Alice Hale Burnett

An American writer of children's books, she is most closely associated with the Merryvale series, a group of stories set in a lively small town and originally published by The New York Book Company in the early 1900s. Her work is remembered for its warm, straightforward storytelling and its focus on everyday fun, seasonal celebrations, and the adventures of young characters.

Several of her books remain widely available today through public-domain collections such as Project Gutenberg, which has helped keep titles like Christmas Holidays at Merryvale and Hallowe'en at Merryvale in readers' hands. The surviving biographical record appears to be fairly limited, but her books still give a clear sense of the kind of world she liked to build: neighborly, energetic, and centered on the pleasures of childhood.