Gail Carsn Levine grew up in New York City and has been writing all her life. Her first novel, Ella Enchanted , was a Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Fairest , a New York Times bestseller, Publishers Weekly Best Book, and School Library Journal Best Book; Dave at Night , an ALA Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults; Ever , a New York Times bestseller; The Wish ; The Two Princesses of Bamarre ; A Tale of Two Castles ; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Writer to Writer , the poetry book Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems , and the picture books Betsy Who Cried Wolf and Betsy Red Hoodie , illustrated by… Scott Nash. Gail and her husband, David, live in New York's Hudson Valley.
The fairy tales for which Andersen is now famous comprise only a small part of his lifework. Born in Odense, the son of a poor shoemaker, Andersen worked in a factory after his father's death. However, he soon displayed a talent for poetry and went to Copenhagen to pursue other outlets. Andersen's first collection of poems was published in 1830 and a second in 1831. Andersen complained bitterly about the lack of encouragement for his first volume of stories, Fairy Tales, Told for Children (1835). In 1843, he began the series called New Adventures, the title no longer addressing itself exclusively to children. His contemporaries received his novels and travel books enthusiastically. In his… old age, Andersen said, "My fairy tales are written as much for adults as for children. Children understand only the trimmings, and not until they mature will they see and comprehend the whole." During his lifetime his talent was more esteemed more generally in other countries than in his native Denmark. Charles Dickens, for example, called the Dane "a great writer." Andersen died in Copenhagen in 1875 after a long battle with cancer.