Edna A. Brown

Born in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1875, she became known both for her books for young readers and for her work in libraries. Sources on her life describe her as the author of more than a dozen children’s books, and library records preserve titles including The Chinese Kitten, The Spanish Chest, and The Silver Bear.

She studied at the New York State Library School and went on to serve for many years as librarian of Memorial Hall Library in Andover, Massachusetts. Local historical accounts remember her as Andover’s first professional librarian and note that she helped expand library service for children.

Her writing and library work seem to have grown from the same impulse: a wish to open up the world for younger readers. She died in 1944, leaving behind a body of fiction that still reflects the charm and curiosity of its era.