Mary Mapes Dodge

Born in New York City on January 26, 1831, Mary Mapes Dodge became one of the best-known American writers for children in the 19th century. She is most closely associated with Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates (1865), a novel set in the Netherlands that remained widely loved for generations.

Dodge was also the founding editor of St. Nicholas Magazine, launched in 1873. In that role she helped make the magazine a major home for children's literature, publishing work by many prominent writers and encouraging high standards for stories, poems, and articles written for young readers.

She continued editing St. Nicholas until her death on August 21, 1905. Today she is remembered not just for a single classic book, but for the larger part she played in shaping children's literature in the United States.