Building Up a Library Trivia Quiz

Answer: Up From Slavery

Booker T. Washington lived from 1856 to 1915. His biographical memoir was published in 1901 and detailed his life from birth in a slave family in Virginia through the Civil War and Reconstruction. He was a powerful voice on behalf of African Americans as they began to seek full citizenship and participation in the American democracy.

Answer: The Mixed-Up Chameleon

Picture book author Eric Carle has published many deightful picture books including "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "Brown Bear, Brown Bear". He has established a charming picture book museum in Amherst, MA which displays his work as well as that of other picture book authors, and includes an open art studio where visitors can try his techniques.

Answer: Teaching

Bel Kauffman immigrated to New York City from Germany and spent some time teaching in the New York City school system in the 1960s. Her book was very popular when it was published. Not only did it appear on the New York Times bestseller list for 64 weeks, but it was also made into a movie which starred Sandy Dennis, Maureen Stapleton and Eileen Heckart.

Answer: Up in the Air

"Up in the Air" was nominated for three Academy awards when it was produced in 2010. Its author, Walter Kirn, was born in 1962 and was educated at Princeton and Oxford Universities. He also wrote "Thumbsucker" which was adapted into a movie four years before "Up in the Air." Kirn has also written criticism, essays and reviews for "The New Republic", "The Atlantic", and "The New York Times".

Answer: George Orwell

George Orwell was the pseudonym used by Eric Arthur Blair who lived from 1903 to 1950. This British author's most well known book is "Animal Farm". He also wrote "1984". Orwell wrote "Coming Up for Air" while living in Morocco recovering from a wound he received while fighting in the Spanish Civil War.

Answer: France

Pamela Drukerman spent time living in France and wrote this book after observing how well-behaved French children seemed in contrast to their American counterparts. She has also written on the subject of infidelity in marriage. In 2012 Ms. Druckerman was listed among "Time" magazine's most influential people of the year.

Answer: Richard Rodgers

Mary Rodgers' father was, in fact, Richard Rodgers. However, she is also known as an author of children's books, including "Freaky Friday". Her son, Adam Guettel, has also made a career as a Broadway composer. He wrote "Floyd Collins", a musical about a mining disaster, and "The Light in the Piazza", which won a Tony Award.

Answer: Shel Silverstein

Shel Silverstein (1930-1999) was a highly creative poet, author, cartoonist and screen writer. While much of what he produced was enjoyed by an audience of children, one song that he wrote was made popular by Johnny Cash when he sang "A Boy Named Sue" at his concert at San Quentin Prison in 1969.

Answer: Golf

Al Barkow, the author of this book, himself played golf while in college at Western Illinois University. Barkow is a professional journalist whose articles on golf and other subjects have been widely published. The tournament on which this book is based took place in San Francisco in 1955.

Another golf book Oswald could consider was "Getting Up and Down" a golfer advice book written by Tom Watson a championship golfer who began his career on the varsity golf team at Stanford University.

Answer: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The plot of this children's book features an angel sculpture by Michelangelo which was made up by the author and does not really exist. Nevertheless, in real life, children who visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City frequently ask the staff where they can find Michelangelo's "Angel". The initials of this author's name stand for Elaine Lobl. She died in April 2013.