Hila Colman (July 21, 1909 – May 15, 2008) was an American author whose career spanned four decades and included magazine articles, novels, and television. Colman principally wrote for children and young adults, authoring more than 70 books. She was also a writer for episodes of NBC Matinee Theater and ABC Afterschool Special.

Hila Colman
Born(1909-07-21)July 21, 1909
New York City, New York, U.S.
DiedMay 15, 2008(2008-05-15) (aged 98)
OccupationWriter
LanguageEnglish
EducationRadcliffe College
GenreChildren's and young adult fiction
Notable awardsJosette Frank Award, Garden State Children's Book Awards

Early life and education

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Hill Colman was born in New York City on July 21, 1909, to Harry and Sarah Crayder. She attended Calhoun School, then Radcliffe College.[1]

Career

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Colman began her career writing at the National War Relief Agency. In 1947, she published her first article in The Saturday Evening Post, an opinion piece about the role fathers should play in home life.[2] She continued writing for a number of women's magazines before turning to novels.[3] Her 1977 autobiographical work, Hanging On, details caring for her husband during the final year of his life following a stroke.[4]

In all, Colman wrote more than 70 books and a few television episodes.[1]

Personal life and death

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Colman was politically liberal and was involved in several political movements.[1]

Colman was married and widowed four times: Leon Meadow, Saul Ochs, Louis Colman, and Joel Rothman. She also had at least two children (Jonathan and James Colman), nine grandchildren, and eleven grandchildren.[1]

Hila Colman died in Bridgewater, Connecticut, on May 15, 2008, at the age of 98.[1]

Awards

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Year Award Work Result Refs
1962 Child Study Association of America Children's Book Award The Girl from Puerto Rico Winner [5]
1962 Josette Frank Awards The Girl from Puerto Rico Special Citation [6]
1976 Garden State Children's Book Awards Nobody Has to Be a Kid Forever Winner [7]

Selected works

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Children's

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  • Peter's Brownstone House (1963)[8]
  • The Boy Who Couldn't Make Up His Mind (1965)[9]
  • Ethan's Favorite Teacher (1975)[10]
  • Rich and Famous Like My Mom (1988)[11]

Novels

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  • The Big Step (1957)[12]
  • A Crown for Gina (1958)[13]
  • Julie Builds Her Castle (1959)[14]
  • The Best Wedding Dress (1960)[15]
  • The Girl From Puerto Rico (1961)[16]
  • Mrs. Darling's Daughter (1962)[17]
  • Phoebe's First Campaign (1963)[18]
  • Classmates by Request (1965)[19]
  • Car Crazy Girl (1967)[20]
  • Mixed-Marriage Daughter (1968)[21]
  • Claudia, Where Are You? (1969)[22]
  • The Happenings at North End School (1970)[23]
  • Daughter of Discontent (1971)[24]
  • End of the Game (1971)[25]
  • The Family and the Fugitive (1972)[26]
  • Benny the Misfit (1973)[27]
  • Chicano Girl (1973)[28]
  • Diary of a Frantic Kid Sister (1973)[29]
  • Friends and Strangers on Location (1974)[30]
  • After the Wedding (1975)[31]
  • That's the Way It Is, Amigo (1975)[32]
  • The Amazing Miss Laura (1976)[33]
  • Nobody Has to Be a Kid Forever (1976)[34]
  • Sometimes I Don't Love My Mother (1977)[35]
  • The Case of the Stolen Bagels (1978)[36]
  • Tell Me No Lies (1978)[37]
  • Rachel's Legacy (1978)[38]
  • The Secret Life of Harold the Birdwatcher (1978)[39]
  • Ellie's Inheritance (1979)[40]
  • What's the Matter with the Dobsons? (1980)[41]
  • Accident (1981)[42]
  • The Family Trap (1982)[43]
  • Not for Love (1983)[44]
  • Triangle of Love (1985)
  • Weekend Sisters (1985)[45]

Non-fiction

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  • The Country Weekend Cookbook (1961)
  • A Career in Medical Research (1967)[46]
  • Beauty, Brains, and Glamour: A Career in Magazine Publishing (1968)[47]
  • City Planning: What, How, and When (1971)[48]
  • Hanging On (1977)[49]

Television

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  • Matinee Theater, 1955
  • "The Unforgivable Secret", ABC Afterschool Specials, 1982

Magazines

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  • "Husbands Are No Good at Home", Saturday Evening Post, August 30, 1947

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Hila Colman Obituary". Hartford Courant. 2008-05-20. Retrieved 2023-11-15 – via Legacy.com.
  2. ^ Colman, Hila (1947-08-30). "Husbands are No Good at Home". The Saturday Evening Post. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  3. ^ Silvey, Anita (1995). Children's Books and Their Creators (1 ed.). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 157–158. ISBN 0395653800.
  4. ^ Colman, Hila (1977-07-31). "HANGING ON". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  5. ^ Hopkins, Lee Bennett (1974). More Books by More People (1 ed.). New York: Citation Press. pp. 100–104. ISBN 0590073575. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  6. ^ "Past Winners". Bank Street College of Education. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  7. ^ "GSCBA Past Winners". NJLA Members. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  8. ^ "Peter's Brownstone House". Kirkus Reviews. 1963-06-15. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  9. ^ "The Boy Who Couldn't Make Up His Mind". Kirkus Reviews. 1965-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  10. ^ "Ethan's Favorite Teacher". Kirkus Reviews. 1975-04-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  11. ^ "Rich and Famous Like My Mom". Kirkus Reviews. 1988-03-15. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  12. ^ "The Big Step". Kirkus Reviews. 1957-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  13. ^ "A Crown for Gina". Kirkus Reviews. 1958-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  14. ^ "Julie Builds Her Castle". Kirkus Reviews. 1959-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  15. ^ "The Best Wedding Dress". Kirkus Reviews. 1960-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  16. ^ "The Girl from Puerto Rico". Kirkus Reviews. 1961-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  17. ^ "Mrs. Darling's Daughter". Kirkus Reviews. 1962-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  18. ^ "Phoebe's First Campaign". Kirkus Reviews. 1963-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  19. ^ "Classmates By Request". Kirkus Reviews. 1964-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  20. ^ "Car Crazy Girl". Kirkus Reviews. 1967-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  21. ^ "Mixed-Marriage Daughter". Kirkus Reviews. 1968-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  22. ^ "Claudia, Where Are You?". Kirkus Reviews. 1969-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  23. ^ "The Happenings at North End School". Kirkus Reviews. 1970-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  24. ^ "Daughter of Discontent". Kirkus Reviews. 1971-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  25. ^ "End of the Game". Kirkus Reviews. 1971-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  26. ^ "The Family and the Fugitive". Kirkus Reviews. 1972-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  27. ^ "Benny the Misfit". Kirkus Reviews. 1973-05-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  28. ^ "Chicano Girl". Kirkus Reviews. 1973-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  29. ^ "Diary of a Frantic Kid Sister". Kirkus Reviews. 1973-11-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  30. ^ "Friends and Strangers on Location". Kirkus Reviews. 1974-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  31. ^ "After the Wedding". Kirkus Reviews. 1975-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  32. ^ "That's the Way It Is, Amigo". Kirkus Reviews. 1975-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  33. ^ "The Amazing Miss Laura". Kirkus Reviews. 1976-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  34. ^ "Nobody Has to Be a Kid Forever". Kirkus Reviews. 1976-03-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  35. ^ "Sometimes I Don't Love My Mother". Kirkus Reviews. 1977-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  36. ^ "The Case of the Stolen Bagels". Kirkus Reviews. 1978-12-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  37. ^ "Tell Me No Lies". Kirkus Reviews. 1978-06-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  38. ^ "Rachel's Legacy". Kirkus Reviews. 1978-10-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  39. ^ "The Secret Life of Harold the Birdwatcher". Kirkus Reviews. 1978-03-01.
  40. ^ "Ellie's Inheritance". Kirkus Reviews. 1979-09-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  41. ^ "What's the Matter with the Dobsons?". Kirkus Reviews. 1980-08-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  42. ^ "Accident". Kirkus Reviews. 1981-10-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  43. ^ "The Family Trap". Kirkus Reviews. 1982-11-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  44. ^ "Not for Love". Kirkus Reviews. 1983-10-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  45. ^ "Weekend Sisters". Kirkus Reviews. 1985-09-15. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  46. ^ "A Career in Medical Research". Kirkus Reviews. 1967-01-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  47. ^ "Beauty, Brains, and Glamour: A Career in Magazine Publishing". Kirkus Reviews. 1968-11-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  48. ^ "City Planning: What, How, and When". Kirkus Reviews. 1971-12-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
  49. ^ "Hanging On". Kirkus Reviews. 1977-05-01. Retrieved 2023-11-15.
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