(person) by junkpile Fri Nov 10 2000 at 1:33:49

Mem Fox was born Merrion Frances Partridge on March 5, 1946, in Melbourne, Australia. When she was six months old, her family moved to Africa, where she grew up on a mission in Zimbabwe, called Hope Fountain.

In the mid-60s, self-described as "totally unsophisticated," she went to drama school in London, where she spent three difficult but happy years   "speaking Shakespeare, singing Beatles' songs, wearing mini-skirts and dyeing my hair - a practice I have continued. It is always red." In 1969 she "took a great risk and married an Englishman."   They had one daughter, Chloe.

Mem was a teacher for many years before she became an author. When Chloe started school and it became apparent that she loved to read, Mem took a course in children's literature, to find out about the books available to her daughter. During the course, she wrote the first draft of Possum Magic, as an assignment. She submitted it to nine publishers before it was accepted, and it became (and has remained) the best-selling children's book in Australia. Since then, she has written about two dozen other books, most of them for kids.

She has been teaching teachers since 1973, and is always in demand as a keynote speaker at national and international literacy conferences. She is passionate about literacy, and refuses to shut up about it, which we love.

Mem lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She is in favor of 19th century novels, singing alone in the car, and green paper clips. She loathes landmines, cleaning up dog vomit, and the color brown.

Her autobiography has an excellent title AND it isn't boring. It's the first of her books I read, and it made me want to dig up all the rest. She tells good stories.


Books:

Because of the Bloomers

A Bedtime Story

Boo to a Goose

Dear Mem Fox, I Have Read All Your Books Even the Pathetic Ones: And Other Incidents in the Life of a Children's Book Author

Feathers and Fools

Guess What?

Harriet, You'll Drive Me Wild!

Hattie and the Fox

Koala Lou

Night Noises

Possum Magic

Radical Reflections: Passionate Opinions on Teaching, Learning, and Living

Shoes from Grandpa

Sleepy Bears

Sophie

The Straight Line Wonder

Time for Bed

Tough Boris

Whoever You Are

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge

Wombat Divine

Zoo-Looking


thanks to:
http://www.memfox.net/
www.amazon.com

I like it! 1 C!

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