Ruth Plumly Thompson

Born in Philadelphia, Ruth Plumly Thompson was an American children's author and poet whose work appeared in magazines and newspapers before she became famous for her fiction. She is especially remembered for continuing the Oz books after L. Frank Baum's death, writing many official sequels and becoming one of the key voices associated with the series.

Her Oz stories are often noted for their fast pace, lively wordplay, and fondness for eccentric characters. Alongside the Oz books, she also wrote poems, short stories, and other children's work, building a long career that reached well beyond a single series.

The dates often given for her vary, but reliable sources during this search agree that she lived from 1891 to 1976, even though some catalogs and listings use 1893. That small confusion aside, her place in children's fantasy is clear: she helped extend one of America's best-loved imaginary worlds and gave it a distinctly spirited style of her own.