author
Frances Lilian Taylor
d. 1931
Best known for early school readers and children’s books, this long-serving teacher wrote simple, lively texts meant to help young readers grow in confidence. Her work includes the Taylor School Readers and the historical children’s book Two Indian Children of Long Ago.
1 Audiobook
Two Indian Children of Long Ago
by Frances Lilian Taylor
About the author
Frances Lilian Taylor was an American educator and children’s author whose books were closely tied to classroom learning. Reliable catalog and public-domain sources confirm works including The Taylor School Readers, Beginnings in English, Adventures in Storyland, and Two Indian Children of Long Ago.
A local historical profile describes her as the daughter of Noah Taylor of Brookfield, Massachusetts, educated at Mount Holyoke Seminary, and a teacher who came to Galesburg, Illinois, in 1878. That same source says she spent more than fifty years in the city’s schools, including service as a principal, which helps explain the practical, teacherly tone of her books.
Her writing was aimed at young readers, blending reading practice, storytelling, and everyday language work. Even now, her books offer a window into early twentieth-century school life and children’s publishing in the United States.