Joan Lowery Nixon (1927–2003)

Author of A Family Apart

141+ Works 10,332 Members 169 Reviews 6 Favorited

About the Author

Joan Lowery Nixon was born in Los Angeles, California. She attended the University of Southern California where she received a B.A. in journalism and later an education certificate from California State. She has written over 100 mystery books for young adults. She is known for her Orphan Train show more Adventure Series and other titles including A Family Apart, The Seance and Other Side of the Dark. Her works have earned her the honor of being the only writer to win four Edgar Allen Poe awards and in addition, two Spurs from Western Writers of America. She was a past President of the Mystery Writers of America. She died from complications of pancreatic cancer on June 28, 2003, in Houston, Texas. She was 76. (Bowker Author Biography) show less

Includes the names: Joan Nixon, J.L. Nixon, Joan L. Nixon, Joan Lowry Nixon, Joan Lowery Nixon, Joan Lowrey Nixon, Joan Lowery Nixon, Nixon Lowery Joan

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Series

Orphan Train Adventures

Mary Elizabeth

Orphan Train Children

Colonial Williamsburg

Disney Adventures Casebusters

Works by Joan Lowery Nixon

Popular Recent

A Family Apart (1987) 759 copies

Caught in the Act (1988) 383 copies

The Kidnapping of Christina Lattimore (1979) 376 copies

The Other Side of Dark (1986) 373 copies

The House on Hackman's Hill (1985) 369 copies

If You Were a Writer (1988) 339 copies

A Place to Belong (1989) 324 copies

In The Face of Danger (1988) 306 copies

The Seance (1980) 293 copies

Search for the Shadowman (1996) 284 copies

A Deadly Game of Magic (1983) 254 copies

A Dangerous Promise (1994) 251 copies

The Haunting (1998) 242 copies

The Name of the Game Was Murder (1993) 220 copies

Murdered, My Sweet (1996) 194 copies

The Weekend Was Murder (1992) 190 copies

Whispers from the Dead (1989) 189 copies

The Dark and Deadly Pool (1987) 167 copies

Playing for Keeps (2001) 166 copies

Land of Hope (Ellis Island) (1992) 150 copies

The Stalker (1985) 150 copies

Nightmare (2003) 148 copies

Keeping Secrets (1900) 147 copies

Spirit Seeker (1995) 141 copies

Shadowmaker (1994) 136 copies

Secret, Silent Screams (1988) 130 copies

Lucy's Wish (Orphan Train Children) (1998) 129 copies

Circle of Love (1997) 124 copies

The Ghosts of Now (1984) 123 copies

A Candidate for Murder (1992) 116 copies

Nobody's There (2000) 114 copies

Don't Scream (1996) 113 copies

Aggie's Home (Orphan Train Children) (1998) 110 copies

Haunted Island (1987) 104 copies

Will's Choice (Orphan Train Children, No 2) (1998) 104 copies

Who Are You? (1999) 96 copies

Land of Dreams (Ellis Island) (1994) 96 copies

Ann's Story: 1747 (Colonial Williamsburg(R)) (2000) 92 copies

The Statue Walks at Night (Disney Adventures Casebusters) (1995) 91 copies

The Specter (1982) 86 copies

Land of Promise (Ellis Island No 2) (1993) 85 copies

Gus & Gertie and the Missing Pearl (2000) 84 copies

Caesar's Story: 1759 (Colonial Williamsburg(R)) (2000) 83 copies

A Deadly Promise (1992) 82 copies

The Island of Dangerous Dreams (1800) 79 copies

The Boy Who Could Find Anything (1978) 75 copies

The Legend of Deadman's Mine (Disney Adventures Casebusters) (1995) 57 copies

Will's Story: 1771 (Colonial Williamsburg(R)) (2001) 56 copies

Two Mysteries: The Other Side of Dark & The Name of the Game Was Murder (2005) 55 copies

The Trap (2002) 55 copies

David's Search (Orphan Train Children) (1998) 54 copies

The Adventures of the Red Tape Gang (An Apple Paperback) (1974) 53 copies

Check in to Danger (Disney Adventures Casebusters) (1995) 52 copies

Nancy's Story: 1765 (Colonial Williamsburg(R)) (2000) 48 copies

Maria's Story: 1773 (Colonial Williamsburg(R)) (2001) 46 copies

Before You Were Born (1800) 44 copies

John's Story: 1775 (Colonial Williamsburg: Young Americans) (2001) 43 copies

Ghost Town: Seven Ghostly Stories (2000) 41 copies

Beats Me, Claude (Picture Puffin books) (1986) 39 copies

Fat Chance, Claude! (Picture Puffin) (1987) 37 copies

Who is my neighbor?: The Good Samaritan for beginning readers : Luke 10:29-37 for children (I can read a Bible story) (1976) 37 copies

Casey & the Great Idea (1980) 36 copies

Gus & Gertie and The Lucky Charms (2001) 36 copies

Maggie Too (1985) 35 copies

The Making of a Writer (2002) 34 copies

Backstage With a Ghost (Disney Adventures Casebusters) (1995) 32 copies

High Trial to Danger (1991) 31 copies

Secret of the Time Capsule (Disney Adventures Casebusters, Book 6) (1996) 30 copies

Laugh Till You Cry (2004) 29 copies

You Bet Your Britches, Claude (1989) 28 copies

The House Has Eyes (Disney Adventures Casebusters) (1996) 27 copies

Mystery of the Secret Stowaway (1968) 27 copies

Muffie Mouse and the Busy Birthday (1978) 26 copies

Five Loaves and Two Fishes: Feeding of Five Thousand for Beginning Readers : John 6:1-15 for Children (I Can Read a… (1976) 26 copies

The Gift (1983) 23 copies

The Butterfly Tree (1979) 21 copies

If You Say So, Claude (1980) 21 copies

Champagne With a Corpse (Thumbprint Mystery Series) (1999) 20 copies

Champagne at Risk (Thumbprint Mysteries) (1998) 19 copies

Mystery of Hurricane Castle (1964) 19 copies

That's the Spirit, Claude (1834) 19 copies

Overnight Sensation (1990) 16 copies

Bigfoot Makes a Movie (1979) 16 copies

When I Am Eight (1994) 14 copies

And Maggie Makes Three (1986) 14 copies

Champagne at the Murder (Thumbprint Mysteries Series) (1999) 14 copies

The Son Who Came Home Again (1977) 13 copies

Gloria Chipmunk, Star! (1980) 13 copies

Star Baby (1989) 13 copies

The Honeycutt Street Celebrities (1991) 12 copies

The House on Hackman's Hill, Part One: The Mummy's Curse (1985) 12 copies

Sabotage on the Set (Casebusters) (1996) 12 copies

Mystery of the Grinning Idol (1965) 11 copies

Danger in Dinosaur Valley (See and Read Storybook) (1978) 11 copies

Catch a Crooked Clown (Casebusters Book 8) (1996) 11 copies

The Thanksgiving Mystery (1980) 10 copies

The Halloween Mystery (First Read-Alone Mysteries) (1979) 10 copies

Will You Give Me a Dream? (1994) 9 copies

The Valentine Mystery (First read-alone mysteries) (1979) 9 copies

Writing mysteries for young people (1977) 9 copies

Magnolia's Mixed Up Magic (1983) 9 copies

Maggie Forevermore (1987) 9 copies

The Christmas Eve mystery (1981) 9 copies

Bait for a burglar (1997) 8 copies

Watch Out for Dinosaurs (1991) 8 copies

When God listens (1978) 7 copies

ENCORE (Hollywood Daughters, No 3) (1990) 7 copies

The Mystery Box (The Nic-Nacs and the Nic-Nac News) (1991) 7 copies

The Secret Box Mystery (1974) 7 copies

Fear Stalks Grizzly Hill (1996) 7 copies

The Easter Mystery (First Read-Alone Mysteries) (1981) 7 copies

Beware the Pirate Ghost (Disney Adventures Casebusters) (1996) 7 copies

When God speaks (1978) 6 copies

Disney Adventures Casebusters: The Internet Escape - Book #11 (1997) 6 copies

Mysterious Queen of Magic (1981) 6 copies

Mystery of the Hidden Cockatoo (1966) 5 copies

ORPHAN TRAIN ADVENTURE SET- A FAMILY APART, IN THE FACE OF DANGER, CAUGHT IN THE ACT, A PLACE TO BELONG (1996) 5 copies

The New Year's Mystery (First Read-Alone Mysteries) (1979) 5 copies

Kidnapped on Astarr (1981) 5 copies

Mystery Dolls from Planet Urd (Kleep, Space Detective) (1981) 5 copies

Delbert, The Plainclothes Detective (1971) — Author — 5 copies

The Mysterious Prowler (Voyager/HBJ Book) (1976) 4 copies

The Haunted House on Honeycutt Street (Nic Nacs and the Nic-Nac News) (1991) 4 copies

The Happy Birthday Mystery (First Read-Alone Mysteries) (1980) 4 copies

The Valentine's Day Affair (1981) 3 copies

Glaciers, nature's frozen rivers (1980) 3 copies

Casebusters The Statue Walks at Night 3 copies

The Deadman's Mine Mystery (Super Sleuths): No. 2 (1997) 3 copies

The alligator under the bed (1974) 2 copies

Mystery of the Haunted Woods (1967) 2 copies

The April Fool Mystery (First Read-Alone Mysteries) (1980) 2 copies

Ellis Island: Three Novels (2013) 1 copy

Orphan Train Children — Author — 1 copy

The Meat Snatcher Mystery (Super Sleuths) (1997) 1 copy

Stumme Schreie 1 copy

Stimmen aus dem Jenseits 1 copy

Schreie nicht 1 copy

Cary in Lebensgefahr 1 copy

Aggie's Home; Lucy's Wish; Will's Choice (Orphan Train Children, 3 Volumes) 1 copy

Days of Fear (Skinny Book) (1983) 1 copy

The Grandmother's Book (1979) 1 copy

Work Explorer

Associated Works

Night Terrors: Stories of Shadow and Substance (1996) — Contributor — 104 copies

Mothers & Daughters: Celebrating the Gift of Love in 12 New Stories (1998) — Contributor — 81 copies

From One Experience to Another: Award-Winning Authors Sharing Real-Life Experiences Through Fiction (1997) — Contributor — 43 copies

Short Circuits (1992) — Contributor — 35 copies

Don't Give Up the Ghost: A Book of Ghost Stories (1993) — Contributor — 29 copies

Great Writers and Kids Write Mystery Stories (1996) — Contributor — 3 copies

Land under the sea (1985) — some editions — 2 copies

Tagged

19th century (30) adventure (37) chapter book (58) children (42) children's (117) children's fiction (34) children's literature (34) children-ya (32) family (51) fiction (511) ghosts (43) historical (36) historical fiction (302) history (28) horror (99) joan lowery nixon (26) juvenile (45) Missouri (28) murder (55) mystery (529) novel (49) on-my-shelf-to-check-out (28) orphan (38) orphan train (69) orphans (59) own (25) owned-books (31) picture book (30) read (76) realistic fiction (26) series (56) suspense (156) teen (59) thriller (85) to-read (133) writing (44) YA (182) young adult (268) young adult fiction (28) young adult literature (28)

Common Knowledge

Birthdate: 1927-02-03
Date of death: 2003-06-28
Gender: female
Nationality: USA
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, USA
Place of death: Houston, Texas, USA
Places of residence: Los Angeles, California, USA
Houston, Texas, USA
Education: University of Southern California
Hollywood high school
Occupations: journalist
children's book author
mystery writer
novelist
Organizations: The Authors Guild
Society of Children's Book Writers
International Board on Books for Young People (Friends)
Short biography: Joan Lowery grew up in Hollywood, California. She attended Hollywood High and the University of Southern California, where she majored in journalism and met her future husband, Hershell Nixon. She was a writer since very early childhood, and was first published at age 10, when one of her poems appeared in a children's magazine. She sold her first article to a magazine when she was 17. After college, she became interested in writing fiction and went on to produce more 100 books. Her books for children and young adults ranged from picture books to mysteries to historical novels. Joan Lowery Nixon won awards for her writing in all genres, but was especially recognized as a mystery writer -- she was a four-time winner of the prestigious Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

Members

Discussions

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Reviews

Ann's Story: 1747: YOUNG AMERICANS Colonial… by Joan Lowery Nixon

This is a satisfactorily written story, intended for children, about a child. What stuck with me most when I read it was the strong feminist messages, which could get preachy at times. The author pointed out a time in American history when women definitely needed liberation from the strict cultural codes that kept them from pursuing careers they could have been passionate about, had they been given the chance. I just think a nine-year-old has other things on her mind than how much she wants to be a doctor and how unfair it is that society won't let her. Yes, she thinks about that, but she also plays games and thinks about her friends and does, you know, CHILD things. Ann's age also made these messages less compelling than they would have been with an older character. Oh no, a third grader can't be a doctor. What does a nine-year-old really know about her adult passion anyway? I think when I was nine I still wanted to be a "famous person".

The last problem was that the ending pretty much nullifies all these messages that the whole book is structured to grind into your head. The epilogue reveals that Ann doesn't end up becoming a doctor, or even a midwife. She takes care of her husband and son, just the way her parents said she would. It seems to say that they were right: women aren't meant to pursue careers. "When you're older you'll realize that women are really meant to be housewives. It's the only place they find fulfillment." We got a hundred-page crash course on Why Women in the Eighteenth Century Need Feminism (To Meet Their Pre-pubescent Hearts' Goals) and then the ending was like, Nah, never mind.

Now that all sounds bad. I did enjoy reading this book. I admire Ann's tenacity and the way she took such good care of her family when they all got sick. But I left with the feeling that the author really wanted to right a book about feminism, not about a little girl. And then the author shot herself in the foot with the ending. So that was nice.… (more)

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johanna.florez21 | May 27, 2024 |

Who are You? by Joan Lowery Nixon

Mystery

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BooksInMirror | 3 other reviews | Feb 19, 2024 |

Who Are You? by Joan Lowery Nixon

Kristi Evans and her parents discover from the police that a man named Douglas Merson, who has been shot, had kept a file on Kristi for her entire life. Suddenly, Kristi finds herself investigating who this man is and why he has intruded on her privacy. Joy Stuart.

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Gmomaj | 3 other reviews | Jun 7, 2023 |