Moore, Lilian (1909–2004)

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Moore, Lilian (1909–2004)

American poet, editor and children's book writer. Born Lilian Levenson, Mar 17, 1909, in New York, NY; died July 20, 2004, in Seattle, WA; dau. of Sarah (Asheron) Levenson and Aaron Levenson; Hunter College, BA, 1930; graduate study at Columbia University; m. 2nd husband William Moore; m. Sam Reavin, 1969 (died); children: (2nd m.) Jonathan Moore.

Worked as elementary schoolteacher in New York City; became staff member of NYC Bureau of Educational Research (1937); became the 1st editor of Arrow Book Club for Scholastic Book Services (1957), then editor of special book project (history and biography series, 1968–69); also worked as editor of easy reader series in Wonder Books Division of Grosset & Dunlap and as series editor for Thomas Y. Crowell; helped make children's books more affordable, and worked to combat racial stereotypes in children's literature; helped establish the Council on Interracial Books for Children; books include Old Rosie, the Horse Nobody Understood (1952), The Terrible Mr. Twitmeyer (1952), Sam's Place: Poems from the Country (1973), I'll Meet You at the Cucumbers (1988), and the "Little Racoon" series.

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