Birthdays

Jul 202025

Alexander the Great (born Pella, Greece, July 20/21, 356 BC; died Babylon, Iraq, June 10/11, 323 BC) established one of the largest kingdoms in ancient times. He was never defeated in battle, and he possessed great military skills. Children could read Alexander the Great by Demi.

Paulette Bourgeois (born Toronto, Canada, 1951) writes books for children. Her works include the Franklin the Turtle series and Oma’s Quilt. Her works have been translated into 38 languages. Children can visit her website at: Paulette Bourgeois.

Hillary (left) and Norgay

Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (born Auckland, New Zealand, 1919; died Auckland, New Zealand, January 11, 2008) was an explorer. He and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953, became the first people to climb Mount Everest. Idea: Children could determine what gear is necessary for such climbs. They could also read Everest: The Remarkable Story of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, by Alexandra Stewart.

Birthdays

Jul 212025

Frances Folsom Cleveland

Frances Folsom Cleveland (born Buffalo, New York, 1864; died Baltimore, Maryland, October 29, 1947) was America’s First Lady from June 2, 1886 to March 4, 1889 and from March 4, 1893 to March 4, 1897. She was the wife of Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. She married him during his first term in office and became First Lady at age 21. Their daughter was named Ruth; the candy bar Baby Ruth was named after her. Grover Cleveland died in 1908. The former First Lady married Thomas J. Preston, Jr., in 1913. Children can visit a website at: Frances Cleveland. Idea: Children could eat small Baby Ruth candy bars and learn more about Frances Cleveland’s life.

Ernest Hemingway (born Oak Park, Illinois, 1899; died Ketchum, Idaho, July 2, 1961) was a writer. Two of his most famous works are The Old Man and the Sea and A Farewell to Arms. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. Children could learn more at: Ernest Hemingway.

Isaac Stern (born Kreminiecz, USSR, 1920; died New York, New York, September 22, 2001) was a violinist.

Birthdays

Jul 222025

Stephen Vincent Benet (born Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1898; died New York, New York, March 13, 1943) was a writer. He received a Pulitzer for John Brown’s Body, a long poem published in 1928. He won another Pulitzer for Western Star, printed in 1943. He also wrote short stories and novels. Children could learn more at: Stephen Vincent Benet.

Margery Williams Bianco (born London, England, 1881; died New York, New York, September 4, 1944) wrote at least 24 books for children. Her book Winterbound received a 1937 Newbery Honor Award. Using the pen name Mary Williams, she wrote The Velveteen Rabbit. Children can read The Velveteen Rabbit at Project Gutenberg.

Alexander Calder (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1898; died New York, New York, November 11, 1976) was an artist known for making enchanting mobiles. Children can visit a fascinating website at: Alexander Calder.

Patricia Calvert (born Great Falls, Montana, 1931) writes books for young adults. Her books include Sooner and The Stone Pony.

Daniel Carroll (born Upper Marlboro, Maryland, 1730; died Rock Creek, Maryland, May 7, 1796) represented Maryland at the Constitutional Convention. Having suffered religious persecution, he helped draft the first amendment and the tenth amendment. Children could learn more at: Daniel Carroll.

S. E. Hinton (born Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1948) writes books for children and young adults. One of her books is The Outsiders. She received the 1988 Margaret A. Edwards Award for her first five young adult books. Young adults can visit her website at: S. E. Hinton.

Emma Lazarus (born New York, New York, 1849; died New York, New York, November 19, 1887) wrote poetry. Part of her “The New Colossus” was inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty. Children can read some of her work at: Project Gutenberg.

Gregor Mendel (born Heinzendorf, Austria, 1822; died Brunn, Austria, January 6, 1884) was a monk who pioneered work in genetics. In 1856 he started experiments with pea plants in the monastery vegetable garden. He continued breeding and crossbreeding the plants for a number of years. He kept notes. His work was not seen until after his death. Older children can read about his experiments at: Mendel.

Reverend William Archibald Spooner (born London, England, 1844; died Oxford, England, August 29, 1930) frequently confused parts of words. These led to spoonerisms. For example, he might say “pony pest card,” instead of “penny post card.” Idea: Children could make up their own spoonerisms. Children could visit a website at: Spooner.

Birthdays

Jul 232025

Patricia Coombs (born Los Angeles, California, 1926) writes and illustrates books for children. She writes the Dorrie the Little Witch series.

Robert Quackenbush (born Hollywood, California, 1929; died New York, New York, May 17, 2021) wrote at least 110 books and illustrated at least 60 books. He wrote both the Miss Mallard series and the Detective Mole series. Children could learn more at: http://www.rquackenbush.com/.

Vera Rubin (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1928; died Princeton, New Jersey, December 25, 2016) was an astronomer who studied galactic rotation curves. Her work led to the concept of dark matter. Children can learn more about her at: Vera Rubin. Children can learn about dark matter and dark energy at a GREAT site: Dark Matter.

Birthdays

Jul 242025

Esther Averill (born Bridgeport, Connecticut, 1902; died New York, New York, May 19, 1992) wrote and illustrated books for children. She is best known for The Cat Club series, twelve books about a cat named Jenny Linsky and her feline friends.

Simon Bolivar (born Caracas, Venezuela, 1783; died Santa Marta, Colombia, December 17, 1830) was a South American patriot, often known as “The Liberator.” Children could read A Picture Book of Simon Bolivar, by David A. Adler.

Alexandre Dumas (born Villers-Cotterets, France, 1802; died near Dieppe, France, December 5, 1870) was a prolific French writer of action/adventure books. His works include The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers. Children can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg.

Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart (born Atchison, Kansas, 1898; disappeared Pacific Ocean, July 2, 1937) was a famous aviator. In 1932 she became the first woman to solo across the Atlantic Ocean. The trip took thirteen hours and thirty minutes. She also flew from Hawaii to California in 1935. Around July 2, 1937, she and her navigator, while attempting to circumnavigate the world, went missing under unusual circumstances; their bodies and plane have yet to be found. Children could learn more at: Amelia Earhart.

Amy Ehrlich (born New York, New York, 1942) has written at least 35 books for children. Her works include Rachel: The Story of Rachel Carson and Kazam’s Magic.

Sherry Garland (born McAllen, Texas, 1948) writes fiction and nonfiction for children. Her more than 30 books include The Buffalo Soldier and Voices of the Alamo. Children can visit her website at: http://www.sherrygarland.com/.

Charlotte Pomerantz (born Brooklyn, New York, 1930; died Charlottesville, Virginia, July 24, 2022) wrote at least 35 books for children. The Princess and the Admiral received the 1975 Jane Addams Book Award, and If I Had a Paka: Poems in Eleven Languages earned a 1983 Jane Addams Honor Award.

Birthdays

Jul 252025

Thomas Eakins (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1844; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 25, 1916) was a painter and sculptor. His works were extremely realistic. Children could visit a website at: Thomas Eakins.

Rosalind Franklin (born United Kingdom, 1920; died United Kingdom, April 16, 1958) was a scientist who specialized in studying the molecular structure of RNA and DNA. Her work was used by Watson and Crick to figure out the helix structure of DNA. Children could learn more at: Rosalind Franklin.

Anna Harrison

Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison (born Morristown, New Jersey, 1775; died North Bend, Ohio, February 25, 1864) was the wife of William Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States. She never lived in the White House. She was too ill to be at his inauguration, and he contracted pneumonia at his swearing in ceremony. He died within a month of his inauguration. She outlived her husband by 23 years. She was also the grandmother of Benjamin Harrison, 23rd President of the United States. Children could visit a website at: Anna Harrison.

Henry Knox (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1750; died Thomaston, Maine, October 25, 1806) was a general during the Revolutionary War. Knox was responsible for Washington’s troops crossing the Delaware in 1776. Before the war he was a bookseller. After the war, Washington appointed Knox to be secretary of war. Fort Knox was named in honor of him. Children can experience a great timeline at: Henry Knox.

Ruth Krauss (born Baltimore, Maryland, 1901; died Westport, Connecticut, July 10, 1993) wrote at least 40 books for children. Her books include A Hole Is to Dig and A Very Special House. Illustrators of her books include Marc Simont, Remy Charlip, and Maurice Sendak.

Rachel Vail (born New York, New York, 1966) has written at least 43 books for children and young adults. Her works include The Friendship Ring series and the Mama Rex and T series. Children can visit her website at: Rachel Vail.

Clyde Watson (born New York, New York, 1947) has written at least twenty works for children. She often collaborates with her sister, Wendy Watson. Her books include Catch Me Kiss Me and Applebet: An ABC. Children can visit her website at: Clyde Watson.

Birthdays

Jul 262025

Jan Berenstain (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1923; died New Hope, Pennsylvania, February 24, 2012) was a children’s author and illustrator. She and her husband Stan created the Berenstain Bears series. Over 300 books were published in at least 23 languages. Children could visit a website at: Berenstain Bears.

George Catlin (born Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 1796; died Jersey City, New Jersey, December 23, 1872) was an artist. He is most known for his studies of Native Americans. Children can view some of his works at: George Catlin.

R. Gregory Christie (born Plainfield, New Jersey, 1971) illustrates children’s books. He received a 2017 Caldecott Honor Award for Freedom in Congo Square. Children can learn more at: R. Gregory Christie.

Stephen Cosgrove (born Metaline Falls, Washington, 1946) has written at least 300 books for children. He also designs toys. His books include Leo the Lop and Serendipity. Children can visit his website at: Stephen Cosgrove.

Margaret Hodges (born Indianapolis, Indiana, 1911; died Oakmont, Pennsylvania, December 13, 2005) wrote more than 40 books for children. Her Saint George and the Dragon was illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, who received the 1985 Caldecott Medal for her work.

Aldous Huxley (born Godalming, Surrey, England, 1894; died Los Angeles, California, November 22, 1963) was a writer and philosopher. One of his most well-known works is Brave New World.

George Bernard Shaw (born Dublin, Ireland, 1856; died Ayot St. Lawrence, England, November 2, 1950) was a playwright. He received the 1925 Nobel Prize in Literature and a 1938 Oscar for his play Pygmalion. Children can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg.

Birthdays

Jul 272025

Scott Corbett (born Kansas City, Missouri, 1913; died Providence, Rhode Island, March 6, 2006) wrote 89 books. Most of his books were written for children. His book Cutlass Island earned the 1962 Edgar Allan Poe Award for juvenile fiction. Other books include The Disappearing Dog Trick and The Lemonade Trick.

Birthdays

Jul 282025

Natalie Babbitt (born Dayton, Ohio, 1932; died Hamden, Connecticut, October 31, 2016) was a children’s author and illustrator. She wrote at least twenty books and illustrated at least four books by other authors. She won a 1971 Newbery Honor Award for Kneeknock Rise. Tuck Everlasting, published in 1975, is a novel for the ages.

Thomas Heyward (born near Beaufort, South Carolina, 1746; died Old House, South Carolina, March 6, 1809) signed the Declaration of Independence. Representing South Carolina, he was at first reluctant to break away from Great Britain. However, in the end he voted for independence. He was captured by the British, and he was imprisoned in Saint Augustine, Florida, until 1781. His plantation was plundered, and the British captured his slaves and sold them to sugar plantations in Jamaica. Children could learn more at: Thomas Heyward.

Jacqueline Kennedy

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis (born Southampton, New York, 1929; died New York, New York, May 19, 1994) was America’s First Lady from January 20, 1961 to November 22, 1963. She was the wife of John Kennedy, thirty-fourth president of the United States. She brought back elegance to the White House, and she became very popular throughout the world. After Kennedy was assassinated, she and their two children moved to New York City. In 1968 she married Aristotle Onassis, a Greek shipping tycoon. He died in 1975. Children could visit a website at: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.

Helen Beatrix Potter (born London, England, 1866; died Sawrey, Lancashire, England, December 22, 1943) was a writer and illustrator. She is famous for her Peter Rabbit books. She wrote 25 books, featuring characters such as Squirrel, Nutkin and Tom Kitten. She wrote the stories originally to please the children of a dear friend. Children could read and enjoy some of her works at: Project Gutenberg. They can also learn more at: Helen Beatrix Potter.

Birthdays

Jul 292025

Charles William Beebe (born Brooklyn, New York, 1877; died Trinidad, June 4, 1962) was a naturalist and an adventurer. He headed expeditions to the Galapagos Islands, Borneo, and other places. He wrote approximately 300 articles and books. One of the books was Jungle Days, published in 1925. Young adults could read some of his early writings at: Project Gutenberg.

Sharon Creech (born South Euclid, Ohio, 1945) has written at least 21 books for children. Her book Walk Two Moons received the 1995 Newbery Medal. Children can visit her website at: Sharon Creech.

Adele Griffin (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1970) has written at least 30 books for children and young adults. Her books include Sons of Liberty and Where I Want to Be. Young adults could visit her website at: Adele Griffin.

Kathleen Krull (born Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, 1952; died San Diego, California, January 15, 2021) wrote at least 60 books, including many biographies, for children. Wilma Unlimited earned a 1997 Jane Addams Picture Book Award. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez received both a 2004 Pura Belpré Honor Award and a 2004 Jane Addams Picture Book Award.

Connie Porter (born Buffalo, New York, 1959) has written at least thirteen books for children and young adults. Her books include the Addy series, part of the American Girl collection. Children can visit a website at: Connie Porter.

Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt (born Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, 1861; died New York, New York, February 14, 1884) was the first wife of Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States. However, he was not president at that time. They were married for only about three years when she died shortly after giving birth to their daughter, Alice.

Renée Watson (born Paterson, New Jersey, 1978) has written at least nine books for children. She received both a 2018 Newbery Honor Award and a 2018 Coretta Scott King Author Award for Piecing Me Together. Other works include What Momma Left Me and Ways to Make Sunshine. Children can learn more at: Renée Watson.

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