author
Robin McKown
Known for lively biographies and fiction for young readers, this American writer brought scientists, explorers, and historical figures to life in a clear, approachable way. Her work often blended careful research with a strong sense of story.
1 Audiobook
Benjamin Franklin
by Robin McKown
About the author
Born in Denver in 1907, Robin McKown was an American writer best known for young adult biography and fiction. She studied at the University of Colorado at Boulder, later worked for a publicist in New York, and also wrote newspaper columns about contemporary authors as well as scripts for CBS radio.
McKown published widely for younger readers, with books on figures such as Marie Curie and Ernest Rutherford, along with historical and contemporary subjects. Her novel Janine received the Josette Frank Award in 1960, and she was also recognized the following year by the Child Study Association.
During and after World War II, she also served as chair of an organization that helped the widows and orphans of men killed in the French Resistance. She died in 1975, but her books remain part of the long tradition of nonfiction and historical writing that invites young readers to be curious about real lives and real events.