E.L Koningsburg the profound reflective writer of children’s books has died at the full satisfied age of 83. E.L Koningsburg indeed is a great author: writing in quietness and silence she reflected the world of children seamlessly. She has a profound sense of playfulness and passion. Her writings reflect the genuineness and innocence of children. She has a reflective agile deeper sense. Unlike other children's author's EL Koningsburg did not deflects and then interpret children's world but rather reflected it – with raw natural passion. Her books are genuine but very childishly deep.

She won the John Newbery Medal in 1997 for her book "The View from Saturday" and in 1968 for "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler."

I first came in contact with E.L Koningsburg and her writings way back in 2003 when I was conducting research on African children. That research was sponsored by the Netherlands Government: Ministry for International Cooperation. The research was eventually published in the Africa Development – a journal of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (Codesria).

Her works definitely inspired me when I wrote a documentary for Nelson Mandela’s children in my hometown of Limpopo in South Africa. It certainly sharpened my resolve to compose and publish a book about President Barack Obama’s life recently focusing on his childhood and young adulthood and the choices he had mad that profoundly shaped his successful political career.

When I reflect about EL Koningsburg and his novel books for children I am in remembrance of the idea of bringing innovation in schools and in our education system. Koningsburg’s works demonstrate what the Harvard scholar Tony Wagner preaches in his books on innovating and adapting schools and our education systems: Tony Wagner writes that: Good education should be centered on playfulness, passion and purpose. Such is the world of children that EL Koningsburg projected or rather reflected to the world so clearly and so lucidly. Great woman she was - her spirit life is certainly still reverberating along with us and she remains much alive yet in quietness and silence as she has always been through her writings. Her life is a life of purpose and joy: of virility and stability to a lot of people across the world.

The summation of EL Konigsburg’s life can be found in the statement made in 1997 by the Newbery committee: "a unique, jubilant tour de force characterized by good humor, positive relationships, distinctive personalities and brilliant story telling."