Literary Birthday – 11 August – Joanna Cole
Joanna Cole was born on 11 August 1944 and died on 12 July 2020.
Joanna Cole Quotes
- I had a teacher [she was] a little like Ms. Frizzle.
- I couldn’t work at all. I cleaned out closets, answered letters, and went shopping—anything but sit down and write. But eventually I did it, even though I was scared.
- I thought that reading science books for pleasure was an ordinary thing.
- I discovered in fifth grade what I liked to do: write reports and stories, make them interesting and/or funny and draw pictures to go along with the words.
- Writing is hard, but it is the greatest fun in the world.
- In my science books, including the Magic School Bus books, I write about ideas, rather than just the facts. I try to ask a question, such as how do scientists guess what dinosaurs were like? Then I try to answer the question as I write the book.
- Take chances, get messy, make mistakes!
Joanna Cole was an American author best known for creating the much-loved Magic School Bus series. She introduced readers to Ms. Frizzle, the colourful and enthusiastic science teacher, in the first book in the series. The Magic School Bus books brought science to life through humour, adventure, and imaginative stories. The series became a huge success, selling more than 93 million copies in 13 countries. In 2017, it was adapted into the Netflix series The Magic School Bus Rides Again, featuring Kate McKinnon as the voice of Fiona Felicity Frizzle. Cole was a keen reader and researcher. She had a gift for explaining science in ways that were both simple and entertaining for young readers. The Magic School Bus series allowed her to bring together two of her favourite things: science and humour. Cole wrote more than 250 books during her career. Her work earned more than 20 awards for its contribution to children’s education, particularly in the sciences.
Source for photograph: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Photo_of_Joanna_Cole_(author)_American.jpg
by Amanda Patterson
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