About the author
The Biography of Natalie Babbitt
On July 28, 1932 a great author was born. Her name is Natalie
Babbitt. Babbitt is the daughter of Ralph Zane a business administrator.
Natalie Babbitt married Samuel Fisher Babbitt. He is the Vice President
of Brown University. Natalie Babbitt went to Smith College and earned
her Batchelor of Arts in 1954. When Babbitt graduated from Smith College
she traveled with her husband to Connecticut, Tennessee, and Washington
D.C. for ten years raising her children. Natalie’s hobbies and interests
are needlework, piano, and word puzzles. Did you know that Natalie Babbitt
wanted to be an illustrator when she was a little girl. All she wanted to
do was draw and read fairy tales. Her mother was a portrait painter
and she gave her art lessons. She grew up wanting to be an illustrator.
She studied art at Laurel School and at Smith College.
Most of her books are fantasies set in the past because
she thinks it's easier to a fantasy somehow if it's set 30 or 50 years
ago. Babbitt likes to write for children because she is interested
in fantasy and the possibilities associated with fantasy. When Natalie
writes her books she starts with a single image such as a mountain and
what can be found behind it or a single word. While she thinks about
the image or on the word she imagines the characters and what the characters
would say.
Babbitt wrote Phoebe’s Revolt in 1968, the search for Delicious
in1969, Knee Knock Rose in 1970. It was the
Newbery Honor book, The Something in 1970, Goody Hall in 1971, The Devil's
story book in1974, Tuck Everlasting in 1975, The eyes of the Amaryllis
in 1977, Herbert Row Barge in 1982, The Devil’s other
story book in 1987, and Nellie: A cat on her own.