In 1941, Emery began writing short stories. Her first novel,
Tradition, explored the
internment of Japanese Americans during
World War II through the eyes of a white protagonist.
Tradition, which received favorable reviews, was one of four children's books recommended for National Brotherhood Week by the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Emery went on to write dozens of what were sometimes known as "malt shop novels". In multiple books, Emery addressed the fashion of
going steady by exposing the potential negatives of the trend. In
Going Steady, she illustrates this through a couple who married too young, the wife pregnant and the husband trapped in a menial job. In writing the Dinny Gordon books, Emery is described as a "transitional author", bridging the domestic patterns of the 1950s and the more female career-oriented 1960s. Joyce Litton characterizes the themes of independence, nontraditional career choices, and Dinny's refusal to be obsessed with her appearance as a "harbinger of later feminist critiques". The character Dinny Gordon was unusual at the time in teen fiction for her intellectual passion; for instance, she worked at part-time jobs to save money for a trip to
Pompeii rather than for clothes and make-up. In addition to over 30 teen romance novels, Emery wrote seven historical novels for children. Several of her books were translated into Japanese, one into German, and several were combined into an Italian compilation. Her manuscripts and correspondence are preserved at the
University of Oregon Library (Eugene). In the 2000s, her books were reissued by Image Cascade Publishing. ==Reception==