Four decades ago, Johanna Hurwitz, then a children’s librarian and mother of two adolescents, drew from her own life to write her debut novel, Busybody Nora, introducing Nora and Teddy, two siblings living in a New York City apartment building. Originally published by Morrow Junior Books in March 1976, the novel has remained consistently in print, currently under the HarperTrophy imprint of HarperCollins, which acquired Morrow in 1999.

Born in 1937 into a New York City book-loving family – her father was a journalist and bookseller and her mother a library assistant – Hurwitz recalled pretending to read aloud to her dolls before she could actually read. She also discovered her knack for making up stories at an early age, when she was regularly charged with keeping her restless – and hungry – younger brother entertained while their mother prepared dinner. This task helped her appreciate the power of story: rather than dashing to the table when dinner was served, her rapt sibling frequently asked if supper could wait until his sister told him more stories.

Once she mastered reading, Hurwitz began writing her stories down. “Once, when I was eight or nine, I even got a classmate to agree to illustrate one of my stories,” she recalled. “That was my first ‘book,’ and I began dreaming about writing children’s books. But when I told my parents I wanted to become a writer, they told me that was great, but said I’d better find another job, too, so I could support myself. Since I loved going to our public library on a regular basis, I decided to become a librarian.”

After graduating from Queens College and earning a master’s degree in library science from Columbia, Hurwitz worked as a children’s librarian at the New York Public Library and in elementary schools. In her younger years, the fact that she hadn’t traveled much beyond her home turf had squelched her writing ambitions since, she explained, “It seemed to me that a book had to be set far away in order to be interesting. It took me a long time to realize that I could write about New York City!”

Finally, at the age of 38, Hurwitz penned Busybody Nora, basing the title character on her daughter, Nomi, and Nora’s younger brother, Teddy, on her son Ben. And the story’s apartment building setting bore a strong resemblance to the one her family lived in. “That one story led to another and another,” she said. In time, Hurwitz wrote 14 books about Nora, Teddy, and their neighbors Russell and Elisa, which comprise The Riverside Kids series, most of which are currently available as e-books from StarWalk Kids Media.

Acquired and originally edited by Connie Epstein at Morrow, Busybody Nora has had three illustrators over its long life: Susan Jeschke, Lillian Hoban, and currently Debbie Tilley (who is also the illustrator of the latest editions of the Riverside Kids titles). Hurwitz’s first novel has also had a revolving roster of editors. “After David Reuther took over from Connie at Morrow, and made the decision to have Lillian Hoban create new art for the book, Barbara Lalicki became the editor,” said Hurwitz. “David and Barbara are now retired, and Rosemary Brosnan [who joined HarperCollins during the Harper-Morrow merge] is now the books’ editor. It’s amazing how many people have come and gone in the past 40 years.”

Nora Moves On

Brosnan, now v-p and editorial director of HarperCollins Children’s Books, became Hurwitz’s editor in 1998, as an editor working under Reuther at Morrow. “I was absolutely thrilled, as I had been a longtime fan of Johanna’s work,” she said. “I think I took over as her editor when The Just Desserts Club – a book that included recipes – was in production. And then we worked on the wonderful Fourth-Grade Fuss together.”

Musing on the key to Busybody Nora’s longevity and continued appeal, Brosnan credited Hurwitz’s talent for writing realistic fiction that is at once classic and contemporary. “Johanna’s books have a timeless feeling,” she observed. “Kids from any generation can identify with them. Johanna grew up in New York City, and I think the way she portrays life in an apartment building in Busybody Nora is fascinating to kids who have never lived in an apartment, and familiar to those who do.”

A personal connection to the author’s work, added Brosnan, further endears Hurwitz’s novels to her. “Johanna was my son Alan’s favorite author for years,” explained the editor. “He is now 25, but when he recently moved, he kept Johanna’s books, which are dog-eared from his having read them so many times! There is a certain comfort to be found in reading her novels – a reassuring sanity to the world she writes about, and a feeling that problems can be resolved. I have a feeling that kids will still be enjoying Johanna’s books in another 40 years – they just don’t age.”

Now a grandmother of three, Hurwitz finds inspiration from the newest generation of her family, and from her frequent visits to schools. “From my grandchildren I’ve learned expressions that I would never have thought of,” she said. “And listening to and even just looking at kids at schools, I get lots of ideas for stories. Ideas are everywhere, really! I wake up each morning with my head filled with stories, and I am eager to begin writing.”

The author has recently finished a sequel to 2013’s The Two and Only Kelly Twins, tentatively titled Double or Nothing, which is illustrated by Tuesday Mourning and due from Candlewick in spring 2017. Though she’s looking forward to the publication of that book, celebrating Busybody Nora’s anniversary is currently a top priority for the author, who noted, “I love the fact of Nora being five years old in 1976, and Nora being five years old in 2016. That is part of the magic of books!”