The Lois Lenski Collection at FSU

Title

The Lois Lenski Collection at FSU

Description

The legacy of Lois Lenski's work lives on in a special collection of objects housed in Florida State University's Strozier Library. Included in the Lois Lenski Collection are the original typed manuscripts of several of her award-winning books, such as "Strawberry Girl". The first in her eleven-volume Regional Series, "Strawberry Girl" tells the tale of migrant workers in the Lakeland-Plant City area, and won the Newbery Medal in 1946. Another book in which Florida plays a part, "Judy's Journey", recieved the Children Book Committee award of the Child Study Association of America.

The Lenski collection was started in the 1950's as a result of a request by Louise Richardson, who was head of FSU Special Collections at the time. She contacted Mrs. Lenski, asking for "even just a page or drawing from Strawberry Girl". Originally Lenski sent only two drawings, but in 1958 Lenski presented Strozier Library with a substantially larger collection of her books, original drawings, articles, and other miscellaneous items. Since that time, the purchase of many additional Lenski books for the collection have added to the overall interest and value of the collection.

Contributor

FSU Special Collections

Collection Items

Books on Exhibition Newspaper Clipping
When the Lois Lenski Collection was donated to Florida State University, illustrations, manuscripts and sketches were displayed in Strozier Library.
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