Mabel Leigh Hunt (November 1, 1892 – September 3, 1971) was an American writer of children's books.
Mabel Leigh Hunt | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 1, 1892 Coatesville, Indiana, USA |
| Died | September 3, 1971 (aged 78) Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
| Occupation | Children's writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | DePauw University |
Biography
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Hunt was born in Coatesville, Indiana, on November 1, 1892, to Quakers Dr. Tilghman Hunt and Amanda (Harvey) Hunt.[1] She was raised in a Quaker home in Greencastle, Indiana.[2] When she was ten, her family moved to Plainfield, Indiana, where they lived until her physician father died.[3] She and her mother then moved to Indianapolis where, except for brief periods, she lived for the remainder of her life.[4]
After graduating from Shortridge High School,[4] Hunt returned to Greencastle to study at DePauw University 1910 to 1912, as well as attending the Western Reserve University Library School in Cleveland from 1923-1924.[5] For twelve years, from 1926 to 1938, she worked as a children's librarian and branch librarian at the Indianapolis Public Library.[4] In 1934 she published her first book, Lucinda, A Little Girl of 1860[6] while still working as a librarian; it wasn't until the year of her fifth book (1938) that she left her position to write full-time.
Hunt was just over five feet tall, with brown eyes and brown hair, listing her favorite occupations as "reading, cooking, friends, and travel."[1] Many of her stories were set in Indiana, and their Quaker settings were based on stories of her mother's childhood.[7] Two of her books were Newbery Honor winners: Have You Seen Tom Thumb? in 1943 and Better Known as Johnny Appleseed in 1951.
Mabel Leigh Hunt died in Indianapolis, Indiana, on September 3, 1971.[5]
- Lucinda, A Little Girl of 1860, 1934
- The Boy Who Had No Birthday, 1935
- Little Girl with Seven Names, 1936
- Susan, Beware!, 1937
- Benjie's Hat, 1938
- Little Grey Gown, 1939
- Michel's Island, 1940
- Billy Button's Butter'd Biscuit, 1941
- John of Pudding Lane, 1941
- Corn-Belt Billy, 1942
- Have You Seen Tom Thumb?, 1942
- Peter Piper's Pickled Peppers, 1942
- The Peddler's Clock, 1943
- Young Man of the House, 1944
- Sibby Botherbox, 1945
- The Double Birthday Present, 1947
- Such a Kind World, 1947
- Matilda's Buttons, 1948
- Better Known as Johnny Appleseed, 1950
- The 69th Grandchild, 1951
- Ladycake Farm, 1952
- Singing Among Strangers, 1954
- Miss Jellytot's Visit, 1955
- Stars for Cristy, 1956
- Cristy at Skippinghills, 1958
- Tomorrow Will Be Bright, 1958
- Cupola House, 1961
- Johnny-Up and Johnny-Down, 1962
- Beggar's Daughter, 1963
Awards
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Biography Reference Bank: Curent Biography Database. EBSCO, 2024.
- ^ "Mabel Leigh Hunt Papers". The University of Southern Mississippi. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
- ^ Kunitz, Stanley; Haycraft, Howard (1951). The Junior Book of Authors (2nd ed.). New York: The H. W. Wilson Company. pp. 168–169.
- ^ a b c d Thompson, Donald E. (1974). Indiana Authors and Their Books 1917-1966. Crawfordsville, Indiana: Wabash College. p. 314.
- ^ a b Chevalier, Tracy, ed. (1989). Twentieth-Century Children's Writers (3rd ed.). Chicago: St. James. p. 482. ISBN 9780912289953.
- ^ Ward, Martha Eads (1990). Authors of Books for Young People (3rd ed.). Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. p. 335. ISBN 9780810822931.
- ^ Gillis, Ruth Jeannette (1990). Indiana Books by Indiana Authors: A Guide to Children's Literature. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. p. 2. ISBN 0253325838.
External links
edit- Mabel Leigh Hunt at Our Land, Our Literature, Ball State University
- Mabel Leigh Hunt Papers at Children's Literature Research Collections, University of Minnesota – with biographical sketch
