Mary Francis Shura (1923–1991)
Author of Gentle Annie: The True Story of a Civil War Nurse
About the Author
Image credit: Mary Francis Young Shura Craig
Series
Works by Mary Francis Shura
The Barkley Street six-pack (Republished as: My friend Natalie, and, Some kind of friend) (1979) 74 copies
ShoeFull of Shamrock 1 copy
Maggie in the Middle 1 copy
the search for grissi 1 copy
Marilee, Jessica, Gabrielle 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Young Shura Craig, Mary Francis
- Other names
- Shura, Mary Francis
Craig, Mary
Hill, Alexis
Craig, M. S.
Shura Craig, Mary
Hill, Meredith (show all 8)
Craig, M. F.
Craig, Mary S. - Birthdate
- 1923-02-23
- Date of death
- 1991-01-12
- Gender
- female
- Occupations
- novelist
children's book author
romance novelist
mystery writer - Organizations
- Mystery Writers of America (president, 1990)
- Short biography
- Mary Francis Young was born on 23 February 1923 in Pratt, Kansas, the daughter of Jack Fant and Mary Francis (Milstead) Young. When she was very young, her family moved to the Pacific Northwest, where she raised. She studied at Maryville State College. On 24 October 1943, she married Daniel Charles Shura, who died in 1959. They had two children: Marianne Francis Shura (Spraguc) and Daniel Charles Shura. On 8 December 1961, she married Raymond C. Craig, they had a daughter Alice Barrett Craig (Stout), before their divorce.
Since 1960, she wrote over 50 books of various genres: children's adventures and teen-romances as Mary Francis Shura, M. F. Craig, and Meredith Hill; gothic novels as Mary Craig; romance novels as Alexis Hill, Mary Shura Craig and Mary S. Craig; and suspense novels as M. S. Craig.
Her children's novel "The Search for Grissi" received the Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Award in 1985, and she also was nominated to the Young Hoosier Book Award. In 1990, she was elected president of the Mystery Writers of America.
She lived in Hinsdale, Illinois, where her apartment burned on 13 December 1990. At 67, she died of injuries suffered in the fire on 12 January 1991 in Loyola University Medical Burn Center in Maywood. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Pratt, Kansas, USA
- Places of residence
- Hinsdale, Illinois, USA
- Place of death
- Maywood, Illinois, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- Illinois, USA
Members
Discussions
Found: Another cat book in Name that Book (April 2025)
Reviews
Throughout Eliza's elementary career it seems like Eliza's teachers have been trying to make her something she is not. Then, in fifth grade, Eliza meets Miss Dixon, who is quiet just like her. Miss Dixon is a good teacher who handles the class bully and challenges her students in way other teachers have not. When Miss Dixon goes missing, Eliza is sure the authorities are not taking her disappearance as seriously as they should and does some sleuthing of her own with friends, including the show more son of a police officer, a young conspiracy theorist, and her sickly next door neighbor. While the mystery, suspense, and characterization are fair, the writing falls short. Additionally, Eliza's understandable but mildly violent reaction to her bully may not fit with most school's anti-bully programs. There are far better school stories and mysteries out there for young readers. show less
This is one of three cheesy teenage romances that I reread almost every year (always at Christmas–in fact, it's about that time as I write this!). It has just the right amount of heartbreak and thrills, with actually a longer road to the happy ending than in most CTRs, which is part of its appeal. It's not an easy love story–but it is, ultimately, satisfying. And all the winter & Christmas scenes make me feel all snowy and cozy (even though I live in Southern California).
***
For the show more record, I don't rate books at all unless they are unequivocally five stars–books I would stand up for, possibly get involved in light fisticuffs in their defense. Books like The Outsiders and Chronicles of Narnia and A Wrinkle in Time. Otherwise, I just let my review (or lack thereof) speak for itself. show less
***
For the show more record, I don't rate books at all unless they are unequivocally five stars–books I would stand up for, possibly get involved in light fisticuffs in their defense. Books like The Outsiders and Chronicles of Narnia and A Wrinkle in Time. Otherwise, I just let my review (or lack thereof) speak for itself. show less
LFL find going back. Not so much about Grissi, but more how a boy from Peoria learns how to make friends in Brooklyn. Mostly a 'nice' read but some fisticuffs and an unexpected ending.
Art by Ted Lewin, which is done in the medium that our 6th-grader is learning, makes the book more special.
Art by Ted Lewin, which is done in the medium that our 6th-grader is learning, makes the book more special.
Timothy is stuck between two sisters who monopolize his family's conversations- perhaps that's why he's developed a reputation for fibbing. When a blue cat comes down off the mountain and sits in his chair at school, however, he's telling the truth. The class adopts the cat as their pet, and the children take turns watching it over the weekend. Timothy is excited for his turn, but his landlady won't allow pets so he keeps Topcat's carrier in a tree and Topcat escapes. Timothy searches the show more mountain and falls and injures himself, and everyone learns the story of Topcat. His landlady agrees that Topcat can even live with them over the summer. show less
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- Works
- 64
- Also by
- 2
- Members
- 2,378
- Popularity
- #10,792
- Rating
- 3.4
- Reviews
- 14
- ISBNs
- 106
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