Ruth Sawyer

Born in Boston, Massachusetts, on August 5, 1880, Ruth Sawyer became an American children's writer and professional storyteller whose books mixed lively imagination with a strong feel for place and character. She is most closely associated with Roller Skates, the novel that won the Newbery Medal and remains her best-known work.

Sawyer was also widely recognized for her work as a storyteller, not just a novelist. Alongside original fiction, she collected and retold folk and fairy tales, helping preserve storytelling traditions for young audiences in a warm, accessible way.

She died on June 3, 1970. Today she is remembered as a writer who treated children's inner lives seriously while keeping a sense of play, curiosity, and adventure at the heart of her books.