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Sparks, Beatrice

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1917 January 15 - 2012 May 25

Biographical History

Beatrice Sparks is an author with Ph.D. in human behavior. She is a specialist in child and adolescent psychology, and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sparks was born to Vivian Johns and Leonard Clarence Mathews on January 15, 1917 in Goldberg, Idaho. She grew up in Logan, Utah the third of five children. She moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA, where she met and married LaVorn G. Sparks. Their family includes four children, and several grandchildren. After attending University of California at Los Angeles and Brigham Young University she started working as an Adolescent Phycologist. She also taught continuing education courses at Brigham Young University, and wrote newspaper columns for the Malibu Monitor, the Santa Monica Outlook, and the California Intermountain News. Her work as an author continued with publishing several books, but she was most notable for her work editing and producing novels from teenage diaries regarding the themes of adolescent drug use, depression, psychotherapy, pregnancy, witchcraft, suicide, AIDS, attitudes, interpersonal communications and intergenerational conflict. Sparks has won the American Library Association Young Adult Notable Award, the Christopher Medal, School Library Journal Best Books, and Quick Pick for Recommended Reading by the American Library Association. She has also served as a judge for the National Book Awards. In addition to her literary work, Beatrice and LaVorn served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1986-1987. They worked on development and launch of the Family to Family Book of Mormon Project.

Citation:
UPB files, October 7, 2015 (spouse name; has four children; tought continuing education courses at BYU; wrote for the Malibu Monitor, the Santa Monica Outlook, and the California Intermountain News; awards won; book themes)

Herald Extra, Via WWW, October 7, 2015 (birth and death date; birth place; number of siblings; grew up in logan; attended UCLA and BYU)

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Beatrice Sparks biographical and personal papers, 1949-1999, bulk: 1970-1999

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2224 Series 1
Scope and Contents note Series includes materials gathered by Beatrice Sparks regarding her career as an author in the forms of letters, photocopied and orignal articles, contracts, and compiled research. The letters are written by Sparks, or her family, publishers, and readers. Many of the articles and research refer to the books she was involved in and their themes, but also columns she wrote earlier in her career. The contracts and business correspondene outline the progression of her books from idea or diary...
Dates: Other: 1949-1999; Other: Majority of material found within 1970-1999
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 2224, Beatrice Sparks papers

Beatrice Sparks book manuscripts and proofs, approximately 1970-2000

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2224 Series 3
Scope and Contents note

Materials include manuscripts and proofs of Beatrice Sparks' books, both from her for her publishers, and from the printer's. The materials relate to the following books: "Almost Lost," 1996, with alternate title variation "It's My Candle, I Can Blow It Out If I Want To"; "Annie's Baby"; "It Happened to Nancy"; "Hey! What's Eating Kim?"; "Jay's Journal"; "Treacherous Loving"; "Sammy Sully's Sister Sally's Silly Slippery Sayings"; and others. Dates range approximately 1970-2000.

Dates: Other: approximately 1970-2000
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 2224, Beatrice Sparks papers

Beatrice Sparks collection of fan mail, 1972-2005

 Series — Box 10: Series 5 [Barcode: 31197227645360]
Identifier: MSS 2224 Series 5
Scope and Contents

Materials include letters Beatrice Sparks has recieved in response to her books. Many include personal content and stories related to the themes in Spark's books. The other letters are mostly from students responding to an author for a school asignemnt. Dates range 1972-2005.

Dates: 1972-2005
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 2224, Beatrice Sparks papers

Beatrice Sparks correspondence, articles, and other materials on her books, 1971-2000

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2224 Series 2
Scope and Contents Materials primarily include correspondence with publishers and readers regarding many of the books, including Almost Lost, Annie's Baby, Go Ask Alice, Jay's Journal, Key to Happiness, It Happened to Nancy, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Voices, and "Sparks Grateful-Gram", with brief synopses of some of the stories. Some of her responses are also included. The personal letters are mostly hand written with their mailing nevelope attached. Other material includes articles and promotional...
Dates: Other: 1971-2000
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / MSS 2224, Beatrice Sparks papers

Beatrice Sparks papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 2224
Scope and Contents

The majority of the collection is related to Spark's work as an author. This includes biographical material, correspondence from readers and publishers, manuscripts and printer proofs, and other material Sparks collected relating to her books. There is also correspondence and information documenting the mission she and her husband served for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dates range from 1949 to 2005.

Dates: 1949-2005
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections / Beatrice Sparks papers

Filtered By

  • Subject: Teenagers -- Suicidal behavior X

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 4
Collection 1
 
Subject
Interpersonal communication 4
Letters 4
Photocopies 4
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) 3
Conflict of generations -- United States -- Case studies 2
∨ more
Correspondence 2
Posters 2
Anthropology 1
Articles 1
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences 1
Authors and publishers -- United States -- Correspondence 1
Child care 1
Contracts 1
English literature -- Manuscripts 1
Literature 1
Manuscripts 1
Photographs 1
Promotional materials 1
Suicide 1
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