Eleanor L. (Eleanor Louise) Skinner

Eleanor Louise Skinner was an American writer and compiler of children's literature, born in 1872. Library of Congress records identify her as the author or joint author of books including Merry Tales (1915), Tales and Plays of Robin Hood (1915), The Emerald Story Book (1915), The Topaz Story Book (1917), Nursery Tales from Many Lands (1917), and Children's Plays (1918).

Several early editions describe her as a teacher of English at North High School in Columbus, Ohio, which helps explain the practical, classroom-friendly feel of her work. Much of her writing was created with her sister Ada M. Skinner, and together they gathered stories, legends, and short dramatic pieces for children, often shaping older material into accessible reading for home and school use.

Her books have a cheerful, inviting quality: fairy tales, seasonal anthologies, folklore, and simple plays all chosen with young audiences in mind. While biographical details about her life are limited in the sources I found, her surviving books suggest a writer deeply interested in reading aloud, imagination, and giving children a welcoming path into literature.