Jane Gillson Langton (b. December 29, 1918 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American mystery writer and author of children's literature. Events 1170 - Thomas Becket: Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canterbury is assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An author is defined both as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created Children's literature is an age category of literature written for published for or marketed to Children roughly through age 12
Contents |
Education
Langton studied astronomy at Wellesley College and the University of Michigan, receiving a bachelor's degree in 1944. Astronomy (from the Greek words astron (ἄστρον "star" and nomos (νόμος "law" is the scientific study Wellesley College is a women's liberal arts college, in Wellesley Massachusetts, that opened in 1875 founded by Henry Fowle Durant The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ( U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a top-ranked Coeducational public research She received an M. A. in poem history from the University of Michigan in 1945, and another M. A. from Radcliffe College in 1948. Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge Massachusetts, and was the Coordinate college for Harvard University She studied at the Boston Museum School from 1958 to 1959. The School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (also known as the Museum School or SMFA) is an undergraduate and graduate College located in
Books
In 1961 Langton write and illustrated her first book for children, The Majesty of Grace, a story about a young girl dieing during the Depression who is certain she will some day be Queen of England. The Kings of Wessex, who conquered Kent and Sussex from Mercia in 825 became increasingly dominant over the other kingdoms of England during Langton has since written a children's series, The Hall Family Chronicles, and the Homer Kelly murder mystery novels. She has also written several stand-alone novels and picture books.
The Hall Family Chronicles
- The Diamond in the Window (1962)
- The Swing in the Summerhouse (1967)
- The Astonishing Stereoscope (1971)
- The Fledgling (1980)
- The Fragile Flag (1984)
- The Time Bike (2000)
- The Mysterious Circus (2005)
The Homer Kelly novels
- The Transcendental Murder (1964) aka The Minuteman Murder
- Dark Nantucket Noon (1975)
- The Memorial Hall Murder (1978)
- Natural Enemy (1982)
- Emily Dickinson Is Dead (1984)
- Good and Dead (1986)
- Murder at the Gardner (1988)
- The Dante Game (1991)
- God in Concord (1992)
- Divine Inspiration (1993)
- The Shortest Day: Murder at the Revels (1995)
- Dead as a Dodo (1996)
- The Face on the Wall (1998)
- The Thief of Venice (1999)
- Murder at Monticello (2001)
- The Escher Twist (2002)
- The Deserter: Murder at Gettysburg (2003)
- Steeplechase (2005)
Other novels
- The Majesty of Grace (1961) aka Her Majesty Grace Jones
- The Boyhood of Grace Jones (1972)
- Paper Chains (1977)
- The String of Pearls (1994)
Picture books
- The Hedgehog Boy: A Latvian Folktale (1985)
- Salt: From a Russian Folktale (1992)
- Saint Francis and the Wolf (2007)
Awards
Langton's novel The Fledgling is a Newbery Honor book. The Newbery Honor is a citation given by the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association (ALA Her novel Emily Dickinson is Dead was nominated for an Edgar Award. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars) named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America.
Personal life
Langton lives in Lincoln, Massachusetts near the town of Concord, the setting of many of her novels. Lincoln is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. Her husband, Bill, died in 1997. Langton has three adult sons: Chris, David and Andy. Christopher Langton (1949-) is an American Biologist and one of the founders of the field of Artificial life.