[1] Sue Lynn was "small and uncoordinated for her age", and her mother encouraged her to spend her time reading.
[1][5] Her stories were published in the Los Angeles Times, Children's Playmate, Weekly Reader, and World of Disney,[1] but she did not achieve success until the publication of her first book, Small Plays for You and a Friend, in 1973.
[6] Her most acclaimed book was Nadia the Willful (1983), which depicts the grief of a Bedouin girl whose brother has died.
[3] Alexander developed the story out of her own distress over her younger brother's death and her father's unwillingness to discuss it.
[3] Lila on the Landing (1987), drawn from her experience growing up in Chicago,[3] described the loneliness of a girl who is rejected by her peers.
[6] While writing in different genres, including realistic fiction and fantasy, Alexander noted that the common theme in all her books is "the importance of feelings".
[1] In 1996 the international SCBWI established the Sue Alexander Most Promising New Work Award, which helps writers of new manuscripts connect with editors and agents.