Ester Wier

Ester Wier (nee Alberti) was born October 17, 1910 in Seattle, Washington. She studied at Southeastern Teachers College from 1929-30 and attended the University of California at Los Angeles from 1931-1932. In 1934 she married Henry Robert Wier, a naval officer, and later had two children. As a Navy wife, Ester Wier lived all over the United States and in 1956, she co-wrote, with Dorothy Hickey, The Answer Book on Naval Social Customs. In 1963, Ester Wier published her first book for children and young adults, The Loner, the story of a lonely boy who finally gains a name and a home; the book received a Newbery Honor citation in 1964. During the 1960s and 1970s, Ester Wier published other works of fiction and non-fiction for children and young adults that were praised by critics for their well-researched settings and details. Many of her books are "stories of children, primarily boys, who are seeking acceptance by themselves or others," and Ester Wier has been lauded for her understanding of "youth's efforts to stand on its own" and children's "need to achieve and be accepted." Ester Wier's fiction has also been praised for her "well drawn and believable characters" and for her "ability to interweave imagery with action and dialogue."