Julia Morgan Built a Castle

by Celeste Davidson Mannis, Miles Hyman (Illustrator)

From the time she was little, Julia Morgan wanted to know how everything fit together. Her family often visited San Francisco, where she could puzzle over the many new buildings under construction there. Julia desperately wanted to be an architect—but in the late nineteenth century that was rare for a woman. Julia was not deterred. After several rejections, she finally made it into the prestigious all-male École des Beaux Arts, in Paris. She also became California's first licensed female architect and designed over 800 buildings, including newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst's magnificent San Simeon. With exquisite illustrations, this is the story of a spirited pioneer.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Art, Childrens, Architecture

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 19, 2006

About the author

Celeste Davidson Mannis, the award winning author of several books for children, is convinced she has the best job in the world. "Writing for children is one of my greatest joys. Children are wonderfully open to new ideas. My goal is to explore aspects of our world - its people, cultures, history, and natural wonders - in a way that fuels their amazing intelligence and curiosity. Knowledge is power, and it's my fondest wish that through my books I can help provide children with a sense of their own potential and unique place in the greater world community."

Born in Los Angeles, California, Celeste now resides there with her much loved husband and daughters. She promises to go grocery shopping soon! Celeste holds undergraduate degrees in History and The History of Art, as well as a Masters in Business Administration, all from the University of Southern California. She has also studied British History and Renaissance Art History at the University of London.

Reviews

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of Julia Morgan before picking up this book up at the library and only checked it out because it was something on the new arrivals shelf. Now I can’t wait to read more about this captivating woman who was ahead of her time. Passionate about architecture she was determined to attend the best school available for her craft: The Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France. However in the late 1800s the Ecole would not even allow woman to apply. Julia’s story of persistence and hard work is an inspiring one that should be known to all. The famous Hurst Castle is her most well-known accomplishment, yet her stunning work was also done on more a humble scale. Fascinating read about a fascinating woman.

[Sarah Maddaford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author did an excellent job of presenting all her research in an enjoyable narrative format. The illustrations are as grand as the buildings that Julia Morgan designed. I can hardly believe that the Ecole des Beaux-Arts required her to take their test 3 times before allowing her entry. I guess the American schools really were more progressive at the time because I would have thought getting into an engineering program would be just as difficult.

[Emily Sefcheck · Rating 4 out of 5]

3rd-6th grade
Genre: Biography

This unique story is examines the breaking down of barriers to follow a dream. It shows the value and power of following a dream, even if it seems crazy. I would recommend this book for a read-aloud.

[Crystal M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooowww have I never heard about Julia Morgan before, esp since I’m a Cali native?! Talk about a Boss Bitch! Really shows how much harder women had to work to earn what is just given to men. Lovely illustrations and v informative! Will def have to get my classroom a copy.

[Brittnay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the artwork and the book was extremely informative! It was a little too wordy for my liking, however, it was well-written!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea. Seems like she was the "Marie Curie" of architecture. I got goosebumps, twice, while reading this story.

I'm from CA and never thought to visit here.
It's halfway between SF and L.A.
http://hearstcastle.org/

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Booktalked at Women's History Storytime.

Nice biography of an architect, the first female to graduate from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The paintings, as expected for a book about an architect, are amazingly detailed. The kids had a lot of questions about this book, and they really liked the pictures of the construction sites. I wish there was a final picture of the Hearst Castle, Morgan's largest project. However, it was good to have a solid, enjoyable picture book about a lesser-known woman of history.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in the late 1800s, Julia is a gifted child who fought against discrimination of women to become a successful architect; she was the first woman to study at Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris. The prose itself is poignant without being overbearing; vivid imagery and description are used to immerse the reader in Julia’s plight. The adjoining illustrations reinforce the text by displaying important parts of the narrative (Julia working, Julia graduating college). These illustrations are rich in color and detail.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to the architect Julia Morgan, the first women architect to Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and California's first licensed woman architect. She was prolific designer of hundreds of buildings including Hearst Castle in San Simeon and Asilomar in Pacific Grove.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really made me interested in more of her life. I want to look up her different projects.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book to read to all ages, very informative.

[Jennifer Rummel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun introduction to Julia Moran - made me want to read a deeper biography

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for 5420 class

[Jacqueline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting piece of hidden history with soft art.