Jeanne Betancourt (born October 2, 1941, in Vermont) is an American author and television script writer best known for her Pony Pals series of books.
Jeanne Betancourt | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 2, 1941 Vermont, United States |
| Occupation | Author, screenwriter |
| Education | College of St. Joseph (BS) New York University (MA) |
| Notable works | Pony Pals |
| Children | Nicole (daughter) |
| Website | |
| jeannebetancourt | |
Biography
editBetancourt was born and raised in rural Vermont.[citation needed] She lived across from a dairy farm; this rural setting would later influence many of her works.[1] During her childhood, she never considered being an author. Instead, she wanted to dance, and studied tap dance.[citation needed] When she grew too tall (at five feet, eight inches) to be a Rockette, she decided to become a religious sister in her junior year of high school.[citation needed] After graduating high school, she moved to Rutland, Vermont, where she entered the Sisters of St. Joseph, a teaching order of sisters.[citation needed]
She earned a Bachelor of Science in 1964 from the College of St. Joseph the Provider[citation needed] and a Master of Arts degree[citation needed] in film from New York University in 1974.[2] Women in Focus, her first published work, focuses on her master's degree project.[citation needed]
Betancourt left the Sisters of Saint Joseph and moved to New York City, where she taught public high school.[citation needed] She married and had a daughter, Nicole.[1] She wrote her first children's book, SMILE! How to cope with braces, in 1982 when her daughter Nicole had braces,[1] and soon became a full-time author.[citation needed] She later divorced.[1]
She currently lives either on the top floor of a sixteen-story building near the American Museum of Natural History in New York City or in her home in Connecticut.[1] In her free time she draws, oil paints, gardens, and reads.[citation needed]
Awards
editIn television, Betancourt has garnered the National Psychological Award for Excellence in the Media, two Humanitas Awards, and six Emmy Award nominations.[1]
Betancourt has also won numerous awards for her novels, including a Children's Choice Award from the International Reading Association and the Children's Book Council for Sweet Sixteen and Never... and a Lifetime Achievement Award.[citation needed]
Select bibliography
edit- Note: all retrieved from[1] (a complete bibliography)
- Pony Pals series
- My Name is Brain Brian
- Puppy Love
- Home Sweet Home
- The Edge
- Dear Diary
- Cheer USA series
- Ava Tree and the Wishes Three
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Jeanne Betancourt". Equitainment. Archived from the original on March 6, 2017. Retrieved May 1, 2010.
- ^ "Jeanne Betancourt". Scholastic.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2010. Retrieved April 30, 2010.