Sydney Taylor

Sydney Taylor (October 30, 1904 – February 12, 1978) was an American writer, known for her series of children's books about a Jewish-American family in New York during the early 20th century. Her first book won the Charles W. Follett Award in children's literature. Early life and education She was born Sarah Brenner on October 30, 1904, in New York City to Cecilia ( Marowitz) and Morris Brenner, Jewish immigrants from Germany. Her parents and eldest sister Ella had emigrated in 1901 to the United States and settled in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Taylor was the third of the five daughters who would become characters in her later books: Ella, Henrietta, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertrude. She had three younger brothers. German was the first language of the Brenner children, although they spoke English among themselves and outside of the home. The Brenner family moved from the Lower East Side to the Bronx in 1916. Taylor attended Morris High School (Bronx). Correspondence saved by Taylor indicates that she requested to be called Sydney, or Sid, in high school.