Indianapolis has long been a center for children’s literature, primarily because of the activities and influence of the . The firm became nationally known through its publication of the works of , Maurice Thompson, and other children’s writers who flourished from 1871 to 1921, a period often referred to as the .
To the audience that still reads and enjoys his verse, James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) epitomizes Indianapolis’s contribution to children’s literature during the “Golden Age” years. He was idolized by children, and his Lockerbie Street home, in Indianapolis, was visited annually by schoolchildren on the occasion of the poet’s birthday. His first book of collected poems, “The Old Swimmin-Hole” and ‘Leven More Poems, was printed in 1883. Much of his work, including The (1907) and (1908), was published by Bobbs. Many years after the poet’s death, appeared (Lippincott, 1975). It is one of the few Riley poems set in a colorful picture-book edition. (1880-1938), a cartoonist with the , also gained popularity with themes reminiscent of Riley’s work. In 1918, after leaving the city he published his first book, which by the time of his death had sold three million copies.
Themes of adventure, nature, and mystery became of increasing interest during this period. Maurice Thompson (1844 -1901) of Crawfordsville was one of the first to highlight nature studies and outdoor life in his essays. He worked in other genres as well. His (1900), a historical romance in which a brave young woman defends the flag at Fort Sackville, was the first Indiana novel published by Bobbs to stand at the top of the nation’s reading list. Indianapolis-born Charles Major (1856-1913) tells the tale of a boy and his brother who meet up with a notorious one-eared bear in (New York, 1901). Another author of stories from nature was Gene Stratton-Porter (1863-1924). Although she spent most of her life in northern Indiana, and many of her books were placed with a New York publisher, her earliest works— (1903) and (1907) appeared under the Bobbs imprint.
Two famous Indianapolis authors, (1866-1947) and (1869-1946), wrote several novels that appealed to children and adolescents. Nicholson’s , a mystery story still appreciated by present-day youth, was a bestseller for Bobbs in 1905. One of the most distinguished and popular Indiana authors, Booth Tarkington stands at the close of this early period. His works, concentrating on the Midwest and the mores of the time, have held the interest of young and old for many years: (1914) and (1916) are humorous; (1916) is a wry look at adolescence.
During the 1930s the Bobbs-Merrill Company initiated a new program in which a group of related publications appeared as part of its Childhood of Famous Americans (COFA) series. Each volume had the same number of pages, a simple vocabulary, and an attractive typeface, with a primary emphasis on well-known Americans whose lives would be of interest to children. Often the little books presented the only information of this kind available to eight- and nine-year-olds and served as a bridge to the more difficult biographical works on presidents, scientists, and other leading historical figures.
The first author to publish in this series was Augusta Stevenson (ca. 1869-1976), a schoolteacher who had lived in Indianapolis since she was a small child. Her (1932) was followed by many titles, ranging from George Washington Carver to Paul Revere. Stevenson’s 23rd book in the series was (1959), which deals with the courage displayed by a young man and how it prepared him for adult life. She observed in a Bobbs-Merrill questionnaire that her purpose in writing the volumes was “to develop in young children a feeling of patriotism or love of country, through childhood stories of great American patriots.”
Miriam E. Mason (1900-1973), who lived briefly in Indianapolis during the early 1920s, contributed to the series from 1931 to 1968; she wrote on Mark Twain, John James Audubon, Dan Beard, (1961), and other historical figures. Julia Ward Howe and Jessie Fremont became known to many young readers through the work of Jean Brown Wagoner (b. 1896), a lifelong Indianapolis resident who concentrated on books about women.
Helen Boyd Higgins (1892-1971), who was born in Columbus, Indiana but spent most of her life in the capital city, offered her first story to the COFA series in 1942—, which was followed by (1961). An Indianapolis native, Gertrude Hecker Winders (b. 1897), added seven titles during the almost 20 years she was part of the series. Two of her well-known publications were James Fenimore Cooper: Leatherstocking Tales (1951) and, her last effort, Harriet Tubman: Freedom Girl (1969). One of the few male writers in the series, Guernsey Van Riper (b. 1909) was a book editor at Bobbs from 1940 to 1950. He contributed stories about sports figures and his Knute Rockne: Young Athlete (1952) is still enjoyed by many readers, as are his books concurrently published for Garrard. An interesting pairing of topics came from Ann Weil (1908-1969): (1947) and Eleanor Roosevelt: Courageous Girl (1965). In all, she contributed five titles to Bobbs and several others to New York publishers.
From Bloomington, Ellen Wilson (1902-1976) added to the COFA series with her story of a famous Hoosier— (1956). Wilson also published sketches of Annie Oakley and Robert Frost. Howard H. Peckham (1910-1995), a former executive secretary of the Indianapolis-based , presented a story of the ninth president of the United States— (1951). Other titles of his in the series are life histories of the Ottawa Indian chief Pontiac and the Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene. In the 1960s two capital city residents came forth with one book each: Martha E. Schaaf (b. 1911), a cataloger in the Wallace Collection of the Indiana Historical Society published (1961); Helen R. Speicher (b. 1915) co-authored (1962). Elisabeth P. Myers (b. 1918), a Bloomington, Indiana, resident who was associated with the series from 1961 to 1974, contributed eight titles, several on the theme of business and financial leaders such as (1962).
The Childhood of Famous Americans series published approximately 100 titles by some 50 authors from 1932 to 1985 when Macmillan assumed ownership of the Bobbs catalog. The authors in the COFA series were well-educated, and many of them earned their livelihoods in various professional fields. Often almost by accident, they found themselves filling a niche in the publishing world.
The work of four prolific authors stands as a link between the early and more recent periods in Indianapolis literature. Clara Ingram Judson (1879-1960) moved with her family to the capital city when she was six, graduating from the Girls’ Classical School in 1898. Judson never published with an Indiana publisher; most of her 79 volumes of juvenile fiction were placed with Rand McNally. In 1944 she published , her only work set in Indianapolis. Two of her biographies won Newbery Honor Book awards and, in 1960, she received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her lasting contribution to children’s literature.
Well-known in Indianapolis, (1896-1974) placed her Hoosier City: The Story Of Indianapolis (1943) and James Whitcomb Riley, Hoosier Poet (1941) with Julian Messner, which published most of her 48 titles. Mabel Leigh Hunt (1892-1971), a librarian with the Indianapolis Public Library for 12 years, wrote 30 books between 1934 and 1963, some of which are about Quakers. Two of her titles are (1934), which tells the reader of Lucinda’s visit to Indianapolis to meet the publisher , and (1950), a documentary of John Chapman’s life.
The long writing career of Eth Clifford (Ethel Clifford Rosenberg, 1915–2003), known for both fiction and nonfiction, began in 1959 when she edited and wrote for the David-Stewart Company of Indianapolis. Her book (1979) won the Young Hoosier Book Award, and (1983) was adapted for an “After-School Special” by NBC television. Her earlier historical fiction, (1972), was based on the , the first known conviction and hanging of a white man for murdering Indians. The book received a Friends of American Writers Award in 1973. Another children’s author who focused on local history was Ann Mallett (1906–2000), who brought the capital city’s past to a youthful audience with (1953) and (1966).
Literary works appearing in the 1980s and 1990s represented a new generation of Indiana authors writing for children and young adults. Themes were wider in scope and greater in depth, appealing to a more sophisticated readership. A new publisher based in Indianapolis, the Guild Press of Indiana, added a fresh element to the changing environment.
Joanne Landers Henry (1927-), who worked as an editorial assistant at Bobbs in the 1950s, wrote two books about early Indianapolis, set near where she grew up on the north side: (1988) and its sequel, (1992). Bobbs-Merrill had earlier published her (1971), (1966), and other titles in its Childhood series.
Nancy Niblack Baxter (1934-), a native of Indianapolis and former English teacher at Cathedral High School, wrote on Native Americans, (1987), and compiled and edited a collection of letters under the title of (1992), both published by Guild. Another offering from Guild, copublished with the Conner Prairie Press, was (1989), a colorful history of two brothers and their involvements with American Indians, the fur trade, and Indiana statehood. It was written by Janet Hale, who was born and raised in Indianapolis.
An established writer of more than 17 books, Kathryn Lasky (b. 1944) produced one book with an Indianapolis setting: (Four Winds, 1986). It is an account of a young Jewish girl at a private school. Details of trips made to Ayres and Blocks department stores and Clowes Hall place the action in the Hoosier capital.
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (b. 1933), who grew up in Indianapolis, published a trilogy on witchcraft— (1975), (1977), and (1978)—and two mysteries, which are light and appealing to young readers. She has the honor of being the only Hoosier author to win the prestigious Newbery Medal, which she received for (1992), a novel about a boy trying to protect his dog. Literary critics have described the book as having all the elements of distinguished fiction.
*Note: This entry is from the original print edition of the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (1994). We are currently seeking an individual with knowledge of this topic to update this entry.
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