It's entirely fiction, but I think the character of Dave is somewhat like my father. Levine says, 'I made up my own version of my father's childhood. Levine's next novel, Dave at Night, was inspired by her curiosity about her father's experiences living in an orphanage. The success of Ella Enchanted made it possible for Levine to retire from government work and pursue writing full-time. It would later be the inspiration for the 2004 film of the same name. Levine recalls, 'That day, April 17, 1996, was one of the happiest in my life.' The book was published in 1997, and in 1998, it received a Newbery Honor. Her first published novel was Ella Enchanted, which was accepted for publication by HarperTrophy. Reflecting on her experiences, Levine says 'those years were some of my happiest. During this time she took writing classes and joined writer's groups.

Thus in 1987, she began writing, but over the next nine years, all of her manuscripts were rejected. Writing career Īfter taking a class in writing and illustrating for children, Levine discovered that she enjoyed writing far more than illustrating. She also has an Airedale Terrier named Reggie. She spent the next 27 years working for the government of the state of New York, mainly as a welfare administrator, helping people find jobs. She majored in philosophy at New York's City College, where she received her B.A. She initially aspired to be an actress and painter, and participated in theater troupes before losing interest in acting. Barrie's Peter Pan, and she also enjoyed the works of Louisa May Alcott and L. Īs a child, Levine read avidly her favorite book was James M. Her older sister, Rani, her senior by five years, became a painter. Her father, whose childhood in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum of New York provided inspiration for her story Dave at Night, owned a commercial art studio, and her mother was a teacher who wrote plays for her students to perform. She credits her parents David and Sylvia for her creative streak. Levine grew up in New York City, New York. Her second novel, Ella Enchanted, received a Newbery Honor in 1998. Gail Carson Levine (born September 17, 1947) is an American author of young adult books.

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