Bette Jean Greene (née Evensky; June 28, 1934 – October 2, 2020) was the author of several books for children and young adults, including ''

Summer of My German Soldier ''Summer of My German Soldier'' is a 1973 book by Bette Greene. The story focuses on the friendship between a young Jewish-American girl and an escaped German POW in a small town in the Southern United States during World War II. The novel was ...

'', ''The Drowning of Stephan Jones'', and the

Newbery Honor The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

book '' Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe''. Greene was raised in Parkin, Arkansas, where she stuck out as a Jewish girl in the American South during the

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and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Her books focus on themes of injustice and alienation. Her book, ''

'', is based heavily on her childhood. She has received the Golden Kite Award, ALA Notable Book Award, and

Biography

Greene was born on June 28, 1934, in Memphis,

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

to Arthur Evensky and Sadie (née Steinberg), but was raised in the small city of Parkin, Arkansas, where her parents ran the general store. Her maternal grandparents were Hyman and Tillie Steinberg who had a successful general store in

Wynne, Arkansas Wynne is the largest city in and the county seat of Cross County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 8,314 at the 2020 Census. Nestled between the Arkansas Delta and Crowley's Ridge, Wynne is the closest city to the second-largest stat ...

. As a Jewish girl in a town of

Christian fundamentalists Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British and ...

, she experienced discrimination and learned what it was like to be an outsider. Since her parents spent a lot of time in their store, Greene was raised mainly by her family's African-American housekeeper, Ruth, who was Greene's model for the character of the same name in Greene's debut novel, ''

'' (1973). Just before Greene entered high school, her family returned to Memphis. Although she began writing for newspapers during her high school years and even won first prize in a local essay contest, she received poor grades in English because of her difficulties with spelling and punctuation. After graduation, she spent a year studying in

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, an experience that would later serve as the background for ''Morning Is a Long Time Coming'' (the 1978 sequel to ''Summer of My German Soldier''). After a year abroad, she returned to Memphis and became a reporter for

United Press International United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th ce ...

. After taking classes at several colleges, Greene enrolled at

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, where she focused on writing and

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. After graduation, she worked as a part-time journalist and a

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before marrying physician Donald Sumner Greene and moving with him to Boston. The couple have two grown children; it was after the birth of her daughter Carla that Greene began to write ''Summer of My German Soldier''. The novel took five years to complete; after two more years spent searching for a publisher and eighteen rejections, the book was published by Dial Press in 1973. Greene died on October 2, 2020, in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.

Bibliography

* * * * * * *

Other writings

*Contributor of articles to periodicals *Short fiction included in anthologies *Creator of Bette Greene Teaches Writing (interactive instructional videos), Christy Johnson Productions, 1999 *Author's papers housed in a permanent collection at the Kerlan Collection, University of Minnesota

Awards

;''Summer of My German Soldier'' (1973) :*1973 Golden Kite Award :*New York Times Outstanding Book Award :* ALA Notable Book Award :*National Book Award Finalist :*Massachusetts Children’s Book Award ;''Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe'' (1974) :* 1975

:*New York Times Outstanding Book Award :*New York Times Outstanding Title Award :*ALA Notable Children’s Book Award :*Child Study Association Children’s Book Award :*Kirkus Choice Award ;''Them That Glitter and Them That Don’t'' (1983) :*Parent’s Choice Award, Parent’s Choice Foundation

Adaptations

'' was adapted as a television movie starring Kristy McNichol, Bruce Davison, and Esther Rolle and broadcast by NBC in 1978; The film was released as a filmstrip by Miller-Brody Productions in 1979. A new musical version of the novel with music and lyrics written in collaboration among Bette Greene, David Brush, and Jim Farley opened in Ohio in August 2003, staged by Encore Theater Company. ''Summer of My German Soldier'' also has been released on audio-cassette. ''Philip Hall Likes Me, I Reckon Maybe'' was adapted into a filmstrip by Miller-Brody Productions in 1979. Both books have been released on audiocassette. ''The Drowning of Stephan Jones'' was optioned as a film by Telling Pictures.

References

External links

Green at FacebookBiography from The Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and CultureAmerican Library Association Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009American Library Association 100 most frequently challenged books: 1990–1999Encyclopedia of Arkansas: Bette Evensky GreeneNJEA Review. February, 2010. Bette Greene's “Summer of My German Soldier”. Teen Lit: Edgy or Over Edge
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, Bette 1934 births 2020 deaths American children's writers Columbia University alumni Newbery Honor winners Writers from Memphis, Tennessee People from Parkin, Arkansas Writers from Arkansas American women novelists American women children's writers United Press International people 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American novelists 21st-century American women writers Jewish American novelists 20th-century American Jews Novelists from Tennessee Jews from Arkansas Jews from Tennessee Jewish American children's writers