Helene Hovanec
Encyclopedia
Helene Hovanec is a former elementary school teacher who has authored 66 puzzle
books, 59 of which are for children.
Hovanec earned a B.S. in Child Development from Cornell University
and an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College
. She taught elementary school in New York and New Jersey. Her children's puzzle books, which are geared for kids between the ages of three and 12, have sold over two million copies worldwide.
In addition to her books Hovanec is involved in the grown-up puzzle world, mainly through her connection to Will Shortz
. With Shortz she:
An interview with Hovanec was published on Jim Horne's New York Times Wordplay blog on August 30, 2009.
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
books, 59 of which are for children.
Hovanec earned a B.S. in Child Development from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Hunter College
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
. She taught elementary school in New York and New Jersey. Her children's puzzle books, which are geared for kids between the ages of three and 12, have sold over two million copies worldwide.
In addition to her books Hovanec is involved in the grown-up puzzle world, mainly through her connection to Will Shortz
Will Shortz
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and currently the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.-Early life and education:...
. With Shortz she:
- Met Margaret FarrarMargaret FarrarMargaret Petherbridge Farrar was an American journalist and the first crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times, from 1942 to 1968...
, the pioneering crossword editor, and wrote about her contribution to the world of crossword puzzles. - Helped reinstitute the annual conventions of The National Puzzlers' LeagueNational Puzzlers' LeagueThe National Puzzlers' League is a nonprofit organization focused on puzzling, primarily in the realm of word play and word games. Founded in 1883, it is the oldest puzzlers' organization in the world...
. - Helped form the World Puzzle ChampionshipWorld Puzzle ChampionshipThe World Puzzle Championship is an annual international puzzle competition run by the World Puzzle Federation. The first one was held in New York in 1992...
. She was the coordinator for the first and ninth WPCs and was the chairwoman of the captains' committee for several years. - Is the coordinator for The American Crossword Puzzle TournamentAmerican Crossword Puzzle TournamentThe American Crossword Puzzle Tournament is a crossword-solving tournament held annually in late February or early March. Founded in 1978 by Will Shortz, who still directs the tournament, it is the oldest and largest crossword tournament held in the United States; the 2009 event attracted nearly...
, the world's oldest and largest event of its kind.
An interview with Hovanec was published on Jim Horne's New York Times Wordplay blog on August 30, 2009.