Cranston Public Library

Just in time for Roahl Dahl Month!
Roald Dahl is one of the most famous children's book authors ever. Now in this Who Was . . . ? biography, children will learn of his real-life adventures. A flying ace for the British Air Force, he was married to an Academy Award-winning actress. He also wrote books and screenplays for adults. Entertaining and readable, this biography has 80 black-and-white illustrations.

Presents humorous anecdotes from the author's childhood which includes summer vacations in Norway and an English boarding school.

"Best known for his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien was born in British-occupied South Africa. His early life was full of action and adventure. Tolkien spent his childhood roaming the British countryside with his family and could read and write by age four. He was naturally gifted with languages and used this skill as a signals officers in World War II as well as in his fantasy writing. By creating alternate universes...

"It has been one hundred years since Agatha Christie wrote her first novel and created the formidable Hercule Poirot. A brilliant and award winning biographer, Laura Thompson now turns her sharp eye to Agatha Christie. Arguably the greatest crime writer in the world, Christie's books still sell over four million copies each year-- more than thirty years after her death-- and it shows no signs of slowing. But who was the woman behind these mystifying,...

This biography of British children's author Roald Dahl introduces his childhood in Wales and England, the boarding school education that inspired the book Boy, his world travels, and his experience in World War II. Full-color photos, a glossary, and an index highlight Dahl's major works, such as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and The Witches, as well as his writing process, experience as a screenwriter, and family life....

Chronicles the life of children's illustrator and author Beatrix Potter, examining how art influenced her young life.

"Growing up in London, Beatrix Potter felt the restraints of Victorian times. Girls didn't go to school and weren't expected to work. But she longed to do something important, something that truly mattered. As Beatrix spent her summers in the country and found inspiration in nature, it was through this passion that her creativity flourished." -- amazon.com

Humorous anecdotes from the author's childhood describe summer vacations in Norway and life in an English boarding school.

Examines the personal life and professional career of the author of the best-selling Harry Potter novels.

Describes the life of J.R.R. Tolkien, creator of Middle Earth and author of "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings."