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Barbara Park

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Barbara Park
BornBarbara Lynne Tidswell
(1947-04-21)April 21, 1947
Mount Holly, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedNovember 15, 2013(2013-11-15) (aged 66)
Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
OccupationAuthor
NationalityAmerican
GenreChildren's literature
Notable worksJunie B. Jones
Spouse
Richard A. Park
​
(m. 1969)​
Children2

Barbara Lynne Park (née Tidswell; April 21, 1947 – November 15, 2013) was an American author of children's books.

Childhood

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Barbara Lynne Tidswell was born in Mount Holly, New Jersey, on April 21, 1947.[1] Her father was Brooke Tidswell Jr, a banker, the local board of education president, and the owner of a home improvement store. Her mother, Doris Tidswell, was a high school library secretary.[2] She had a brother, also named Brooke, who was two years older than her;[3] he went on to become mayor of Mount Holly.[4] Tidswell described her younger self as a tattletale—especially against her brother—and would tell on people so they learn their lesson "for their own good".[5] She hoped to be on the television show The Mickey Mouse Club.[3] Each year, her family took a two-week summer trip to Long Beach Island.[5] She later spoke positively about her childhood.[6] As a child, she enjoyed the Thornton W. Burgess story collection Burgess Bird for Children and the Nancy Drew books.[7] She more often read comics, such as Richie Rich, Archie Comics, and Uncle Scrooge.[7]

As a teenager, Tidswell moved away from comics and read books more frequently. Reading The Catcher in the Rye redefined how she saw literature and impressed on her how to present a character like Holden Caulfield.[8] Tidswell also considered this a formative time in her life politically. As major events such as the Vietnam War and the Civil rights movement took place, she felt obligated to stay up to date so she could join her friends' political discussions. Reflecting on her political beliefs, she said that she was "all over the board" with her opinions "depending on which spin doctor sounded the most intelligent".[9] Tidswell graduated from Rancocas Valley Regional High School in 1965.[3]

University and marriage

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Tidswell began her post-secondary education at Rider College in Lawrence Township, New Jersey, which she attended for two years.[3] She did not take interest in the school's social environment or clubs, and she returned to her parents' home each weekend.[10] Unhappy with how she was spending her time, she transferred to the University of Alabama so she could experience a new environment. She was taken aback by the much larger campus than she was accustomed to at her small college. By this time, she was decidedly liberal in her beliefs and felt uncomfortable in a more conservative locality. Although she had an active social life, she did not get much enjoyment from university life.[11] While in college, she had her ears pierced by someone living down the hall while she was in college, later describing herself as an "idiot" for doing this.[3]

Tidswell's intention was to become a high school history teacher,[12] In her final semester at Alabama University, Tidswell worked in a seventh-grade history and geography classroom as a student teacher. She was given no guidance by the teacher she was training under and found the experience unpleasant.[13] In one instance, Tidswell was responsible for the class on her own; the classroom became rowdy while she was running a geography bee, and she was too afraid to respond when the office asked about the noise over the intercom.[14] After her experiences as a student teacher, she lost interest in the profession.[15][16]

Tidswell graduated in 1969 with a bachelor's degree.[a] She was introduced to Richard Park by her roommate in their final year at Alabama University, and they became friends before starting a romantic relationship. They married immediately after graduating so she could accompany him when he joined the U.S. Air Force.[19] They moved across the country several times throughout his career.[20] During this time, they had two sons together, Steven and David.[21][1] Richard left the Air Force in 1974, and they settled in Arizona where she raised their children while Richard became a real estate broker.[21]

Writing career

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Further information: Bibliography of Barbara Park

Isn't it ridiculous the way some people react to getting older? Facelifts, wigs, wrinkle creams, etc... There's no doubt about it... I really admire the way you've just let yourself go.

Barbara Park, in a Hallmark Card as her first published work

Barbara Park thought about seeking a profession once her children were both in school.[21] She began writing as a way to express her sense of humor.[18][22] She decided that she would try writing for two years, and if it did not work for her, then she would get a master's degree in counseling.[23] After having her work rejected by newspapers and magazines, she earned her first sale when Hallmark Cards published her caption in a greeting card.[24] She realized that she wanted to write children's book after reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume.[25]

The first children's book Park sent to publishers was Operation: Dump the Chump.[18] She wrote the manuscript in three months, writing on a typewriter each morning at a card table in her bedroom.[26] It was accepted by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. after three other publishers passed on it, and she entered into a three-book deal with them. The first of her books to be published by Knopf was Don't Make Me Smile in 1981.[18] The book addressed divorce from the perspective of a 10-year-old boy whose parents were separating.[1] The following year, Knopf published her two other books, Operation: Dump the Chump and Skinnybones.[18]

Park began publishing the Junie B. Jones chapter books in 1992, starting with Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus.[16] Unlike her previous works, this was targeted at younger children.[16] Junie B. Jones was Park's most well-known work, and the series was controversial and frequently challenged because of the titular character's poor behavior and bad grammar.[12] She worked with the illustrator Denise Brunkus.[1]

Park published a novel, Mick Harte Was Here, in 1995.[18] It told a story about the death of a sibling,[1] and encouraged children to wear helmets when riding a bicycle.[18] She consider this her favorite of the books she wrote.[3]

Park won seven Children's Choice Awards and four Parents' Choice Awards.[12] She was private and did not seek celebrity status.[27] She sometimes met children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[12] She refused to allow adaptations of her work outside of stage plays because she wished to be involved with any adaptation personally and plays were the only type she felt she had time for.[16]

Park was afflicted with ovarian cancer, which she had for approximately seven years. She and her husband founded a nonprofit for women with ovarian cancer, Sisters in Survival. She died on November 15, 2013, in Scottsdale, Arizona.[12]

Style and themes

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Park developed a reputation for dealing with serious subject matter in a lighthearted way.[1][28] She rejected the idea that children's books must teach morals, instead seeing simple entertainment as a legitimate purpose for a children's book.[12] Park drew from her experiences as a mother and her semester as a student teacher when describing children and classroom environments.[16][29] Her characters frequently find themselves in embarrassing situations around other children.[30]

As part of her writing process, Park kept paper, pencil, and flashlight on her nightstand to write down ideas in the middle of the night.[3] Park's portrayal of parents in her works reflected her own family life. She was raised in a supportive home and never saw her parents fight, and this held true for all of her characters.[31] Judy Blume's books were an influence on Park's.[25] Blume in turn complimented the Junie B. Jones series and has sometimes been mistaken as their writer because of her similar style and her name's resemblance to Junie B.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Fox, Margalit (2013-11-19). "Barbara Park, Author of Junie B. Jones Series, Dies at 66". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2014-04-20. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  2. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 20.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Park, Barbara. "About Barbara Park". Random House. Archived from the original on 2007-02-24.
  4. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 22.
  5. ^ a b Abrams 2006, p. 24.
  6. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 19.
  7. ^ a b Abrams 2006, p. 25.
  8. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 25–27.
  9. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 29–30.
  10. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 30–31.
  11. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 31.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Reaney, Patricia (2013-11-18). "Children's author, Barbara Park, dies of cancer". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  13. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 31–32.
  14. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 32–33.
  15. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 33.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Cordova, Randy (2023-11-17). "Barbara Park, Junie B. Jones author, dead at 66". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on 2020-09-24.
  17. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 15, 31.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g Maughan, Shannon. "Junie B. Jones Creator Barbara Park Dies at 66". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2025-03-06.
  19. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 34.
  20. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 35–36.
  21. ^ a b c Abrams 2006, p. 36.
  22. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 15–16.
  23. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 37.
  24. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 37–38.
  25. ^ a b Abrams 2006, p. 38.
  26. ^ Abrams 2006.
  27. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 14.
  28. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 12.
  29. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 33–34.
  30. ^ Abrams 2006, pp. 21–22.
  31. ^ Abrams 2006, p. 21.
  1. ^ Park's degree has been described as a bachelor's of education[17][16] or of history and political science.[1][18]

Works cited

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