The late Barbara Cohen explained in a 1989 essay for the Something About the Author Autobiography Series (SAAS) that "everything I write . . . grow[s] out of my own experience." To a large extent, that is the reason why Cohen, who was of Jewish heritage, initially became known as a writer of children's stories about Jewish themes and characters. Cohen, however, was a master storyteller with eclectic interests and as her literary career progressed, the appeal of her fiction was no longer limited by its ethnicity. Her writings were enjoyed by a wide range of readers, particularly those in the early primary school grades. This was an audience she knew well, having taught for seventeen years before becoming a full-time writer. Although her first book was not published until 1972, when she was already thirty-nine- years-old, Cohen was prolific, crafting more than thirty-five books in her late-blooming literary career.

Barbara Cohen...