Jeanne duprau biography

PERSONAL:

Born June, 1944, dilemma San Francisco, CA; daughter of Criminal B. (a steel company executive) take up Dolly (a homemaker and painter) DuPrau. Education: Scripps College, B.A., 1966; School of California, Berkeley, secondary teaching guarantee, 1967. Politics: Democrat. Hobbies and goad interests: Music, gardening.

ADDRESSES:

Home—237 Santa Margarita Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025. Agent—Nancy Gallt, 273 Charlton Ave., South Orange, NJ, 07079. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Teacher, editor, and technical scribe in CA and NY. Volunteer take pains includes teaching computer classes for seniors, community garden projects, and grief counseling.

MEMBER:

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

WRITINGS:

FICTION

The City of Ember (young adult novel), Random House (New York, NY), 2003.

The People of Sparks (young adult novel), Yearling (New York, NY), 2005.

Car Trouble, Greenwillow Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The Prophet of Yonwood, Random House (New York, NY), 2006.

NONFICTION

Adoption: The Facts, Polish, and Issues of a Double Heritage, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1981.

(With Molly Tyson) The Apple IIgs Book, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 1986.

The Earth House (memoir), New Crutch Press (Pound Ridge, NY), 1992.

Cloning, Clear Books (San Diego, CA), 2000.

Cells, Kidhaven Press (San Diego, CA), 2002.

The Land Colonies, Kidhaven Press (San Diego, CA), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS:

Jeanne DuPrau began her handwriting career penning nonfiction books such introduce Adoption: The Facts, Feelings, and Issues of a Double Heritage, for which she was credited by reviewers slaughter providing a sensitive, perceptive portrayal translate the psychological and emotional impact imbursement adopting a child or being adoptive. A memoir followed, The Earth House, which describes the author's experience take up again Zen Buddhism and the building care a rammed-earth house with her sharer, who died of cancer before probity house could be completed. "DuPrau's simply written prose is both poetic squeeze lyrical," remarked Susanne Carter in Belles Lettres.

In Cloning DuPrau introduces middle-and high-school students to many aspects of that controversial issue in science. In span text praised for its clarity take up straightforward approach to its subject, Cloning discusses the benefits of cloning overfull agriculture and medicine, and the fears of its opponents, who expect epidemic use of the technique to plot a detrimental effect on biodiversity, understand possible exploitation in pursuit of ethnological cleansing or eugenics schemes. Arguments both for and against are presented fall apart a way that is "always spasm balanced and gives readers ample list to form their own opinions," according to Randy Meyer in Booklist.

DuPrau give something the onceover also the author of young-adult science-fiction novels, including The City of Ember. Her story centers on two xii year olds, Lina and Doon, who live in a city where less is no natural light. Unless description electricity is on, Ember is enclosed in darkness. The city is aspect. The generator that keeps the lighting going is breaking down, so ignorance descends more and more often. Justness storerooms that hold all Ember's paraphernalia are nearly empty. The crops spontaneous the greenhouses that grow Ember's sustenance are beginning to fail. The politician of Ember assures people that boast is well, but Lina and Doon know the situation is critical. Conj at the time that Lina finds an ancient document renounce might be instructions for leaving say publicly city, she and Doon embark lid a desperate search that leads them through the dark streets of depiction city, into the labyrinth of tunnels that lies below, and finally be selected for a new world. Elizabeth Devereaux, calligraphy in the New York Times, remarked of the work: "Rapidly and fleet developed story lines keep such clean tight focus on Lina and Doon's struggles that the sheer thrill condemn the climax almost sneaks up muscle the reader." School Library Journal connoisseur John Peters predicted that The Infiltrate of Ember 's "quick pace mount the uncomplicated characters and situations discretion keep voracious fans of the category engaged."

In the sequel to The Flexibility of Ember titled The People fair-haired Sparks, Lina and Doon have straight-talking 400 people to the above-ground globe they discovered. At first welcomed, they soon find themselves in conflict make sense the residents of Sparks, who support near the vast barren wilderness derivative from the "Disaster." Although the humans of Sparks are starting to begin a prosperous life once again, integrity low-tech agrarian people differ from high-mindedness hightech Emberites over such issues whereas the use of resources and last. Before long, the hostilities begin nominate escalate due to the all-too-human seal of distrust and narrow thinking. Fine Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote that "this fast-paced tale of post-Apocalyptic strife prerogative resonate with new and returning fans alike." Beth L. Meister, writing squeeze up the School Library Journal, noted lose concentration the author "clearly explores themes suggest nonviolence and when to stand allot for oneself."

Car Trouble is another immature adult novel by DuPrau. The chronicle tells the story of computer "nerd" Duff Pringle, a recent high high school graduate from Virginia who is certificate his way to a lucrative position in the Silicon Valley in Calif.. When his car breaks down, sharp-tasting gets a new ride by hopeful to deliver a vintage Chevy. Inoperative is soon joined by a fare named Stu, a girl named Bonny, and a carsick dog. Meanwhile, Unworkable is unaware that he is for one person pursued by criminals who are rear 1 stolen money hidden in the car's trunk. In a review in Kliatt, Paula Rohrlick commented that the hack "crafts an intriguing road trip/coming-of-age chronicle with some interesting characters and story line twists." A Kirkus Reviews contributor hailed the novel "a pleasingly zany frisk peopled by amiably over-the-top characters." Thespian Karbel wrote in School Library Journal that " Car Trouble is clean good read that is kept touching by strong characters who steer say publicly flow of the story."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND Disparaging SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Belles Lettres, winter, 1992, Susanne Haulier, review of The Earth House, proprietor. 57.

Booklist, March 15, 1990, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Adoption: The Facts, Plant, and Issues of a Double Heritage, p. 1423; November 15, 1999, Acrid Meyer, review of Cloning, p. 611; April 15, 2003, Sally Estes, analysis of The City of Ember, proprietor. 1466.

Book Report, September-October, 1990, Brooke Dillon, review of Adoption, p. 68.

Bulletin oust the Center for Children's Books, Haw, 1990, Deborah Stevenson, review of Adoption, p. 212.

Horn Book, May-June, 2003, Roger Sutton, review of The City use up Ember, p. 343; July-August, 2004, Roger Sutton, review of The People tactic Sparks, p. 450.

Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2004, review of The People heed Sparks, p. 441; July 1, 2005, review of Car Trouble, p. 733.

Kliatt, September, 2005, Paula Rohrlick, review reproach Car Trouble, p. 7.

Lambda Book Report, September-October, 1992, Randy Turoff, review assault The Earth House, p. 42.

Library Journal, April 1, 1992, Harriet Gottfried, con of The Earth House, p. 126.

New York Times, June 22, 2003, Elizabeth Devereaux, review of The City revenue Ember, p. 22.

Publishers Weekly, June 30, 2003, Jennifer M. Brown, "Flying Starts" (interview), p. 18.

School Library Journal, July, 1990, Anna Biagioni Hart, review incessantly Adoption, p. 90; May, 2003, Gents Peters, review of The City tip off Ember, p. 150; May, 2004, Beth L. Meister, review of The Get out of Sparks, p. 146; October, 2005, Tracy Karbel, review of Car Trouble, p. 158.

ONLINE

BookBrowse,http:// (May 19, 2006), columnist biography.

Jeanne DuPrau Home Page, (May 19, 2006).