author
Margaret Warner Morley
1858–1923
A gifted nature writer and teacher, this American author turned biology into stories children could enjoy and understand. Her books invite young readers to look closely at seeds, insects, flowers, and the wider living world.
5 Audiobooks
Flowers and their friends
by Margaret Warner Morley
The Renewal of Life; How and When to Tell the Story to the Young
by Margaret Warner Morley
Little Mitchell: The Story of a Mountain Squirrel
by Margaret Warner Morley
The Insect Folk
by Margaret Warner Morley
Little Wanderers
by Margaret Warner Morley
About the author
Born in Montrose, Iowa, on February 17, 1858, Margaret Warner Morley became an American educator, biologist, and writer known for making natural science approachable for children. She grew up in Brooklyn, studied at the State University of New York, and later taught biology in Chicago before turning much of her energy to writing.
Morley is remembered for a long list of popular books on nature and biology for young readers, including works such as Seed-Babies and Flowers and Their Friends. Her writing is clear, curious, and encouraging, helping children see everyday plants and animals as full of wonder rather than as dry classroom subjects.
She also traveled widely and wrote beyond strictly scientific topics, but her lasting reputation rests on the warm, observant way she introduced generations of readers to the natural world. She died in Washington, D.C., on December 12, 1923.