Vintage Children's Books News

October's featured author is Marguerite de Angeli.  She has local ties to the area I live in (Eastern PA) & her illustrations get me every time. I thought it would be fun to share a little bit about her & some of the books she has written and illustrated. 

Marguerite was born in Michigan in 1889, and her family moved to Philadelphia when she was only 13 years old.  It wasn't until she was married & was living in New Jersey when she really began to hone her skills as an illustrator. Before becoming an author, herself, she illustrated many children's books and was a contributor to The Country Gentleman Magazine. 

Over her lifetime she wrote and illustrated 27 books. The one that intrigues me the most is The Skippack School in which Christopher Dock is the school master. Anyone in our area of Bucks and Montgomery Counties, PA will recognize the name Christopher Dock as that of the local Mennonite High School. She also wrote about the Amish & addressed racial prejudice in 1946 with the publication of her book Bright April.

She has won countless literary awards and is known as the grande dame of children's literature.  At the age of 95, she was inducted into Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.  Her awards include:  The Newberry Medal for her book The Door in the Wall (1950) and The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for Bright April.  She was also a two-time Caldecott Award Nominee.  

I always enjoy finding her books when out treasure hunting.  Shop available Marguerite de Angeli children's books for sale in The Marguerite de Angeli Collection.   

Some information taken from the internet, including https://miwf.org.