de Grummond Collection

McCain Library and Archives
University Libraries
University of Southern Mississippi


BETSY BYARS PAPERS

Collection Number
Collection Date
Collection Volume
DG0143
1979
.40 cu.ft. (1 box)
Biographical Sketch | Scope & Content | Related Collections | Series & Subseries | Box Inventory

Provenance

Material was donated by Harper and Row in October 1979.

Restrictions

Noncirculating; available for research.

Copyright

The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.

Biographical Sketch

Betsy Cromer Byars was born in Charlotte, North Carolina to George and Nan Rugheimer Cromer on August 7, 1928. She attended Furman University in South Carolina from 1946-1948 and received a bachelor's degree in English from Queens College (NC) in 1950. Betsy met and married Clemson University engineering student Edward Byars shortly after graduation, and they had four children: Laurie, Betsey Ann, Nan, and Guy. The family moved to Illinois so that Edward could continue his education, eventually becoming a professor of engineering. To supplement their income, Betsy began writing for magazines. Her first novel, Clementine, was published in 1962. Throughout her career, Betsy has written over 35 books for children and won numerous awards, including the Newbery Medal in 1971 for Summer of the Swans (1970), a National Book Award for The Night Swimmers (1980), and an Edgar Award for Wanted...Mud Blossom (1991). She was also the recipient of the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement from the Catholic Library Association in 1987. In her writings, she is most noted for her ability to characterize the troubled lives of youngsters with humor and sensitivity.

Betsy and Edward live in South Carolina where Betsy continues to write books for children--most recently with daughters Betsy and Laurie.

Sources:

Betsy Byars. Random House, Inc. Retrieved April 25, 2017. (http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/3960/betsy-byars)

Major Authors and Illustrators, pp. 405-408.


Scope and Content

The collection contains copy edited and master galleys for Goodbye Chicken Little (1979). Goodbye Chicken Little is the story of a young boy, who with the help of his family, overcomes his fears of tragedy and adversity at the sudden death of a loved one. The book was chosen as a New York Times Book of the Year.



Series and Subseries

A. Books


Box Inventory


Box/Folder


A.   Books


     Goodbye, Chicken Little by Betsy Byars (New York: Harper & Row, 1979).

     1/1-1/2   Galleys, labeled as "copy-edited",

     1/1            pp. 1-61.

     1/2            pp. 62-102.

     1/3-1/4   Galleys, labeled as "master set",

     1/3            Front matter, 5 pp.; pp. 1-57.

     1/4            pp. 58-103.

     1/5       Galley, for jacket blurb and front matter, 3 items.

Processed: November 12, 1997
Revised: June 8, 2001

Biographical Sketch | Scope & Content | Related Collections | Series & Subseries | Box Inventory
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Contact:
The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection
The University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Drive, #5148
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
(601) 266-4349
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