My Life In Two Halves: A Memoir

Description

Betty Gilderdale lived the first half of her life in England and the second, in New Zealand. This book follows her early childhood in London, the war years, university study, professional life, marriage and children, through to making a new life in New Zealand when she and her husband Alan and their three children moved here in 1967. It is a rich and full life of diverse experiences peopled with teaching colleagues, writers, friends and, most importantly, family.

Author description

Betty is well known in New Zealand as author, with Alan, of the best-selling Little Yellow Digger series and for many years has been a passionate advocate for wonderful stories for New Zealand children. This fact was appropriately recognised when the Children's Literature Association renamed their Award for Services to Children's Literature, The Betty Gilderdale Award. She has also written biographies of Lady Barker (author of Station Life in New Zealand) and Margaret Mahy, and for twenty years she had a review column in the New Zealand Herald, which gave her access to new publications and the chance to meet and interview many local and international authors.