In 1946 Petry was awarded the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship which allowed her to finish The Street, her first of three novels.  Ann Petry has also authored serveral children's books including Tituba of Salem Village

Petry told an audience in a speech published in Horn Book Magazine that she felt affected by numerous books as a child, to the extent of acting out scenes from some of her favorite books, a childhood trait which she indicated transcends generations when books and stories inspire childrens' imaginations. She added that her historical books for juveniles have several messages for young readers, including the simple reminder that black men and women have formed an integral part of American history: "Over and over again I have said: These [characters] are people. Look at them, listen to them; watch Harriet Tubman in the nineteenth century, a heroic woman, a rescuer of other slaves. Look at Tituba in the seventeenth century, a slave involved in the witchcraft trials in Salem Village. Look at them and remember them. Remember for what a long, long time black people have been in this country, have been a part of America: a sturdy, indestructible, wonderful part of America, woven into its heart and into its soul." She continued, "These women were slaves. I hoped that I had made them come alive, turned them into real people. I tried to make history speak across the centuries in the voices of people--young, old, good, evil, beautiful, ugly." -- Information provided under copyright by Gale Research.