Zilpha keatley snyder biography of alberta

When David looks at the card, he notices that it is the nine of hearts, but the game is over before Blair knows whether he answered correctly. David and the reader now realize that it is Amanda who does not get it, or she does not want to be upstaged. Amanda's insensitivity and sour mood are in contrast to David's supportive attitude and Blair's gentle manner.

At this point, Amanda's bossy behavior does not garner much sympathy for her character. Snyder does not leave Amanda in this static position too long. Her characters model the process by which people can change and grow. The reader gets a glimpse of a different Amanda at the end of the seance scene when the children discover that Janie has offered her mother's ring to the spirit world.

David is upset, and Janie is heartbroken when she realizes the ring is gone forever. David insists that they need the ring back. At first Amanda is unsympathetic and stalwart, but seeing David's concern and Janie's remorse, she begins to soften. Her hesitation gives readers a split-second view of the empathetic person behind the mask. Before Amanda gives in, however, Blair emerges from Amanda's room with the missing ring.

Amanda has begun to warm up. There are further changes in her personality when she begins to participate with the younger children. At first she competes for their attention by challenging David's story-reading ability. When she discovers the children like her dramatic approach, she begins to see a positive role for herself in the family.

The children like her. Perhaps they aren't so bad after all! Another event that promotes change is when Amanda becomes frightened by the noisy, unexplained appearance of the cupid's head. She had no control over this event and cowers behind David. In an honest exchange with David, she confesses that she was responsible for the other phenomena, using theatrics and scare tactics to frighten the family so they would want to move out.

David has known this for a while, but he does not gloat, nor does he show anger. He listens and asks questions about how she created the ghostly activities and, more important, why she did it. At this point he is modeling problem-solving behavior. He does not solve her problems for her, however. Amanda takes responsibility for her actions by having private discussions with Molly and her stepfather, which takes the burden for telling off David.

For the first time, the Stanleys get to see the real Amanda. By observing Amanda's behavior, readers learn that it is better to face new, uncomfortable situations by being yourself. Being yourself does not mean having to do zilpha keatley snyder biography of alberta by yourself. The children demonstrate how even the younger members of the family contribute to creative problem solving.

Janie's resourcefulness solves several problems during the Stanley's trial with Amanda's tests, causing David to comment that "every once in awhile Janie used her brains for something besides making a fool of herself" Blair also solves problems. In addition to finding their mother's "lost" ring, he uses kindness to befriend and tame the unruly crow.

He also discovers the location of the cupid's head. Even younger readers will see that the Stanley family works together to find solutions to challenging problems. Not all questions have black-and-white answers at the end of the novel, however. Blair's character is a case in point. If anyone has a sixth sense in this story, it is Blair.

He stands apart from the others, frequently ignored, ghostlike, slipping in and out of the plot, but always contributing to it in positive ways. He is perhaps much like his deceased mother, whom David describes as an "unusual person … beautiful and gentle and uncertain, and full of strange ideas about things that never happen to ordinary people" She believed in ghosts, talked to animals, and had premonitions.

David also notes to the reader that she believed in good omens like rainbows and church bells. Unlike Amanda, Blair has no pretenses, but he does confide to David that he knows Amanda kicks the crow when she is angry and that a ghost girl told him where to find the cupid's head. He also tells David the ghost girl is happy for the cupid to have its head returned.

David believes Blair, and he is curious to know more, but unlike his discussion with Amanda, he realizes that "there was no use asking Blair what he was thinking—and besides, with Blair, thinking didn't seem to have a lot to do with understanding, anyway" Perhaps Snyder uses Blair's character to show readers that although there are shams in the world, there are also some things that are not easily explained.

Like many good mystery writers, Snyder leaves openings for contemplation suggesting that we need to be critical thinkers, but we also need to save room for the gray areas in life. Zilpha Keatley Snyder has written a mystery with a message for young adolescents. The Headless Cupid is a story about attachment and reattachment; it is about finding your identity and self-worth.

The book has received many recognitions and honors including being selected as the U. This delightfully written novel is readable and understandable. It deserves to be made accessible for readers of all ages. English Journal 83, no. The Kindar inhabit the trees of Green-sky, reveling in the bright sunlight and soaring through the light gravity [in Below the Root ].

Their utopia is threatened only by the mysterious, monstrous Pash-shan, who inhabit the ground below a magical root structure. The characters are richly drawn, and the story is engaging and well crafted. Even an unwary reader might easily make significant connections with our own society's fears and prejudices. Growing up before the age of television, traveling infrequently, and watching few movies, the young Snyder depended on books for entertainment.

Snyder decided at the age of eight to become a writer, but many years passed before the publication of her first book, Season of Ponies. Before her success as a writer, Snyder attended college, married, had children, and taught school in Berkeley, California, for nine years. Her former students have inspired many of Snyder's characters and plots, as have her own experiences, family, friends, pets, interests, and travels.

The Birds of Summer describes a family environment unfamiliar to many young adults. Summer, the daughter of an ex-hippie, lives in a trailer in the woods. Her free-spirited mother allows her more liberties than most fifteen-year-olds receive, and Summer faces few restrictions. But Summer's lifestyle also demands adult responsibilities.

She raises her younger sister and works to keep the family together, compensating for her mother's childishness and irresponsibility. These extraordinary responsibilities, combined with her lack of a father, leave Summer feeling very lonely as she confronts the onset of puberty and an increasing awareness of her sexuality. In addition to following Summer's growth as a character, the novel provides a fast-paced plot.

Summer's mother accidentally becomes involved with drug dealers, endangering herself and her family. Summer and her friend Nicky assume the responsibility for solving this dilemma. Summer's upbringing differs vastly from that of most teenagers, but her more typical concerns make her easy to relate to. The book explores many conflicts relevant to young adults: maturity, responsibility, parent-adolescent relationships, friendship, sexuality, and loneliness.

Snyder presents these issues with understanding and sophistication. Set in the s, the novel tells the story of Summer McIntyre, who lives with her mother, Oriole, and her seven-year-old sister, Sparrow, in Alvarro, California. Oriole harbors romantic visions of getting back to nature and living the simple life, but she depends upon welfare to raise her family.

The McIntyres live in a wooded area in a trailer that they rent from their friends and neighbors, the Fishers. The Fishers own some greenhouses in which they grow strawberries and tomatoes to sell in town. Oriole occasionally works for the Fishers but spends most of her time with whatever man she happens to be dating at the time; consequently, she devotes little attention to her children.

The California setting provides a crucial element to the story: the "laid back" atmosphere lets Oriole feel safe in allowing her children to roam freely. She believes they will survive, adapt, and grow up to be a part of the zilpha keatley snyder biography of alberta community. But when a drifter enters their lives, their unquestioning trust and acceptance of him lead to their involvement with a drug gang.

Fifteen-year-old Summer learns a great deal about life as she confronts the problems of impending adulthood. She has trouble understanding her nonconformist mother and misses her absentee father, to whom she frequently writes letters. Having nowhere to send these letters, Summer simply collects them. Her male companion Nicky no longer enjoys their childhood games and now desires her sexually.

Oriole will never be ready for motherhood. Summer and Sparrow have different fathers, neither of whom has maintained contact with the family, and men continue to come in and out of Oriole's life frequently. Nevertheless, she dedicates all of her time to whomever she happens to love at the moment. During the course of the novel her misplaced loyalties fall upon a drug dealer, and the Fishers and Oriole begin to grow marijuana in the greenhouses.

In the end, Oriole realizes that her lack of responsibility has cost her a closeness with her children that can never be recaptured. Sparrow shares many of her mother's carefree qualities, seeing the good in things and rarely questioning the bad. Sparrow demonstrates her active imagination when she creates an imaginary friend to replace Marina Fisher, who suddenly disappears from her life.

Her search for Marina, who she feels certain still lives at home, leads to the climactic shootout at the Fishers' house. The Fishers have been Oriole's friends since the s when they lived together in a commune. Nicky Fisher, their son, wants to explore his new sexual awareness with Summer, but the two young adults decide not to rush into a physical relationship and instead concentrate on ridding their families of the intruding drug dealers.

Confused by the increasingly complex issues surrounding her, Summer finds both relief and further complications in her relationships with her wealthy employers, the Olivers, and her English teacher, Mr. Both the Olivers and the Pardells understand Summer's problems and offer to help. The Olivers plan to move to Connecticut, and offer to take Summer with them as their housekeeper.

This offers Summer an opportunity to escape her troubles, but also demands that she make an important decision to leave her family and responsibilities. Pardell reads one of her letters to her father after she accidentally turns it in to him. He probably learns more about Summer from her writing than she knows about herself. Wishing to help, he hires Summer to clean his house while his wife is in the hospital.

Both the Olivers and the Pardells act as counselors for Summer, offering adult perspectives that her mother lacks. Many themes pervade this novel. Summer's unorthodox mother provides an unusual look at the parent-child relationship. The book also examines how single-parent families affect adolescents. Summer and Nicky come to terms with their heightened sexuality, and they also confront the drug dealers, who represent one of today's major societal problems.

A subtler theme centers on the positive and negative aspects of imagination. Summer never knew her father, yet she has created an image of him and actually communicates with this image through the letters she writes. Similarly, Sparrow recreates her lost friend Marina. The different effects of these imaginative indulgences illustrate both the helpful and the detrimental aspects of emotional compensation.

Snyder presents important and sensitive themes in the context of a suspenseful story. Most readers will find themselves intrigued by the turns of the plot and stimulated by the challenges the McIntyres present to standard images of the family unit. The characters' names symbolize their personalities. While Oriole and Sparrow possess free spirits, Summer offers light, growth, and hope to a family lacking responsible parental guidance.

Summer's letter to Mr. Pardell at the end of the novel is a symbol of hope, demonstrating that she has begun to replace her intense longing for her father with more beneficial relationships. Aside from the suspenseful conflict with the drug dealers, secondary confrontations add interest. Early in the book, Snyder introduces several conflicts that are not resolved until the end.

For example, Summer devises a way to bring Sparrow along when she moves to Connecticut with the Olivers. This foreshadows Summer's arrangements for Sparrow's welfare, but the plan is not actually revealed until the end of the novel. Snyder's well-developed plot, believable characters, and flowing, descriptive language provide an absorbing narrative.

The Birds of Summer addresses complex and mature themes such as the single-parent family, drugs, and teenage sexuality with great sensitivity. Summer and Nicky share a developing awareness of their sexuality, yet they decide to wait until they feel ready for romantic involvement. Although the teenagers discuss sex openly and frequently, the issue is not exploited.

By the end of the book Summer and Nicky become closer friends for having confronted their concerns in a mature and mutually respectful manner. Some readers may find the novel's portrayal of a single-parent family disturbing and should be reminded that Snyder does not present Summer's situation as a typical example of such a family. Oriole's lack of responsibility stands in stark contrast to the increased needs her children experience as a result of not having a father.

Her failure as a parent culminates with her involvement in a drug gang. Snyder clearly depicts the negative aspects of drugs, and Oriole pays dearly for her poor judgment. Teachers will want to assure students that many single-parent homes do not end in such catastrophe and that parents cannot always be blamed for their misfortunes. English Journal 80, no.

Until now, Libby has been schooled at home by her father and grandmother [in Libby on Wednesday ]. She is irked when her actress mother demands that she be sent to school to be socialized. Teased by other students because she is small and smart, Libby becomes a loner until she wins a writing contest. Then she and four other "misfits," at the behest of their teacher, reluctantly become members of Famous Future Writers.

Here a boy with cerebral palsya pink-haired punker, an airhead, an angry young man, and Libby meet and share writing. This sensitively written story concentrates on the development of precocious, spirited characters rather than on plot. School Library Journal 37, no. Eluding the visored knights who kidnap his jester father, Tymmon, 13, flees the kingdom of Austerneve, taking refuge in the vast Sombrous Forest.

Frightened and bitterly longing for the knighthood his lowly station prevents him from attaining, the boy is befriended by a creature he believes to be a stone gargoyle come to life, although it passes as a large ugly dog. The animal identifies itself as Troff and accompanies Tymmon on his travels. In the walled city of Montreff, Troff displays an unexpected talent for singing while Tymmon plays the flute, enabling them to make a decent living as street musicians.

Hints dropped throughout the story concerning the identity of Tymmon's parents are fleshed out by a mysterious old man, whose tale sends Tymmon back toward Austerneve, bound to rescue or avenge his father. An appealing hero, as impulsive and warmhearted as Taran in Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three Holt, ; a setting reminiscent of a medieval tapestry; and a satisfying plot make Snyder's latest novel a solid addition to fantasy collections.

Journal of Reading 37, no. Rudy has volunteered to babysit his two younger sisters for the summer [in Fool's Gold ]. What possessed Rudy to zilpha keatley snyder biography of alberta for this torment? It is the only way he figures he will be able to avoid entering Pritchard's Hole, an abandoned mining shaft, with his friend Barney.

It seems that Rudy has an advanced case of claustrophobia. What begins as an amusing story of a brother dealing with impossible younger sibs ends up exploring the larger issues of responsibility. Rudy learns that telling the truth can help conquer unreasonable fears. Horn Book Magazine 71, no. Zilpha Keatley Snyder has the felicitous gift for writing a page-turner with depth of characterization and insight into social concerns.

Cat Running is no exception. Cat Kinsey, the fastest runner in her school, is strong-willed and imaginative—qualities she needs to cope with the intransigency of her family, the jibes of her classmates, and the demands of her own conscience. She longs to be as up-to-date as the other girls in her sixth-grade class and wear slacks for racing—it is the s—but her father finds such garb unseemly.

Rather than give in, Cat simply refuses to run, sublimating her disappointment by furnishing a secret grotto she has accidentally discovered. The situation takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of the Perkins family, refugees from the dust bowl who disrupt Cat's tidy world. Zane, barefooted and undernourished, threatens her position as champion runner; the younger children discover her prized hideout; and Cat becomes aware of the effects of poverty on once-proud people.

The dramatic resolution builds on Cat's growing empathy for the "Okies," as the townsfolk call them, and her skill at running. The narrative is always consistent with Cat's point of view; the author's ability to suggest the multi-dimensionality of secondary characters without slowing the pace of her story is truly remarkable. School Library Journal 41, no.

Sports enthusiasts Carlos, Eddy, and Bucky want to claim the spot for a baseball diamond and chop down the trees. However, Kate, Aurora, and Athena believe the grove is a perfect haven for unicorns, and they expect to see one any day. Alliances are formed and plans are made as the youngsters choose to attack or defend the precious plot of land.

A meeting to "talk about it" is arranged, but when the girls plant a pet boa constrictor to frighten the boys, diplomacy fails. An eleventh-hour end to the war comes when the death of a horse loved by all the children unites them in their sorrow and gives the boys a place to play ball. The issue of using a pellet gun is argued and, although no shots are fired, the scene in which the gun is aimed by a child at a child is frightening.

The kids of Castle Court are a lively, diversified group, representing many cultures, interests, and ages. The central characters are well developed, and other youngsters readers might expect to meet in future series entries are introduced. Both the situations and dialogue are humorous. The action is fast-paced, with end-of-chapter teasers guaranteed to keep the pages turning.

School Library Journal 42, no. Everyone is most curious about genius Web Wong's project until something more compelling attracts notice: two strange-looking men in a black van have been lurking in their neighborhood for several days without a legitimate reason. The A. Anti-terrorist club members sound the alert and foil the bad guys' attempt to foul local drinking water for monetary gain a developer's scheme.

This story has a comfortable suburban setting and an array of middle-class, multiethnic characters with whom many kids will identify—and just enough twists in the plot to keep the pages turning. When they climb inside the open window of an old, formerly grand estate, they find a dusty nursery, fascinating toys, a mystery, and—perhaps—a ghost. Then relatives of the original builder, including troubled sixth-grader Curtis, move into the house.

Although now a welcome guest, Neely discovers that she must protect Grub from an unexpected enemy. Snyder's evocative descriptions of Halcyon House bring the place alive and leave readers as captivated, and as curious, as the Bradfords. Some of the characters veer toward stereotypes the dysfunctional rich family; the beautiful, odd little brotherbut Neely is unique—a bright, confident, caring girl anyone would love to have as a sister or friend.

The book is tinged with enough suspense to keep the pages turning, and the ending is both hopeful and satisfying. The Trespassers is a well-written alternative to mass-market thrillers, appropriate for youngsters who like to shiver—but not too much. Publishers Weeklyno. Having laid to rest the enactments of ancient rituals described so unforgettably in the classic The Egypt Game, Snyder's charismatic crew of five sharp middle-schoolers and one precocious 4-year-old trade in their robes and headdresses for colorful jewels and decide to become Gypsies [in The Gypsy Game ].

But before they have a chance to convert their favorite meeting place, the shack behind the A-Z antique store, into a Gypsy camp, the most distracted member of the gang, Toby, who professes to be "one-quarter genuine Gypsy," suddenly disappears. Laced with mystery, this sequel has much of the allure of its predecessor. Again, the darkness of the adult world overshadows the children's play: Toby's snobbish grandparents want to take him away from his unconventional father; and Toby, thinking he needs to protect his father, evades his grandparents in a dingy section of town.

The plotting is not quite as tight, with the author taking a circuitous route around the mystery to allow for the discussion of social issues like homelessness; and Toby, a central figure here, is not developed quite as compellingly as April in The Egypt Game. But these are differences of small degrees, and the work continues to offer Snyder's well-nigh irresistible combination of suspense, wit and avowal of the imagination.

The book's gratifying denouement leads the way for a third installment for readers to eagerly await.

Zilpha keatley snyder biography of alberta

Ages Horn Book Magazine 73, no. It's been thirty years since the publication of Snyder's Newbery Honor book The Egypt Game, but the sequel [ The Gypsy Game ] picks up right where the first left off; and for April, Melanie, and the others, not a second has passed. The sequel features Snyder's familiar cliffhanger chapter endings, with the suspense this time involving Toby and the threat of an impending custody battle, prompting him to run away.

Although the story moves with suspense and humor, the interracial cast seems too deliberately assembled and the plot too carefully concocted to thrill young readers. Snyder produced seven books for children and two young adult novels in the s. Numerous others were given the Dell Yearling Edition distinction. More recently, Snyder's work Cat Running highlights her characterization skills and concern with social interaction.

The book is set in the dust bowl during the Depression and shows how a young, slightly self-absorbed girl overcomes problems within her family and reaches beyond prejudice. Snyder drew on her descriptive powers for the next novel, The Trespasserswhich tells the tale of children exploring a deserted mansion. Thirty years following publication of The Egypt GameSnyder picks up the story of the young characters of this novel to play in The Gypsy Game The sequel was not nearly as well received as Egyptin part because reading the first novel is almost essential to understanding the second and because the children never actually pretend to be gypsies, which is a large part of the charm of the original.

Snyder continued with a publication of Gib Rides Homea work based on the life of her father, which features an eleven-year-old orphan boy who is eventually sent to work for a family. Reviewer Susan Lempke credits the story with "deft pacing and characterization, along with a background rich in sensory detail…[which] makes this a touching, satisfying tribute to Snyder's father and to all children who face difficult lives with courage.

Snyder draws her ideas chiefly from memories of her own childhood, from her teaching, and from her life with her family. Recurring themes involve friendship, curiosity, coming to terms with oneself and life, and the power of the imagination. Snyder's work is distinguished by her ability to build suspense, by her literate use of sprightly and vigorous language to capture the cadence and content of children's speech, and by her skill in creating sympathetic protagonists who are imaginative, highly intelligent, lonely preteens with psychological problems arising from their domestic circumstances.

The Changeling The Headless Cupid The Princess and the Giants Below the Root And All Between Until the Celebration Heirs of Darkness The Famous Stanley Kidnapping Case A Fabulous Creature Come On, Patsy Elizabethan Diplomacy. Moods and Maybes. The Ceremony for the Dead. The Oracle of Thoth. The Oracle Speaks. Where is Security? Confession and Confusion.

Fear Strikes. The Hero. Gains and Losses. Christmas Keys. Free Quiz. Social Sensitivity. American author — Biography [ edit ]. Awards and honors [ edit ]. Published books [ edit ]. The Egypt Game series [ edit ]. Stanley Family series [ edit ]. Green Sky trilogy [ edit ]. Main article: Green Sky Trilogy. Castle Court Kids series [ edit ].

Gib series [ edit ]. William S series [ edit ]. Other [ edit ]. References [ edit ].