author
Laura Fry Kready
b. 1874
Best known for A Study of Fairy Tales (1916), this early 20th-century writer explored why traditional stories matter to children and to education. Her work blends literary appreciation with a practical interest in how stories shape imagination and feeling.
1 Audiobook
A Study of Fairy Tales
by Laura Fry Kready
About the author
Laura Fry Kready was an American author born in 1874, remembered chiefly for A Study of Fairy Tales, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1916. The book presents fairy tales as more than simple entertainment, arguing for their value in children's reading and classroom life.
The surviving record available here is fairly limited, but her published work shows a thoughtful, educational approach to literature. The Project Gutenberg text identifies her as "Laura F. Kready, B.S.," suggesting a formal academic background, and the introduction to her best-known book was written by Henry Suzzallo, then president of the University of Washington.
Genealogical records commonly list her as Laura F. Kready, born March 20, 1874, and dying in 1928 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Because detailed biographical sources are scarce, she is best introduced through the lasting influence of her writing on the study and teaching of fairy tales.