Emil and the Three Twins: Another Book About Emil and the Detectives

ERICH KÄSTNER was born in Dresden in Germany in 1899. Much like Emil himself Erich Kästner was an only child. He was devoted to his mother who worked as a hairdresser to supplement their family income. Erich Kästner went into the army in 1917, and his experiences there made him feel strongly that war and violence were wrong. He published Emil and the Detectives in 1928 and Emil and the Three Twins in 1933. The books were very popular but when Hitler's government -- the Nazis -- were in power Kastner's books were labelled anti-German. Joseph Goebbels, who was in charge of the Government Propaganda, said "In the name of the fight against decadence and moral corruption! In the name of breeding and rectitude in state and family, I consign to the flames the writings of Heinrich Mann, Ernst Glasser and Erich Kästner!" Erich Kästner was the only one who was present as his books were tossed on to the flames in 1933. Luckily, Hitler and Goebbels may have thrown Kästner's books on to the flames in 1933, but Emil has outlasted them and lives to spy another day. Erich Kästner was awarded the American Library Association Mildred L. Batchelder Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. He died in 1974.

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