B. (Bertha) Johnston

Born in 1864, Bertha Johnston was an American educator and writer whose work grew out of the kindergarten and progressive-education world. Reliable records connected with her early writing and later editorial career identify her as Bertha Johnston (1864–1953), and note that she later graduated from Framingham Normal School.

Johnston is best known for Home Occupations for Boys and Girls, a book that offers hands-on activities, crafts, and games designed to keep children engaged while building skill and independence. She was also associated with Kindergarten Magazine as an editor, which fits the practical, child-centered approach seen in her writing.

One especially charming detail from her life survives in an American Antiquarian Society note: as a child, she wrote a small piece called The White Horse, printed by her uncle. That glimpse of an early start makes her later career feel wonderfully consistent — she seems to have spent much of her life encouraging imagination, learning, and useful play.