Matthew A. Henson
Matthew A. Henson (born Charles County, Maryland, 1866; died New York, New York, March 9, 1955) was an African-American explorer. He was hired to be Robert E. Peary’s valet. The two explored the Arctic region. He described his adventures in A Negro Explorer at the North Pole. Children can read the book at: Project Gutenberg.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (born Washington, DC, 1896; died Saint Augustine, Florida, December 14, 1953) wrote at least eleven books and at least twenty short stories for children. Her book The Yearling received the 1939 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and The Secret River earned a 1956 Newbery Honor Award. Children can learn more at: America’s Library.