Journey into Childhood: The Autobiography of Lois Lenski

by Lois Lenski

1972: by Lois Lenski- An Autobiography.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Biography Memoir, Memoir

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_Lenski

Many of Lenski's books can be collated into 'series' - but since they don't have to be read in order, you may be better off just looking for more information here: http://library.illinoisstate.edu/uniq...

Probably her most famous set is the following:
American Regional Series

Beginning with Bayou Suzette in 1943, Lois Lenski began writing a series of books which would become known as her "regional series." In the early 1940s Lenski, who suffered from periodic bouts of ill-health, was told by her doctor that she needed to spend the winter months in a warmer climate than her Connecticut home. As a result, Lenski and her husband Arthur Covey traveled south each fall. Lenski wrote in her autobiography, "On my trips south I saw the real America for the first time. I saw and learned what the word region meant as I witnessed firsthand different ways of life unlike my own. What interested me most was the way children were living" (183).
In Journey Into Childhood, Lenski wrote that she was struck by the fact that there were "plenty of books that tell how children live in Alaska, Holland, China, and Mexico, but no books at all telling about the many ways children live here in the United States"

Bayou Suzette.
Strawberry Girl.
Blue Ridge Billy.
Judy's Journey.
Boom Town Boy.
Cotton in My Sack.
Texas Tomboy.
Prairie School.
Corn-Farm Boy.
San Francisco Boy.
Flood Friday.
Houseboat Girl.
Coal Camp Girl.
Shoo-Fly Girl.
To Be a Logger.
Deer Valley Girl.

Reviews

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. I remember reading her books as a child. I had no idea that Lois Lenski spent so much effort on research for her books. I am adding this book to my personal library.

[Ginnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite childhood authors and one of the reasons I love historical fiction so much. The story of Lois Lenski's is life is interesting and I love the part about when she was discovering that she was a writer instead of an artist.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a charming delightful book!This well know author/illustrator of children's books writes of her life in a format of small parcels; personal, art student, changes, teamwork, husband and wife, professional, even as she divides her chapters into decades. The most captivating part of this book is her reflection and memories of her childhood from 1893 -1911. Told with such love and affection for her family and of her childhood experiences, it is easy to see how she developed into such a seemingly kind and loving personality. I loved her descriptions of such warm and idyllic times.

She writes of her concerns about children, and her philosophy of kindness and discipline.Her feelings about children and writing seem to be in contrast to her husband's, whom she only refers to as Mr. Covey thru out the book. I have only read the Strawberry Girl , for which she received the Newberry award and her books about the Small Family. I think now, I will revisit the past and read them all, I look forward to reading her other regional stories and contrasting them with our world today. I wonder what kind of books she would write for children now.She seemed so instinctively in tune to them. In this autobiography much is left out, but one still gets a sense of the author and how she approached her work.,

[Kameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved finding out more about an author/illustrator I love. There is something so sweet about a life story told with precious reminisces of life at the turn of the century - dear memories and stories without sordid details or huge character flaws to get in the way.

[Linda Spear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since seeing the Lenski collection in the Springfield OH library, I've wanted to read this book but couldn't find a convenient library copy. SO I bought it and it was worth every penny of the $25+. She is such an excellent storyteller especially about her OWN life. I certainly did not warm up to her husband, however. I think it was very telling that she referred to him either as Arthur Covey or Mr. Covey and never in any particularly affectionate way. But hey, she was a success and apparently, so was he. Go figure.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Lois Lenski's work, so I would have enjoyed this book no matter what she said. The writing is simple and matter-of-fact; she didn't try to make this into a literary venture, but rather, a simple document chronicling her life as an author and artist. Considering how biographies are written these days, the style was starkly refreshing. The only thing I missed was her feelings about her private life, particularly with her husband. One could read between the lines in some areas to guess at what she really felt about certain events, but it was clear that she was going to put her best foot forward on this topic, and made nary a complaint. Admirable, really, but it left me longing for girl talk.