We've lost so many giants of children's literature this year, with Maurice Sendak, Leo Dillon, Ellen Levine, Jean Craighead George, and likely more passing in just these last few months. Recently two more salwarts of young literature joined them.
The Little Bear books are the very first books I can remember reading all by myself. There was something cozy and warm about them, and there weren't nearly enough of them to keep me happy. On July 12, 2012, Else Holmelund Minarik died at 91.
The day before, Donald J. Sobol, 87, passed. Treasured as the author of the Encyclopedia Brown series, he created, as Minarik did, a character beloved by generations. Both authors' titles continue to circulate heavily in my library, and, I'm sure, in libraries across the nation.
They will be missed.
Obituaries:
Sobol: PW, School Library Journal, New York Times, CBS
Minarik: PW, School Library Journal, New York Times, Washington Post