Birthdays

Sep 182025

Jean Bernard Leon Foucault (born Paris, France, 1819; died Paris, France, February 11, 1868) was a scientist. He measured the speed of light through different materials. His experiments with pendulums proved that the earth rotated on its axis. Children could read an excellent biography, Come See the World Turn, written by Lori Mortensen and illustrated by Raul Allen.

George Read (born Cecil County, Maryland, 1733; died New Castle, Delaware, September 21, 1798) signed the Declaration of Independence. Representing Delaware, he also signed the Constitution. As governor of Delaware, he was instrumental in making sure Delaware was the first state to approve the Constitution. After the Revolutionary War, he was a United States senator and then the chief justice of the Delaware Supreme Court. Children could read more at: George Read,

Birthdays

Sep 192025

Charles Carroll of Carrollton (born Annapolis, Maryland, 1737; died Baltimore, Maryland, November 14, 1832) signed the Declaration of Independence. He was the last surviving signer of the document. Children can learn more at: Charles Carroll.

Rachel Field (born New York, New York, 1894; died Los Angeles, California, March 15, 1942) wrote at least 25 works for both children and adults. Her books include Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, which earned the 1930 Newbery Medal. She wrote Prayer for a Child, published posthumously in 1944. The illustrator, Elizabeth Orton Jones, received the 1945 Caldecott Medal. Children could learn more at Rachel Field.

Sir William Golding (born Columb Minor, Cornwall, England, 1911; died near Truro, Cornwall, England, June 19, 1993) was a writer. One of his most famous works is Lord of the Flies. He received a Nobel Prize in literature in 1983.

Sunita Williams

Sunita Williams (born Euclid, Ohio, 1965) is an astronaut and former test pilot. Williams participated in Expeditions 15 and 16 and in Expeditions 32 and 33 on the International Space Station. By 2012 she had taken seven spacewalks for a total of 50 hours 40 minutes. She ran the Boston Marathon in 2007 while she was serving on the International Space Station. She ran the marathon on a treadmill in four hours 24 minutes. Her fellow crew members cheered for her while her sister Dina Pandya and fellow astronaut Karen L. Nyborg ran the marathon on earth. Children can learn more at: Sunita Williams.

Birthdays

Sep 202025

Miska Petersham (born near Budapest, Hungary, 1888; died May 15, 1960) was, with his wife Maud, an early pioneer in children’s literature. They illustrated more than 60 books written by other authors. Then they began writing and illustrating their own works (about 100 books). They received a 1942 Caldecott Honor Award for An American ABC and then the 1946 Caldecott Medal for The Rooster Crows. Children could learn more at: Miska Petersham.

Upton Sinclair (born Baltimore, Maryland, 1878; died Bound Brook, New Jersey, November 25, 1968) was a novelist. One of his most well-known books is The Jungle. Older children can read many of his books, including The Jungle, at: Project Gutenberg.

Angie Thomas (born Jackson, Mississippi, 1988) has written at least four books for young adults. Her book the The Hate U Give received numerous awards, including a 2018 Coretta Scott King Honor Award and a 2018 Michael L. Printz Honor Award. Children can learn more at: Angie Thomas.

Dorothy Vaughan (born Kansas City, Missouri, 1910; died Hampton, Virginia, November 10, 2008) was one of the first Black female mathematicians and human computers to work for NASA. She taught herself FORTRAN and was one of the first Black supervisors of computer programming. She was featured in the film Hidden Figures. Children can learn more at: Dorothy Vaughan.

Birthdays

Sep 212025

Francis Hopkinson (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1737; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 9, 1791) signed the Declaration of Independence. Representing New Jersey, he was also a writer, lawyer and judge. Legend indicates he was instrumental in designing the flag of the United States. Children can learn more at: Francis Hopkinson.

Louis Jolliet (born near Quebec City, New France, 1645; died May 1700) was an explorer. He and Jacques Marquette traveled extensively through the upper Mississippi River region. Idea: Children could trace some of the routes the two explorers traveled.

Stephen King (born Portland, Maine, 1947) is an author. Two of his most famous works are The Shining and The Stand.

Margaret MacKall Smith Taylor (born Calvert County, Maryland, 1788; died East Pascagoula, Mississippi, August 14, 1852) was America’s First Lady from March 4, 1849 to July 8, 1850. She was the wife of Zachary Taylor, twelfth president of the United States. She lived in the White House for less than eighteen months because he died in office. Even while First Lady, however, she relegated social functions to her daughter. Children could visit a website at: Margaret Taylor.

Herbert George Wells (born Bromley, Kent, England, 1866; died London, England, August 13, 1946) was called the “father of science fiction.” He wrote at least 50 novels and at least twenty short stories. He wrote nonfiction, including commentaries on society, biographies, and an autobiography. Two of his most famous works are The War of the Worlds and The Invisible Man. Children can read many of his works at: Project Gutenberg.

Hans Wilhelm (born Bremen, Germany, 1945) has written and/or illustrated over 200 books for children. His books include The Big Boasting Battle and the Noodles series. Children can visit his website at: Hans Wilhelm.

Taro Yashima (born Japan, 1908; died Los Angeles, California, June 30, 1994) wrote and illustrated books for children. He received three Caldecott Honor Awards: one in 1956 for Crow Boy, one in 1959 for Umbrella, and one in 1968 for Seashore Story.

Birthdays

Sep 222025

Michael Faraday (born near London, England, 1791; died Hampton Court, England, August 25, 1867) was an important and famous scientist. He discovered electromagnetism. He also conducted experiments regarding valence. Children could learn more about Faraday at: Michael Faraday. They could also learn how to make an electromagnet at: electromagnet.

Caps for Sale

Esphyr Slobodkina (born Chelyabinsk, Siberia, 1908; died Glen Head, New York, July 21, 2002) was an author and illustrator. One of her books is Caps for Sale, which has sold more than two million copies. She wrote twenty other books. Children can learn more at: Esphyr Slobodkina.

Junko Tabei (born Japan, 1939; died Japan, October 20, 2016) became on May 23, 1975, the first woman to climb Mount Everest. She was also the first woman to climb the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent. She wrote seven books and created drives to remove the litter left behind by climbers as they scaled Mount Everest.

Birthdays

Sep 232025

Augustus (born Rome, 63 BC; died Nola, Italy, August 19, 14 AD) was a ruler of ancient Rome.

Bruce Brooks (born Richmond, Virginia, 1950) has written at least twenty books for children and young adults. His book Moves Make the Man earned a 1985 Newbery Honor Award, and What Hearts received a 1993 Newbery Honor Award.

William McGuffey (born Washington County, Pennsylvania, 1800; died Charlottesville, Virginia, May 4, 1873) was an educator and author. He penned the McGuffey Readers, a series of books that taught reading to children. At least 122 million books were sold between 1838 and 1960. Children can view the text of some of these readers at: Project Gutenberg.

Victoria Woodhull (born Homer, Ohio, 1838; died Norton Park, Bremmons, Worcestershire, England, June 10, 1927) was an advocate of women’s rights. She was the first woman candidate for the presidency. She ran for president against Ulysses S. Grant, although women did not have the right to vote. Children could learn more at: Victoria Woodhull.

Birthdays

Sep 242025

L. Leslie Brooke (born Birkenhead, United Kingdom, 1862; died London, United Kingdom, May 1, 1940) wrote and illustrated books for children. His works include Johnny Crow’s Garden and Oranges and Lemons. Children could learn more at: L. Leslie Brooke. They can read some of his works at: Project Gutenberg.

Jane Louise Curry (born East Liverpool, Ohio, 1932) has written at least 39 books for young adults. Her works include The Egyptian Box and The Black Canary. Young adults can visit her website at: Jane Louise Curry.

Jane Cutler (born Bronx, New York, 1936) writes books for children and young adults. Her works include The Cello of Mr. O and My Wartime Summers. Children can visit her website at: Jane Cutler.

F. Scott Fitzgerald (born St. Paul, Minnesota, 1896; died Hollywood, California, December 21, 1940) was a writer. One of his most famous works was The Great Gatsby. Young adults can read several of his books (but not The Great Gatsby) at: Project Gutenberg.

Howard Florey (born Adelaide, Australia, 1898; died Oxford, United Kingdom, February 21, 1968) was a scientist. He and Ernst Boris Chain received the 1945 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. They discovered a method to mass produce penicillin and thus saved millions of lives.

Jim Henson (born Greenville, Mississippi, 1936; died New York, New York, May 16, 1990) created the Muppets. He was very active in the production of Sesame Street. He also created several movies. Idea: Children could create puppets and produce their own plays.

John Marshall

John Marshall (born Germantown, Virginia, 1755; died Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 6, 1835) was a member of the House of Representatives and was John Adams’s secretary of state. However, he is most remembered as the Supreme Court Chief Justice who really defined the court. He also made the Supreme Court an important role within the framework of the Constitution. Children could read John Marshall (Supreme Court Justices) by Jim Corrigan. They could also learn more at: John Marshall.

Wilson Rawls (born Scraper, Oklahoma, 1913; died Cornell, Wisconsin, December 16, 1984) was a children’s author. He wrote Where the Red Fern Grows and Summer of the Monkeys. Children could learn more at: Wilson Rawls.

Birthdays

Sep 252025

William Cuthbert Faulkner (born New Albany, Mississippi, 1897; died Byhalia, Mississippi, July 6, 1962) was an author. Two of his most famous works were The Sound and the Fury and The Portable Faulkner. He won the Nobel Prize in 1949.

Jim Murphy (born Kearney, New Jersey, 1947; died Woodstock, New York, May 1, 2022) wrote at least 35 fiction and non-fiction books for children and young adults. He earned a Newbery Honor Award in 1996 for The Great Fire and another Newbery Honor Award in 2004 for An American Plague (which also received the 2004 Robert F. Sibert Medal). He received a 2001 Robert F. Sibert Honor Award for Blizzard! The Storm that Changed America. In 2010 he was presented the Margaret A. Edwards Award for his lifelong contributions to young adult literature. Young adults can visit his website at: Jim Murphy.

Andrea Davis Pinkney (born Washington, DC, 1963) has written at least seventeen picture books, at least seventeen books for middle graders, and at least ten baby books. She and her husband, Brian Pinkney, often work together. Her Let It Shine! Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters received the 2001 Coretta Scott King Medal. Her works also include Sit-in: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down.

James E. Ransome (born Rich Square, North Carolina, 1961) has written and/or illustrated at least 50 books for children. He illustrated Baby Blessings and Sky Boys. Children can visit his website at: James Ransome.

Mark Rothko (born Marcus Rothkowitz in Dvinsk, Russia, 1903; died New York, New York, February 25, 1970) was an abstract expressionist. Children can view a number of his works and participate in a timeline of his life at: Mark Rothko.

Dmitri Shostakovich (born St. Petersburg, Russia, 1906; died Moscow, Russia, August 9, 1975) was a composer.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Shel Silverstein (born Chicago, Illinois, 1932; died Key West, Florida, May 10, 1999) was an author, illustrator, and songwriter. He wrote and illustrated a number of poetry books for children, including Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Giving Tree. Children can visit an amazing website dedicated to him at: Shel Silverstein.

Birthdays

Sep 262025

Johnny’s Apples?

Johnny Appleseed (born John Chapman in Leominster, Massachusetts, 1774; died Allen County, Indiana, March 18, 1845) is believed to have planted many orchards of apple trees. He was well regarded by both the Native Americans and the settlers. His death is remembered as Johnny Appleseed Day. Children can learn more at: Johnny Appleseed.

T. S. Eliot (born Saint Louis, Missouri, 1888; died London, United Kingdom, January 4, 1965) was a poet, essayist, and playwright. His works include The Waste Land and The Hollow Men. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1948. Children can learn more about him at: T. S. Eliot. Children can read some of his works (including The Waste Land) at: Project Gutenberg.

George Gershwin (born Brooklyn, New York, 1898; died Beverly Hills, California, July 11, 1937) was a composer. He often teamed with his brother, Ira. Two of his most famous works are I Got Rhythm and Rhapsody in Blue.

Alicia D. Williams (born 1970) writes books for children. Her book Genesis Begins Again received a 2020 Newbery Honor Award. Another of her works is Shirley Chisholm: The Story of the First Black Woman in Congress. Children can learn more at: Alicia D. Williams.

Birthdays

Sep 272025

Samuel Adams (born Boston, Massachusetts, 1722; died Boston, Massachusetts, October 2, 1803) was a leader during the American Revolution. He attended the First and Second Continental Congresses. He signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. Older children could learn more at Samuel Adams. Upper elementary students may want to read Jean Fritz’s Why Don’t You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?

Paul Goble (born Haslemere, England, 1933; died Rapid City, South Dakota, January 5, 2017) wrote and illustrated at least 40 children’s books. The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses received the Caldecott Medal in 1978. He also wrote Dream Wolf.

G. Brian Karas (born Milford, Connecticut, 1957) has written and illustrated at least 110 book for children. His works include The Windy Day and I Know an Old Lady. Children can visit his website at: G. Brian Karas.

Nicholas Mordvinoff (born Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1911; died Hampton, New Jersey, May 5, 1973) was an artist. He earned a 1951 Caldecott Honor Award for The Two Reds. Then he received the 1952 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in Finders Keepers.

Thomas Nast (born Landau, Germany, 1840; died Guayaquil, Ecuador, December 7, 1902) was a political cartoonist. He created the symbols of the donkey and the elephant for the two political parties. Children can view some of his political cartoons at: Thomas Nast.

Bernard Waber (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1924; died Long Island, New York, May 16, 2013) wrote and illustrated at least 33 books for children. He wrote among other works Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and The House on East 88^th Street. Children can learn more at: Bernard Waber.

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