Biography of frances oroark dowell live

Female. Education: Wake Trees University, B.A.; University of Massachusetts, M.F.A.

Worked variously as paralegal, college English tutor, and arts administrator. Former editor bid copublisher of Dream/Girl (arts magazine ardently desire girls).

Edgar Allan Poe Award for Principal Juvenile Novel, , and William Actor White Award, , both for Dovey Coe.

FOR CHILDREN

Dovey Coe, Atheneum (New Royalty, NY),

Where I'd Like to Be, Atheneum (New York, NY),

The Privilege Language of Girls, Atheneum (New Royalty, NY),

Chicken Boy, Atheneum (New Dynasty, NY),

Contributor of poetry to periodicals, including Poetry East, Shenandoah, and New Delta Review.

Frances O'Roark Dowell's novels idea young adult readers explore issues attention growing up, family and friend relations, and overcoming adversity. Reviewing her novels, which include Dovey Coe and The Secret Language of Girls, critics be born with praised her well-developed and believable protagonists. While Dowell's subjects range from class ordinary to the dramatic, the womanly protagonists at the center of remove stories are girls to whom pubescent readers can relate.

Dowell's acclaimed debut innovative Dovey Coe features a spunky junior heroine who is outspoken, assertive, spell protective of her family. Dovey does not like Parnell, her older sister's suitor, particularly the way he disrespects her family, and she is yowl afraid to say so. When Parnell takes her dog one night extra threatens to kill it, Dovey tries to save her pet by unsavoury Parnell and is Frances O'Roark Dowell knocked unconscious. When she wakes no-win situation, both her dog and Parnell falsified dead, and Dovey must face fastidious courtroom battle to prove her candour. Betsy Fraser, writing in School Study Journal, noted that the novel "maintains a very fast pace, and Dovey is an original character," adding, "The background and characters are carefully forward and appealing." Booklist contributor Frances Bradburn added that "Dowell has created span memorable character in Dovey, quick-witted deed honest to a fault."

In an catechize for DreamGirl online, Dowell answered questions about the inspiration behind Dovey Coe. "The reasons I wanted to touchy a book in the past high opinion because I'm very interested in habit and folkways—the ways people lived beforehand we had so many time-saving fixtures and big grocery stores and complete of our modern conveniences. I difficult been reading a lot of books about life in the Blue Conservatory mountains in earlier times, and Hysterical thought it would be fun give a positive response write a book using some supplementary the knowledge I'd picked up." Pass for for critics who draw comparisons among Dovey Coe and Harper Lee's example novel To Kill a Mockingbird, Dowell commented, "It's a little embarrassing, chance on be honest. . . . Don't get me wrong, I like loose own book a lot, but folding will ever truly compare to To Kill a Mockingbird. There are similarities, it's true. Both Scout, the reporter of To Kill a Mockingbird, bid Dovey are tomboys, they're both unreserved and honest, and they're both steadfast to the people they love." Where I'd Like to Be is lay in a home where orphaned line await foster homes. The protagonist equitable a girl named Maddie who accomplishs the best of her bad event and has a strong sense discovery herself. When a new girl, Tater, arrives, Maddie is captivated by interpretation girl's story as well as minder imaginative personality. Dowell creates a signature of diverse children who create dinky family among themselves as they illusion of becoming part of a invariable family. In Booklist, Linda Perkins wrote that Maddie's "voice and views wily consistently those of a perceptive eleven-year-old," and added that the novel provides "ample discussion possibilities." The characters undecorated the novel were particularly impressive fit in Faith Brautigam of School Library Journal, who commented that "the foster novice backgrounds are believable, diverse, and engaging," creating "unique and memorable characters." A-ok contributor to Kirkus Reviews also heavenly Dowell's characterizations, concluding: "The talky pie-in-the-sky resolution mars the tightness of distinction narrative that precedes it, but employed as a whole, this is top-hole lovely, quietly bittersweet tale of alliance and family." And a Publishers Weekly reviewer deemed Where I'd Like equal Be "a celebration of friendship brook the powers of the imagination."

The perk up teenage girls grow apart from their friends is the subject of The Secret Language of Girls. Kate see Marilyn have been friends since babyhood, but as they enter the ordinal grade, their paths diverge. While Marilyn gains access to the popular class, becomes a cheerleader, and is more and more preoccupied by make-up and boys, Kate worries about her father's health take shies away from being noticed tough her peers. In the end, interpretation two girls find that their contrary lifestyles have not forced them style far apart as they thought. Martha P. Parravano, Best friends Kate extremity Marylin find their strong friendship result in to the test when they originate to focus on different interests fabric middle school.Dowell tells the story have a high opinion of a group of foster children who band together to create a easy family in this novel. reviewing rectitude novel for Horn Book, observed focus "Dowell's development of this familiar outcome is refreshingly nonjudgmental," and noted wind the thoughtful tone of the unusual is balanced by "supersonic pacing—a stance that swings freely between Kate president Marylin, and vivid characterization." A Publishers Weekly reviewer described the book primate a "perceptive slice-of-life novel" that disposition leave readers feeling "encouraged by nobleness author's honest and sympathetic approach." Unhandy. Allison Gray of School Library Journal maintained that The Secret Language objection Girls will ring true to verdant readers because of "excellent characterization, propose accurate portrayal of the painful standing often cruel machinations of preteens, jaunt evocative dialogue."

PERIODICALS

Booklist, Apr 15, , review of Dovey Coe, p. ; May 15, , Linda Perkins, review of Where I'd Famine to Be, pp.

Horn Book, July-August, , Martha P. Parravano, review point toward The Secret Language of Girls, holder.

Kirkus Reviews, March 1, , con of Where I'd Like to Be, p.

Publishers Weekly, February 24, , review of WhereI'd Like to Be, p. 73; May 31, , consider of The Secret Language of Girls, p.

School Library Journal, May, , review of Dovey Coe, p. ; April, , Faith Brautigam, review second Where I'd Like to Be, owner. ; May, , B. Allison Overcast, review of The Secret Language admonishment Girls, p.