Judson, Clara Ingram, 1879-1960

American author of children's and young adult fiction and non-fiction; Newbery Honors for Abraham Lincoln, Friend of the People in 1951, Theodore Roosevelt, Fighting Patriot in 1954, and Mr. Justice Holmes in 1957.

Clara Ingram Judson was born May 4, 1879, in Logansport, Indiana. She graduated from the Girls' Classical School in Indianapolis in 1898. After her marriage and the birth of two children, she began contributing stories and columns to Indiana newspapers and later wrote Bed Time Tales, a feature for children. In 1915 she published her first book for children, Flower Fairies, a 'realistic' story about fairies. Throughout her long and prolific career she wrote 79 books, fiction and non-fiction, for children. Her Mary Jane series and the non-fiction series, They Came From, detailing the experiences of immigrants to America, were very popular with children and critics. Her fictionalized biographies of famous Americans were also popular. Critics praised her extensive research and accuracy. Three of her biographies were Newbery Honor books: Abraham Lincoln, Friend of the People; Theodore Roosevelt, Fighting Patriot; Mr. Justice Holmes, which won in 1951, 1954, and 1957 respectively. She also received other awards for her work, including the first Children's Reading Round Table Award in 1953, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her contribution to children's literature in 1960. She died on May 24, 1960, in Evanston, Illinois.

American author of children's and young adult fiction and non-fiction; of Evanston, Ill.