author

Margaret Vandegrift

1845–1913

A 19th-century American writer who published warm, lively books and poems for young readers under the pen name Margaret Vandegrift. Her work ranged from playful verse to children's stories, and much of it first appeared in popular magazines for the young.

1 Audiobook

Little Helpers

Little Helpers

by Margaret Vandegrift

About the author

Born in New Orleans in 1844 or 1845 and later associated with Moorestown, New Jersey, she wrote under the pseudonym Margaret Vandegrift while her given name was Margaret Thomson Janvier. She was an American poet and children's author, and sources also note that she was the sister of writer Thomas Allibone Janvier.

Her books for children include The Dead Doll, and Other Verses and Clover Beach for Boys and Girls. Contemporary catalog records show that some of her poems and stories were published in well-known juvenile magazines such as St. Nicholas, Harper's Young People, The Youth's Companion, and Wide Awake, suggesting that she was a familiar voice in late-19th-century children's reading.

The dates attached to her name vary slightly by source, but 1845–1913 is widely used. No suitable verified portrait image was found from the pages available during this search, so a profile image is not included.