Lois Lenski
Lois Lenski was an influential American author and illustrator known for her significant contributions to children's literature. Born on October 14, 1893, in Springfield, Ohio, she spent her childhood in Anna, Ohio, developing an early passion for art and storytelling. After earning a Bachelor of Science in art and education from Ohio State University in 1915, Lenski honed her skills in New York City and London, where she illustrated several books. Her literary career began with her first book, *Skipping Village*, published in 1927, and she became renowned for her historical fiction that depicted the lives of children in various American regions, often focusing on underrepresented communities.
Lenski's work is celebrated for its authentic portrayal of regional dialects and cultural nuances, which garnered both praise and criticism. Her notable books, including *Strawberry Girl*, which won the Newbery Medal in 1946, reflect her commitment to illuminating the experiences of resilient characters facing socioeconomic challenges. Over her career, she received numerous accolades, including the Regina Medal from the Catholic Library Association in 1968. After the death of her husband in 1960, Lenski moved to Florida, where she continued her creative endeavors until her passing on September 11, 1974. Her legacy endures, with schools named in her honor and her works remaining influential in the realm of children's literature.
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Subject Terms
Lois Lenski
Children's Literature Writer
- Born: October 14, 1893
- Birthplace: Springfield, Ohio
- Died: September 11, 1974
- Place of death: Tarpon Springs, Florida
Biography
Lois Lenski was born on October 14, 1893, at Springfield, Ohio, to Lutheran minister Richard Charles Henry Lenski and teacher Marietta Young Lenski. Her childhood was primarily spent in Anna, Ohio, where Lenski and her four siblings moved with their parents in 1899 and lived in the parsonage. Lenski attended high school at nearby Sidney. A visiting church fresco artist gave her lessons, and her paintings won awards at the county fair.
Lenski’s father, a Capital University alumnus, joined his alma mater’s theological faculty in 1911, moving his family to Columbus, Ohio. Lenski studied art and education at Ohio State University, receiving a B.S. in 1915. She traveled to New York City to enhance her skills, attending classes at the Art Students’ League through 1920 and at the School of Industrial Art. She showed her portfolio to New York publishers, receiving a commission to illustrate a coloring book in 1918. Lenski later moved to London, England, to attend the Westminster School of Art. While she resided in London, she illustrated several books for a publisher.
In 1921, the year she returned to the United States, Lenski married artist Arthur S. Covey, who specialized in creating murals and was one of her teachers in New York. The couple later had one son. Lenski lived in Hawington, Connecticut, where she established her studio on a large farm in 1929. She illustrated books for publishers and displayed her paintings in galleries.
To supplement her illustration career, Lenski, encouraged by editor Helen Dean Fish, decided to write and illustrate children’s books. The first book she both wrote and illustrated was Skipping Village, published in 1927. Lenski also wrote rhymes for both young and adult readers and plays about migrant workers for the National Council of Churches. She began writing historical fiction in the mid-1930’s. Lenski traveled throughout the United States, staying in people’s homes in order to experience varying regional cultures, livelihoods, traditions, pastimes, and socioeconomic classes. She used this information to write and illustrate novels featuring children who sometimes lived in misunderstood and disregarded areas of the country.
Although some critics disliked Lenski’s inclusion of dialects and idioms in her work, most reviewers praised Lenski for her authentic depictions of regional and historical settings and for preserving often marginalized aspects of American social history. Many scholars admired Lenski’s characterizations of resilient, resourceful females and portrayal of impoverished people whom other children’s writers generally had ignored.
Lenski’s books received numerous awards and honors. In 1946, Strawberry Girl won the Newbery Medal from the American Library Association (ALA). The ALA also named Phebe Fairchild: Her Book and Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison Newbery Honor Books in 1937 and 1942, respectively. Lenski’s novel, Bayou Suzette, won the 1944 Martha Kinney Cooper Ohioana Medal, and the Child Study Association of America presented Judy’s Journey its Children’s Book Award in 1947. In 1968, the Catholic Library Association honored Lenski with its Regina Medal in recognition of her impact on children’s literature. Lois Lenski Elementary School in Littleton, Colorado, was named in her honor.
After Lenski’s husband died in 1960, she settled in Florida. She died in Tarpon Springs, Florida, on September 11, 1974.