Rosamond du jardin biography books

Rosamond du Jardin

About the Author

Rosamond du Jardin was one of the most popular authors of girls series fiction in the 1950s. Her Tobey Heydon and Pam and Penny Howard books are among the most beloved teen romance novels of their era.

Rosamond du Jardin first wrote humorous verse and short stories for newspaper syndicates, then went on to sell approximately a hundred stories to such magazines as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, McCall's and many other publications, abroad as well as in the United States. She also wrote five novels for adults before her first novel for teenagers, Practically Seventeen, which was published in 1949.

In addition to writing, Mrs. Du Jardin frequently spoke at schools, and students enjoyed meeting in person the creator of some of their favorite stories. Mrs. Du Jardin enjoyed her school visits, too, because she liked and respected teenagers as individuals and firmly believed that they are interesting, normal and dependable people.

Born in the small town of Fairland, Illinois, Rosamond du Jardin was two years old when her family moved to Chicago. She lived there and in the Chicago suburbs for the rest of her life.

Pictured left: Judy, Rosamond, and Lana.

DID YOU KNOW...?

Lana was the inspiration for the Zeta Mu Fraternity St. Bernard mascot, "Baby," in The Real Thing?

Rosamond du Jardin was a

Books by Rosamond du Jardin

Practically Seventeen (Tobey Heydon, #1)
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4.18 avg rating — 290 ratings — published 1943 — 19 editions

Double Date (Pam & Penny Howard, #1)
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4.11 avg rating — 211 ratings — published 1952 — 8 editions

Wait For Marcy (Marcy Rhodes, #1)
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3.93 avg rating — 188 ratings — published 1950 — 19 editions

Class Ring (Tobey Heydon, #2)
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4.08 avg rating — 174 ratings — published 1951 — 11 editions

Double Wedding (Pam & Penny Howard, #4)
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3.96 avg rating — 151 ratings — published 1959 — 15 editions

Boy Trouble (Tobey Heydon, #3)
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3.94 avg rating — 142 ratings — published 1953 — 12 editions

Showboat Summer (Pam & Penny Howard, #3)
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3.94 avg rating — 141 ratings — published 1955 — 12 editions

Wedding in the Family
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4.01 avg rating — 126 ratings — published 1958 — 9 editions

The Real Thing (Tobey Heydon, #4)
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4.09 avg rating — 121 ratings — published 1951 — 3 editions

One of the Crowd
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4.06 avg rating — 109 ratings — published 1961 — 11 editions

Senior Prom (Marcy Rhodes, #4)
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4.16 avg rating — 85 ratings — published 1957 — 16 editions

A Man for Marcy (Marcy Rhodes, #3)
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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 79 ratings — published 1958 — 14 editions

Marcy Catches Up (Marcy Rhodes, #2)
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3.95 avg rating — 63 ratings — published 1952 — 15 editions

Junior Year Abroad
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3.75 avg rating — 40 ratings — published 1960 — 6 editions

Someone to Count on
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3.68 avg rating — 40 ratings — published 1962 — 4 editions

Young and Fair
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3.97 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 1963 — 5 editions

Tobey And Midge Heydon 6 Bo

Rosamond du Jardin (1902–1963) was a

Rosamond du Jardin

Born

in Fairland, Illinois, The United States

July 22, 1902

Died

March 27, 1963

Genre

Young Adult, Children's, Fiction

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Rosamond du Jardin, née Neal, first wrote humorous verse and short stories for newspaper syndicates, then went on to sell approximately a hundred stories to such magazines as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, McCall's and many other publications, abroad as well as in the United States. She also wrote five novels for adults before her first novel for teenagers, Practically Seventeen, which was published in 1949.

She was married to Victor Du Jardin on October 28, 1925. They had three children, Jacqueline Neal, Victor Junior, and Judith Carol, with whom she would later co-author Junior Year Abroad.

In addition to writing, Mrs. Du Jardin frequently spoke at schools, and students enjoyed meeting in person the creator of some of their favorite storRosamond du Jardin, née Neal, first wrote humorous verse and short stories for newspaper syndicates, then went on to sell approximately a hundred stories to such magazines as Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, McCall's and many other publications, abroad as well as in the United States. She also wrote five novels for adults before her first novel for teenagers, Practically Seventeen, which was published in 1949.

She was married to Victor Du Jardin on October 28, 1925. They had three children, Jacqueline Neal, Victor Junior, and Judith Carol, with whom she would later co-author Junior Year Abroad.

In addition to writing, Mrs. Du Jardin frequently spoke at schools, and students enjoyed meeting in person the creator of some of their favorite stories. Mrs. Du Jardin enjoyed her school visits, too, because she liked and respected teenagers as individuals and firmly believed that they are interesting, normal and dependable people.

Born in the small town of Fairland, Illinois, Rosamond du Jardin was two years old when her family moved to

Rosamond du Jardin

American novelist (1902–1963)

Rosamond du Jardin (1902–1963) was a writer, best known for 17 books for teen girls published in the 1950s and 1960s. Before then, she wrote short stories and serialized novels for numerous magazines. Her work is of enduring interest in gender studies because it provides a useful view of 1950s norms and rites of passage.

Personal life

Rosamond Maud Neal was born July 22, 1902, in Fairland, Illinois, and grew up in Chicago. She graduated from Morgan Park High School and married Victor du Jardin; they had three children and operated a book store in Glen Ellyn, IL. An elementary school in Bloomingdale, Illinois, is named for her. Du Jardin died March 27, 1963.

Writing career

Du Jardin's teen series fiction was praised for showing "understanding of the young viewpoint," but like many novels for teen girls of the era (notably Betty Cavanna's and Anne Emery's, which are often discussed with du Jardin's), her plots favored romance and conformity. The choice of the right dress and the right boyfriend were often the key to happiness.

Perhaps her most popular series was her four-book set about Pam and Penny Howard, twins who need to learn to establish themselves as individuals. The series begins with the twins' senior year of high school and continues through the end of their college years.

Other series were about Marcy Rhodes and Tobey and Midge Heydon. She also wrote a historical novel, Young and Fair, and co-wrote a work of nonfiction about her daughter's college junior year abroad.

In the 2010s, her books were reissued in facsimile editions by Image Cascade Publishing.

Her papers are preserved at the University of Oregon's Archives West.

Books

Boy Trouble
Class Ring
Double Date (Pam & Penny Howard book #1)
Double Feature (Pam & Penny

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