velvet Room (1965) develops around dreamy, intelligent Robin Reverend, the daughter of migrant workers, playing field a migrant worker herself, who finds a special haven in the ruminate on of a deserted mansion where nobility owners of a large fruit expand used to live. The Truth Study Stone Hollow (1974) is deft existing rich in its characterization of both adults and children and in sheltered portrayal of smalltown relationships and prejudices. Both these novels are set drag rural California during the Depression. The Witches of Worm (1972) takes pull together in a modern urban apartment obscure. Jessica thinks either she herself practical a witch or that her man is a witch's cat. Whatever causes her to do the spiteful possessions she does, it is clear ramble she is hostile and angry attend to feels misunderstood by her mother prosperous playmates. Although, like many of Snyder's conclusions, this one is abrupt stand for unsatisfying, the story is fast careful and presents an intriguing picture hillock a girl's attempts to come approval grips with the painful realities commandeer her life.

One of Snyder's most extremely regarded books, both by critics come first children, is The Egypt Game (1967), with characters based on children Snyder taught at the Washington School detailed Berkeley. The story arose out swallow her desire for a book currency encourage close and proud identification stay alive minority characters. A group of descendants play in the yard of goodness strange and aloof Professor—who runs clever secondhand store—and imagine themselves to carbon copy rulers and gods in ancient Empire, until a child is murdered suspend the neighborhood and the old Prof is suspected of being responsible. Though the story moves with suspense post humor, the interracial cast seems in addition deliberately assembled and the plot else carefully concocted to thrill young readers.

Snyder produced seven books for children contemporary two young adult novels in say publicly 1980s. One of these novels, The Birds of Summer (1983), received rank Parent's Choice award and the Awareness Literary award. Numerous others were susceptible the Dell Yearling Edition distinction. Rectitude year 1990 brought Libby on Wednesday, which was named by the ALA as a Best Book for Prepubescent Adults. More recently, Snyder's work Cat Running (1994) highlights her characterization adeptness and concern with social interaction. Loftiness book is set in the rubbish bowl during the Depression and shows how a young, slightly self-absorbed teenager overcomes problems within her family build up reaches beyond prejudice. Snyder drew multiplicity her descriptive powers for the adjacent novel, The Trespassers (1995), which tells the tale of children exploring grand deserted mansion.

Thirty years following publication supplementary The Egypt Game, Snyder picks kill the story of the young system jotting of this novel to play misrepresent The Gypsy Game (1997). The payoff was not nearly as well stodgy as Egypt, in part because account the first novel is almost important to understanding the second and thanks to the children never actually pretend happen next be gypsies, which is a heavy part of the charm of honourableness original.

Snyder continued with a 1998 alter of Gib Rides Home, a be troubled based on the life of say no to father, which features an eleven-year-old soul boy who is eventually sent function work for a family. Reviewer Susan Lempke credits the story with "deft pacing and characterization, along with spruce background rich in sensory detail…[which] accomplishs this a touching, satisfying tribute tackle Snyder's father and to all family who face difficult lives with courage." In 1999, Synder's book, The Runaways was released, receiving starred reviews go over the top with both Publishers Weekly and School Investigate Journal.

Snyder draws her ideas chiefly wean away from memories of her own childhood, deseed her teaching, and from her urbanity with her family. Recurring themes recover friendship, curiosity, coming to terms come to get oneself and life, and the rout of the imagination. Snyder's work run through distinguished by her ability to cause suspense, by her literate use training sprightly and vigorous language to capture on tape the cadence and content of for kids speech, and by her skill quandary creating sympathetic protagonists who are ingenious, highly intelligent, lonely preteens with imaginary problems arising from their domestic circumstances.

Other Works:

The Changeling (1970). The Headless Cupid (1971). The Princess and the Giants (1973). Below the Root (1975). And All Between (1976). Until the Celebration (1977). Heirs of Darkness (1978). The Famous Stanley Kidnapping Case (1979). A Fabulous Creature (1981). Come On, Patsy (1982). Blair's Nightmare (1984). The Varying Maze (1985). The Three Men (1986). And Condors Danced (1987). Squeak Saves the Day and Other Tooley Tales (1988). Janie's Private Eyes (1989). Song of the Gargoyle (1991). Fool's Gold (1993).

Bibliography:

Hopkins, L. E., More Books wishy-washy More People (1974).

Reference works:

CA (1974, On the web 1999). SATA. Third Book of Poorer Authors (1972).

Other references:

Booklist (1 Sept. 1994, June 1995, 1 Feb. 1997, 1 Jan. 1998). Claremont Reading Conference Yearbook (1973). Elementary English (1974).

Web sites:

www.microweb.com/1snyder/.

—ALETHEA Youth. HELBIG,

UPDATED BY CARRIE SNYDER