Elsie Times Eight by Natalie Babbitt

Natalie Babbitt (1932-2016) was an award-winning author of numerous stunningly creative books for children, including Tuck Everlasting, The Eyes of the Amaryllis, Kneeknock Raise, and many others. She began her work in 1966 as the artist of her husband's novel The Forty-ninth Magician. Babbitt took her hand at writing when her husband became the head of a college and no longer had time to collaborate. The Search for Delicious, her debut novel, demonstrated her talent for crafting beautiful narratives with deep meaning. Tuck Everlasting was transformed into a major motion feature in 2002, and Kneeknock Raise earned her a Newbery Honor Medal. Natalie Babbitt was from Hamden, Connecticut.