Jean Fritz

Jean Guttery Fritz (16 November 1915 – 14 May 2017)  was an American children's writer and historian. Her parents were Arthur Minton and Myrtle Guttery. They were missionaries. Missionaries are people who  set out on a mission to teach others about their religion.

Early life
Fritz lived in China until she was 13 years old. She learned to speak Chinese before she learned English.Sharron L. McElmeel, Educator's Companion to Children's Literature, Vol. 2 (Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited, Teacher Ideas Press, 1996), p. 114 In 1928 the family returned to the United States. As a child of missionaries she used her writing as a “private place.” She wrote her thoughts, feelings, and emotions. She also wrote down anything she thought about. Fritz wrote it all down. She wrote about many different things. Sometimes she copied some sections of poems and books that Fritz had read. She liked to read different poets and authors.

Early career
Later in life these things she had written about turned into the books that she later wrote. On 1 November 1942 Fritz married Michael Fritz The couple later had two children. They were named David and Andrea.

Career
Fritz has a record for writing information flooded, true books about real things that happened in history. She had been amazed about what had happened during the time of the American Revolution. She learned a great deal of information on the topic. It was really interesting to her. She wrote a handful of children's books about key figures and events that happened during that time. Most books she wrote are non-fictional children's’ books. Fritz has written some novels. She wrote a novel called "Brady". She dived into her search for information. She looked at primary sources. In 1986 she won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal.

After her father's death she wrote the book Homesick: My Own Story.Anita Silvey, The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2002), p. 168 It was about her own childhood experiences in China. After writing the book she visited China.

Publication of Fritz' books
She started writing her books in the 1950s. Fritz knows much about happenings around the world.

Works
 Homesick: My Own Story       (Puffin, 1982 . Paperback)
 China homecoming             (Putnam, 1985 . Hardcover)
 China's Long March           (Putnam, 1988 . Hardcover) 
 The Cabin Faced West     (Puffin, 1987 . Paperback. Hardcover.)
 Brady                    (Puffin, 1988 . Paperback)
 Early Thunder            (Puffin, 1987 . Paperback.)

 References 

Other websites
 "Jean (Guttery) Fritz." Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults. Detroit: Gale, 2002. Biography in Context. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.
  Hurst, Carol O. "Jean Fritz." Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site. Ed. Rebecca Otis. Dec. 1998. Web. 1 Apr. 2014

Category:1915 births
Category:2017 deaths
Category:American historians
Category:American children's writers