Nora Archibald Smith

Born in 1859, she became known as an American writer of children’s literature and as the sister and frequent collaborator of Kate Douglas Wiggin. Together they co-authored and co-edited a number of books for children, helping bring nursery tales, verse, and classic stories to young audiences in a warm, accessible style.

Her work also connected to the early kindergarten movement. Archival material from the University of New England describes her as an early childhood educator, school administrator, and writer, showing that her interests reached beyond publishing and into children’s education more broadly.

Today, she is remembered for her part in a family literary circle that helped shape American children’s reading in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Her books still have the charm of a time when literature for children was closely tied to imagination, moral growth, and the joy of reading aloud.