Lockhart was born in New York City, and grew up in the Boston area in the 1970s. Her mother was a pre-school teacher and her father a playwright. Lockhart remembers visiting her mother’s classroom and reading to the children there; even more vividly, she remembers sitting in the back row of the theater, watching rehearsals – and seeing stories come to life.
Lockhart studied English at Vassar, and then came to New York City to get her doctorate in 19th-century English literature at Columbia.
Her mother read picture books to her; her father read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Huckleberry Finn, and Sherlock Holmes. He also made up stories for Lockhart and recounted the plots of Shakespeare plays. Together, Lockhart and her father wrote a novel for children called The Secret Life of Billie’s Uncle Myron (1996).
Lockhart writes books for children using her birth name, Emily Jenkins. Her picture books include Lemonade in Winter, Toys Meet Snow, The Fun Book of Scary Stuff ,and Skunkdog. For readers age 6-10, Jenkins writes the popular Toys series, including Toys Go Out, Toy Dance Party, and Toys Come Home, all with illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky.
In addition to writing, Lockhart visits schools in the New York City area and further afield. Her website offers a range of helpful resources for teachers and students. To learn more, visit the official E. Lockhart website.
Books by this author
Dramarama
Fly on the Wall: How One Girl Saw Everything
The Boyfriend List
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
