>
VIRGINIA HAMILTON
America’s Storyteller
VIRGINIA HAMILTON
Julie K. Rubini
BIOGRAPHIES FOR YOUNG READERS
Ohio University Press
Athens
Ohio University Press, Athens, Ohio 45701
© 2017 by Ohio University Press
All rights reserved
To obtain permission to quote, reprint, or otherwise reproduce or distribute material from Ohio University Press publications, please contact our rights and permissions department at (740) 593-1154 or (740) 593-4536 (fax).
Printed in the United States of America
Ohio University Press books are printed on acid-free paper
27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 5 4 3 2 1
Frontispiece: Virginia Hamilton and one of the frogs from her collection.
© 2016 The Arnold Adoff Revocable Living Trust
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Rubini, Julie, author.
Title: Virginia Hamilton : America’s storyteller / Julie K. Rubini.
Description: Athens, Ohio : Ohio University Press, 2017. | Series: Biographies for young readers | Includes bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2017006568| ISBN 9780821422687 (hardback) | ISBN 9780821422694 (pb) | ISBN 9780821446010 (pdf)
Subjects: LCSH: Hamilton, Virginia, 1936–2002—Juvenile literature. | Authors, American—20th century—Biography—Juvenile literature. | African American authors—Biography—Juvenile literature. | Children’s stories—Authorship—Juvenile literature. | BISAC: JUVENILE NONFICTION / Biography & Autobiography / General. | JUVENILE NONFICTION / Biography & Autobiography / Women.
Classification: LCC PS3558.A444 Z85 2017 | DDC 813/.54 [B] —dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017006568
Contents
Virginia’s Awards and Recognition
Virginia’s Chronological List of Works
Author’s Note
I’VE KNOWN of Virginia Hamilton for a long time. I knew she was an amazing author. I was also aware that she had received every major award in children’s literature.
A number of years ago, I attended the Virginia Hamilton Conference, which was established while she was still with us. The event continues as the longest-running conference to focus exclusively on multicultural literature for children of all ages.
I went to the conference specifically to meet author Angela Johnson. Angela was a participating author that year at the conference. (Years later, Angela received the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award.) My husband and I had established a children’s book festival in memory of our late daughter, Claire. We wanted Angela to join us at Claire’s Day. I attended the event and convinced Angela to share her talent at our festival. (It didn’t take much effort.)
While attending the conference, I was amazed at how much I didn’t know about Virginia. So began my journey to learn more about this incredible writer, mother, presenter, wife, and human being.
Along the way, I’ve come to know the characters that Virginia created. Mayo Cornelius Higgins. Zeely and Geeder. Junior Brown and Buddy Clark. Thomas Small. And so many more.
I’ve come to know her husband, Arnold Adoff.
And I’ve come to know a woman who wore many labels on her chest, and wore them well. I wished I had been given the chance to meet her. Yet, after a great amount of time researching and writing about her life, I feel as though I have.
I hope you feel the same after reading Virginia Hamilton: America’s Storyteller—Virginia’s story.
And that you feel inspired to read her
