Ruth Plumly Thompson

Born in Philadelphia in 1893, Ruth Plumly Thompson became a journalist before turning to children’s books. She worked for the Philadelphia Public Ledger as a feature writer and children’s page editor, building the quick, engaging style that later made her fantasy novels so readable.

She is most closely associated with the world of Oz. After L. Frank Baum’s death, Thompson was chosen to continue the official Oz books, and she went on to write many entries in the series for Reilly & Lee. Her stories expanded Baum’s world with new places, characters, and a more fast-moving comic energy, helping keep Oz popular for a new generation of readers.

Thompson also wrote other fantasy and adventure books outside Oz, and her long career made her one of the most important later contributors to that classic series. She died in 1976, but her work still stands out for its cheerfulness, invention, and sense of fun.