rc bio beatrixpotter upperelem - abcteach.com

1 Biography/Reading Comprehension Name _____ Date _____ _____ 2006 beatrix potter Helen beatrix potter was born on July 28th, 1866 in Kensington, London. Her family was wealthy. Neither of her parents worked very much. Her father was a kind of lawyer, but he didn t practice. He spent most of the time out of the house in clubs with his friends. Her mother was also very social, and spent whole days visiting and being visited. beatrix did not go to school. She was taught at home by governesses. Her brother went away to boarding school. beatrix was probably a little lonely. Her parents were very social with people their own age. beatrix had imaginary friends, like fairies. She was also social with her pets, including frogs and even a bat.

2 If you know her books at all, you might predict that beatrix had pet rabbits. She did! Her first two rabbits were named Benjamin and Peter. beatrix was fond of all of her pets and of nature in general. From a very young age, she drew detailed and accurate pictures of the things she saw around her. She also drew pictures of more fantastic things animals dressed in coats and hats show up alongside very realistic drawings of caterpillars. Although her parents did not encourage her to study formally, beatrix studied a lot on her own. She learned about trees, plants, animals, and fungus. She even wrote a scientific paper about fungi, although her uncle had to present it for her, as women weren t allowed to present papers.

3 She never had children of her own, but beatrix potter always had a special understanding of children. In fact, many of her early books started as letters and presents to younger cousins and friends. When potter was 36, she printed her first book: The Tale of Peter Rabbit. It had been rejected by printers, but after she printed it herself she found a publisher. The book was very successful in fact, it s one of the best-selling children s books ever. The publisher wanted more! And not just more of her the publisher, Norman Warne, fell in love with her. Unfortunately, he died before they could get married. It must have been a very sad time for beatrix potter . She used the money from the sale of her books to buy a farm and land.

4 You can see the farm in the background of some of her later books. When she was 47, she moved to the countryside permanently and married William Heelis. He loved the country as much as she did, and had helped her extend her property. potter went on like this, selling books and buying land, for many years. She wrote 23 books and bought 15 farms (and 4000 acres of land!). When she died in 1943, beatrix potter left most of her land to the National Trust, and now most of it is a national park. beatrix potter loved nature, and she demonstrated her love by writing books that showed people the charm of nature, and by protecting the country to show people the importance of preservation.

5 Biography/Reading Comprehension Name _____ Date _____ _____ 2006 ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT beatrix potter Choose the best answer. 1. __ Where was beatrix potter born? a. In London b. In the United States c. In the Lake District d. None of the above 2. __ What is beatrix potter most famous for? a. Her romance with a publisher. b. Her scientific paper on fungi. c. Her children s books. d. Her donation to the National Trust. 3. __ When was beatrix potter s first book published? a. In 1866 b. In 1902 c. In 1913 d. In 1943 4. __ What was the title of her first book? a. The Tale of Peter Rabbit b. The Tale of Benjamin Bunny c. The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin d. Mrs. Twiggle-wiggle 5.

6 __ Why did she leave her property to the National Trust? a. She didn t have anybody else to give it to. b. She cared about nature and wanted to protect it. c. She didn t trust anybody else. d. She owed a lot of money in taxes. Mark the following sentences as T for true or F for false. 6. __ beatrix potter didn t know much about nature, and used her imagination to draw her pictures. 7. __ potter s books were published by the first publisher who saw them. 8. __ potter s books used reality and imagination. 9. __ beatrix potter never had children. 10. __ She didn t like children at all. 11. __ beatrix potter s first fianc died before they were married. 12. __ beatrix potter was married in 1913.

7 Biography/Reading Comprehension Name _____ Date _____ _____ 2006 ANSWERS TO beatrix potter 1. a 2. c 3. b 4. a 5. b 6. F 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. F 11. T 12. T