Children's Literature Research Collection
113 Elmer L. Andersen Library
University of Minnesota
222 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Children's Literature
Research Collection
113 Elmer L. Andersen Library
University of Minnesota
222 21st Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Summary Information
Collection Number: CLRC-131
Collection Size: Ca. 1.5 linear ft. (Manuscript and other material)
Abstract/Notes: Jean Fritz's papers focus on her work as an author of children's books, particularly her books concerned with American history. The collection contains production materials for twelve titles published between 1963 and 1987. Production materials include typescripts, front matter, proofs, research material, dummies, a paste-up, clippings, and some correspondence.
This collection was given as a gift and/or placed on permanent loan at the University of Minnesota by Jean Fritz in 1968 with additional materials added from 1975-1978 and in 1985.
Collection is non-circulating, in-house use only.
This collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Titles 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all the necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.
Prepared by Christina Cowan, January 1999.
This collection was processed with financial assistance from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Biographical/Historical Notes
Jean Fritz, nee Guttery, was born November 16, 1915 in Hankow, China, where her father worked as a missionary. She grew up hearing his stories of American history and the country's heroes and these tales would later affect her writing career. Jean Fritz came to the United States and graduated from Wheaton College in 1937. She worked as a research assistant and children's librarian and in 1954 wrote her first book for children, Bunny Hopwell's First Spring. Jean Fritz continued to write fiction for children, including a number of historical novels, such as Early Thunder, that were widely praised for their authenticity and period detail as well as believable characters and plots. In the 1970s, she began writing historical biographies, focusing mainly on American Revolutionary War figures such as John Hancock, Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, and Ben Franklin. Her biographies have been widely praised by critics for their realism, careful research, and informative and entertaining style. She has been called "one of the best authors of historical biographies for young people." Many of her books have focused on well-known Americans but she has also written other biographies dealing with such historical figures as Columbus, King George III of Great Britain, and others. Jean Fritz drew on her childhood in China for one of her books, Homesick, My Own Story (1982), an autobiographical work that was a Newbery Honor Book in 1983.
Scope and Content Notes
The collection contains production material for twelve titles published between 1963 and 1987, with a clipping dating from 1962. The collection includes corrected typescripts, corrected photocopy typescripts, corrected galley proofs, front matter, notes, research material including clippings and photostats, page proofs, a photocopy of a dummy, a paste-up, and some correspondence between Jean Fritz and her editors and publishers.
See attached inventory for folder and box contents.
Collection Inventory
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? 1977
-Typescript, corrected,
11 p.
(M.F. 330, folder 1)
-Typescript, corrected,
13 p.
(M.F. 330, folder 1)
-Typescript, photocopy, corrected,
13 p.
(M. F. 330, folder 1)
-Galley proof, corrected,
9 p.
(M.F. 330, folder 2)
-Research material:
---Clippings,
9 p.
(M.F. 330, folder 2)
---Photostat,
1 p.
(M.F. 330, folder 2)
---Photocopy of photostat,
1 p.
(M.F. 330, folder 2)
Early Thunder, 1967
-Typescript, corrected, 215 p. and author's notes, 2 p. (M.F. 331, folders 1-5)
The Good Giants and the Bad Pudwudgies, 1982
-Typescript, photocopy,
22 p.
(M.F. 1621, folder 1)
-Dummy,
21 p.
(M.F. 1621, folder 1)
I. Adam, 1963
-Typescript, corrected,
221 p.
(M.F. 331, folders 1-5)
Magic to Burn, 1964
-Typescript, corrected,
188 p.
(M.F. 331, folders 1-4)
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, 1987
-Typescript, photocopy,
39 p.
(M.F. 1621, folder 1)
Stonewall, 1979
-Typescript, corrected,
22 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Typescript, corrected partial photocopy, 116 p. with front matter, 8 p. (M.F. 332, folders 2-4)
-Correspondence,
1 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 4)
What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? 1976
-Typescript, corrected, 16 p. with front matter, 2 p. (M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Typescript, corrected,
15 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, corrected,
12 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
Where Was Patrick Henry of the 29th of May? 1975
-Typescript, corrected,
15 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Typescript, corrected, 15 p. with front matter, 4 p. (M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Typescript, corrected,
1 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Typescript, carbon, corrected,
15 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Front matter,
4 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, corrected,
12 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Galley proof, corrected,
12 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Correspondence,
7 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Notes,
2 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Proof for jacket,
1 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
Who's That Stepping on Plymouth Rock? 1975
-Typescript, corrected,
9 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, photocopy, corrected,
7 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, photocopy, corrected,
7 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, photocopy, corrected,
4 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Front matter,
8 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Clippings,
1 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? 1974
-Holograph, typescript, and carbon typescript, corrected, miscellaneous,
12 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Typescript, corrected, 12 p. with front matter, 2 p. (M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Typescript, corrected,
9 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Front matter,
5 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, corrected,
6 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, corrected,
5 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, photocopy, corrected,
9 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Galley proof,
5 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Page proof, photocopy, corrected,
10 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Page proof, photocopy, corrected,
10 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Page proof,
10 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Page proof,
10 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Dummy, photocopy,
26 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
-Correspondence,
7 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 2)
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? 1976
-Typescript, corrected, 15 p. with front matter, 2 p. (M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, photocopy, corrected,
14 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, photocopy, corrected,
14 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Galley proof, photocopy, corrected,
14 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-Notes,
3 p.
(M.F. 332, folder 1)
-1 paste-up (M.F. 332, folder 1)
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