The Witch of Blackbird Pond and Related Readings

I was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1908 I have lived all my life in New England, and though I love to travel I can t imagine ever calling any other place on earth home Since I can t remember a time when I didn t intend to write, it is hard to explain why I took so long getting around to it in earnest But the years seemed to go by very quickly In 1936 I married Alden Speare and came to Connecticut Not till both children were in junior high did I find time at last to sit down quietly with a pencil and paper I turned naturally to the things which had filled my days and thoughts and began to write magazine articles about family living Then one day I stumbled on a true story from New England history with a character who seemed to me an ideal heroine Though I had my first historical novel almost by accident it soon proved to be an absorbing hobby Elizabeth George Speare 1908 1994 won the 1959 Newbery Medal for THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, and the 1962 Newbery Medal for THE BRONZE BOW She also received a Newbery Honor Award in 1983, and in 1989 she was presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her substantial and enduring contribution to children s literature.