author
Ethel Maltby Gehres
1885–1973
Best known for helping shape early school readers, this American educator and coauthor wrote books that aimed to make reading feel clear, lively, and connected to everyday life. Her work appeared in widely used primers and readers for children in the early 20th century.
1 Audiobook
The Silent Readers: Sixth Reader
by William Dodge Lewis, Ethel Maltby Gehres, Albert Lindsay Rowland
About the author
Ethel Maltby Gehres was an American author and educator associated with a number of school reading books in the early 20th century. Library and public-domain records link her name to the long-running Winston readers and companion readers, as well as to The Silent Readers: Sixth Reader, which was later made available through Project Gutenberg.
Her books were created for young students and classroom use, often in collaboration with other educators such as Sidney G. Firman and William Dodge Lewis. Titles connected with her include primers, readers, and everyday-life stories designed to build reading skill step by step.
Reliable biographical detail about her personal life is limited in the sources I could confirm, but memorial and catalog records identify her as living from 1885 to 1973. What stands out most clearly is her contribution to practical, child-focused reading instruction through books that introduced generations of students to guided reading practice.