Mem Fox
Mem Fox Author Study
Biographical Info.
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Born March 5, 1946 in Melbourne,
Australia
6 months old - moved to Rhodesia, Africa
with her missionary parents (now called
Zimbabwe)
Spoke their local language, Ndebele,
better than English
Loved her first school experience
Learned to write by using her finger to
draw the letters in the “red earth”
Biographical Info.(cont.)
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Lived in all black community
Didn’t see herself as different until
she was 5
Wrote her first book at 10 years old
Moved to London to study drama at
19 years old
Liked writing better than acting so
she moved back to Australia - 1970
Biographical Info.(cont.)
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Married husband - Malcolm
Had daughter Chloe
Became professor in Literary Studies
at Finders University
Teacher by day, writer by night and
weekend
First Book
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Hush, the Invisible Mouse
– Inspired by daughter because she did not
have any books to help her identify as an
Australian
– Tried and tried to get published
– Rewrote story 23 times
– Took 5 years and 9 rejections to get published
– Had to change mouse to possum and called
book “Possum Magic”
Interesting Irony: best selling children’s book in
history of Australia
Bibliography
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*book list*
35 children’s books
5 nonfiction adult books
Philosophy
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“Emotion is to picture books as flour
is to bread” - Mem Fox
Philosophy
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“If we don’t laugh, gasp, block our
ears, sigh, vomit, giggle, curl our
toes, sympathize, feel pain, weep, or
shiver during the reading of a picture
book, then surely the writer has
wasted our time, our money, and our
precious trees.” - Mem Fox
Use of Language
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Alliteration
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Simile
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Onomatopeia
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Real life - easily relatable situations
Possum Magic - 1983
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Story Behind Book:
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Theme:
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald
Partridge - 1984
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Story Behind Book:
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Theme:
Hattie and the Fox - 1986
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Story Behind Book:
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Theme:
Night Noises - 1989
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Story Behind Book:
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Theme:
Koala Lou - 1988
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Mem Fox’s Favorite Book
2 years, 49 drafts to write it
Story Behind Book:
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Theme:
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