Famous for dozens of acclaimed children's books, Hurwitz penned fiction works such as Magical Monty and The Adventures of Ali Baba, as well as biographies of such historical and artistic figures as Anne Frank and Leonard Bernstein. When she was ten years old, she published a poem on the topic of her love for books. Nearly three decades later, while working as a librarian, she published her debut children's book, Busybody Nora.