Jean Little is a Canadian author who was born partially sighted in 1932 in Taiwan. She has written over 50 books for children, many featuring characters with disabilities. Her work is often inspired by her own experiences with vision impairment. Little's books address issues like coping with disability, grief, and psychological difficulties. She has won numerous awards for her writing and continues to advocate for children.

1. Jean
Little

2. Author’s Corner: Novels
Birdie for Now Listen for the Singing
(2002) (1977)
Somebody Else’s
Dancing Through the Look Through My Summer (2005)
Snow (2007) Window (1970)
Spring Begins in
Different Dragons Lost and Found March (1966)
(1986) (1985)
Stand in the Wind
Forward, Shakespea Mamas Going to Buy (1975)
re (2005) You A Mockingbird
(1984) Take Wing (1968)
From Anna (1972)
Mine for Keeps The Belonging Place
His Banner Over Me (1962) (1997)
(1995)
One to Grow On The Birthday Girl
Home from Far (1969) (2004)
(1965)
Rescue Pup (2004) Willow and Twig
Kate (1971) (2000)

4. Jean Little Biography
Born in 1932, in Formosa vision, taught herself to
(Taiwan) read on her own, which
became her “greatest joy”
Doctors found scars over
both of her corneas, which Moved to Toronto, Canada
is cause for a significant in 1939
loss of eyesight and is
diagnosed as legally blind Was first in a school for
children with vision
Teased in school problems, but transitioned
to a regular education
Family was very classroom by fourth grade
supportive, with parents
reading to her frequently She lost lots of
accommodations and
Gained limited struggled

5. Began to enjoy writing; Published first novel
her father encouraged after freshman year:
her and often edited Let Me Be Gentle about
her work a large family with a
mentally retarded six-
Father published her year-old girl.
first collection of poetry
when Little was 15 Graduated in 1955 with
years old bachelor’s degree in
English
Saturday Night
(magazine) published Taught children with
two of her verses. “I disabilities, although
listened and [when] his she primarily wanted to
voice broke, I knew write
why I wanted to be a
writer.” Worked with children at
camps and in their
Attended Victoria homes, and at the
College’s English Institute of Special
language and literature Education in Salt Lake
program to pursue a City, Utah and at
degree in Florida University
English, father suffered
a heart attack

6. Inspired her to write for Year Award for Mama’s
children Going to Buy You a
Mockingbird – focuses
Found that books of the on grief and
1950s that did portray understanding of a child
children with disabilities losing a parent
were difficult to find and
inaccurate portrayals – Also writes historical
miraculous miracles novels
Published Mine for Published many
Keeps about Sally novels, picture
Copeland, a young girl books, and professional
with cerebral palsy – articles
focuses on coping skills
of Sally and those When not writing, works
around her with young people in
churches, schools, and
1985 – won Canadian the community
Children’s Book of the

7. Jean Little, the Author
Partially sighted grief
Former teacher of children None of her characters find
with disabilities “magical cures” for their
problems
Her disability and
experiences are a basis for Learn to cope and led to
many of her greater self-understanding
characters, many of whom
have cerebral palsy or are Has won awards such as
blind Canadian Children’s Book
Award, Governor General’s
Many other characters Literacy Award, and a
confront psychological Vicky Metcalf Award
difficulties, such as fear or

8. From Anna
Novel
Published by Harper in 1972
Preview: “Anna has always been the clumsy one in the family.
Somehow she can never do anything right! She bumps into
tables, and she can't read the blackboard at her school. Her
perfect brothers and sisters call her "Awkward Anna." When
Papa announces that the family is moving from Germany to
Canada, Anna's heart sinks. How can she learn English when
she can't even read German? Nothing could be worse than
this! But when the Soldens arrive in Canada, Anna learns that
there is a reason for her clumsiness. And
suddenly, wonderfully, her whole world begins to change.” –
Jean Little
Review: a very intriguing book, with a main character’s
emotional journey that is easily understood.

9. Mama’s Going to Buy You
a Mockingbird
Novel
Published by Penguin in 1984
Preview: “Jeremy is not having a good summer. His best friends have
moved away, and he has to stay at the cottage with only his little
sister and Aunt Margery. His parents have remained in the city so his
father can have an operation. When Jeremy finally sees him
again, he finds out that his father has cancer and isn't going to get
better. Suddenly, everything is different. Then Jeremy finds an
unlikely friend in Tess, who knows what it's like to lose someone. As
his friendship with her grows, through good times and bad, Jeremy
discovers that his father has left him something that will live forever
…” – Jean Little
Review: excellent book, made even more interesting by Jean Little’s
read aloud at teachingbooks.net
(http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?aid=859).

10. Rescue Pup
Novel
Published by Orca in 2004
Preview: “Shakespeare wriggled joyously and reared up to
lick Tessa's chin. He expected even this girl to love him on
sight. Everybody always had. But Tessa was not
everybody. She parted her knees and let him slither to the
floor. Shakespeare is a Seeing Eye puppy. But before the
time comes for him to train with a blind person, he must
spend six months with a girl who has never learned to love.
He does all he can to teach her, but the job places him in
some dangerous situations and by the end of the story he
has earned the title Rescue Pup.” – Jean Little
Review: written more for a younger elementary
audience, this book dives into emotional issues skirted by
many other authors.

11. Bibliography
(2012). Jean little photograph. (2012). [Web
Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.scholastic.ca/dearcanada/authors/jea
n_little.htm
Little, J. (n.d.). Jean little: Canadian author.
Retrieved from http://jeanlittle.ca/
Little, J. (n.d.). Teaching books: Jean little.
Retrieved from
http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?aid=859

12. Bibliography of Author’s
Books
Little, J. (1995). Bats about baseball. Penguin.
Little, J. (2002). Birdie for now. Orca.
Little, J. (2003). Brothers far from home: The World War I diary of Eliza Bates.
Scholastic.
Little, J. (2007). Dancing through the snow. Scholastic.
Little, J. (1986). Different Dragons. Penguin.
Little, J. (1998). Emma’s Magic Winter. Harper.
Little, J. (2004). Emma’s Strange Pet. Harper.
Little, J. (2001). Emma’s Yucky Brother. Harper.
Little, J. (2005). Forward, Shakespeare!. Orca.

13. Little, J. (1972). From Anna. Harper.
Little, J. (1996). GruntlePiggle takes off. Penguin.
Little, J. (1986). Hey world, here I am!. Kids Can Press.
Little, J. (1995). His banner over me. Penguin.
Little, J. (1965). Home from far. Little Brown & Co.
Little, J. (2003). I gave my mom a castle. Orca.
Little, J. (2003). I know an old laddie. Penguin.
Little, J. (2007). If I die before I wake: the flue epidemic diary of Fiona
Macgregor. Scholastic.
Little, J. (1995). Jenny and the Hanukkah queen. Penguin.
Little, J. (1991). Jess was the brave one. Penguin.
Little, J. (1971). Kate. HarperCollins.
Little, J. (1977). Listen for the singing. Stoddart.

14. Little, J. (2006). Listen, said the donkey. Scholastic.
Little, J. (1987). Little by little. Penguin.
Little, J. (1970). Look through my window. Harper & Row.
Little, J. (1985). Lost and Found. Penguin.
Little, J. (1984). Mama’s going to buy you a mockingbird. Penguin.
Little, J. (1962). Mine for keeps. Penguin.
Little, J. (1991). One upon a golden apple. Penguin.
Little, J. (1969). One to grow on. Penguin.
Little, J. (2001). Orphan at my door: the home child diary of Victoria
Cope. Scholastic.
Little, J. (2003). Pippin the Christmas pig. Scholastic
Little, J. (2004). Rescue Pup. Orca

15. Little, J. (1992). Revenge of the small small. Penguin.
Little, J. (2005). Somebody else’s summer. Penguin.
Little, J. (1966). Spring begins in March. Penguin.
Little, J. (1975). Stand in the wind. Penguin.
Little, J. (1990). Stars come out within. Penguin.
Little, J. (1968). Take wing. Little Brown & Co.
Little, J. (1997). The belonging place. Penguin.
Little, J. (2004). The birthday girl. Orca.
Little, J. (2008). The sweetest one of all. Scholastic.
Little, J. (1998). What will the robin do then?. Penguin.
Little, J. (1968). When the pie was opened. Little, Brown.
Little, J. (2000). Willow and Twig. Penguin.