Jean Little, in memorium

As you might guess from my blog title, I am a Jean Little fan and have been for many years. Generally speaking, I don't do the "fan" thing, however much I may appreciate a writer's work, but all of my experiences with Jean Little and those who knew her bore out the warmth and goodness of her character.

The first book of hers that I read was Look through my window and I was eventually inspired to write to her as a young teen and ask permission to name my personal library after her, hence Jean Little Library. She wrote back to me, included a signed book, and I felt my library career had truly begun.

Over the years I scoured the internet and used book sales to pick up her works, sadly not common in the US. As I acquired more experience with kids and libraries, and especially as I started working at my current job, in a small town with a large population of kids with special needs, I began to see how truly amazing and unique her work was. She wrote of children with disabilities, fears, and family issues with realism and compassion. Her work was exactly what I wanted to give my young readers, both those with and those without disabilities. Her books are never "about" being disabled or the struggles faced by characters, but those parts of their lives are smoothly woven into touching stories that resonate with readers long after they set aside the book.

Sadly, few of her books are available in the US. Her easy reader series, Emma, is still available in a few formats and Orca publishers has a few of her titles, but her middle grade novels are mostly gone. I hope that this sad loss will inspire publishers to bring these books back and make them available again. While a few minor aspects, like specific treatments, may need to be updated, her stories are timeless and written in a way that every kid can put themselves into the character's place.

You can learn more about her from her Publishers Weekly obituary here.