Lois Lowry
Author Study Project
About the Author
Lois Lowry was born in Hawaii in 1937 and was the middle child of three. She had an older sister, Helen and a little brother Jon. Lois Lowry likes being the middle child because her mother was always with Helen and her father was always with Jon. This gave her time to read and express her own imagination. Lois Lowry lived all over the world and started school in New York. She married young at just nineteen years old and had four children before her marriage ended in 1977. Lois Lowry returned to collage and finally began to write professionally, like she had dreamed of all her life.
Website: http://www.loislowry.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lois.lowry.35
Twitter: @LoisLowryWriter
Lois Lowry List of Works
Gathering Blue
The Silent Boy
Previously I had read:
The Giver
Number the Stars
If you are thinking of reading one of Lois Lowry's books, I would start with Anastasia Krupnik or Number The Stars.
Common Themes in Lois Lowry's Work
Though, this was not the case in Anastasia Krupnik. In that book the protagonist did not accomplish anything, but she became more mature as the book continued.
Sentences that Exemplify Lois Lowry's Style
"because sometimes---- too many times----- I don't feel the same way about things that everybody else feels." (Anastasia Krupnik, p. 7)
Lois Lowry uses dashes in all of her books that I read.
"So I did." (The Silent Boy, p. 59)
"That's really dumb." (Anastasia Krupnik, p. 7)
Lois Lowry also writes with very short sentences both in and out of dialogue.
Lois Lowry's Writing Style
- There are short sentences in dialogue, but also in narrative parts too.
- Most of her books are written in the first person, but not Gathering Blue.
- She uses dashes to separate thoughts.
- In some books, there are italics for emphasis.
- Lois Lowry uses strange words or makes up words.
- She gives good descriptions of the setting and characters.
On a random page in a Lois Lowry book:
- Total number of words on the page is 275 words.
- Sentences vary in length from 3 to 47 words per sentence.
- Average sentence length is 16 words.
- 41% of the sentences are simple; 18% are compound; 18% are complex; 24% are mixed.
A Short Story Using Lois Lowry's Writing Style
I saw the stray dog- it was limping- slowly walking across the street. I tried to help it, save it, but it was no use. The dog had been abandoned for two years. People tried to save him- but the dog would not let them. It was lost. It was looking for something that could not be found. I decided to try to save the dog. I went up to the dog and picked it up. It was too weak to fight back, it seemed like it hadn't had food and water for days. I started to walk back home holding the dog under my jacket. In the rules of the society know one was allowed to have pets. Everything was strictly set in stone, and the rules were the rules and there was a rule for almost everything. But I was determined to find a better place for the dog. I continued to walk home and got food and water ready for the dog.
I packed up all my stuff and was off the next morning- off to find a better place- a place where everything could live together and live equally. I hid the dog under my jacket again and set off. I was worried. I did not know what troubles I would face.
The journey was long and painful- by the fourth day I had run out of food and now whatever food I could find the energetic dog wanted. I was tired and needed food, but continued on. The dog needed my help, but I also needed the dog’s love and support. I needed him to comfort me on the long journey that would benefit us both.
Finally after a very long time of walking- in hope to find a better village- we found something. It was marvelous. It was even better than I was expecting. It was a village- but not any village- it was special. And the village was filled with happy children and many loving people. When we saw the other people I realized what the dog had been looking for the whole time. The dog burst out of my arms and ran to a family with three small children. The dog had found what he was looking for- the family that had to give him away. But now he was with them again and happy- so I was happy too.