Abbie Farwell Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Abbie Farwell Brown
Born	21 August 1871
Died	5 March 1927  (aged 55)
Alma mater	Radcliffe College
Occupation	Writer

Abbie Farwell Brown's book, The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts (1900)

Abbie Farwell Brown (born August 21, 1871 – died March 5, 1927) was an American author. She was best known for her many books for children, including stories and poems.

About Abbie Farwell Brown

Abbie Farwell Brown was born in Boston, Massachusetts. She was the first of two daughters. Her father was Benjamin F. Brown. Her mother, Clara Neal Brown, also wrote for a magazine called The Youth's Companion.

Abbie's sister, Ethel, also became an author and illustrator. She wrote under the name Ann Underhill. Abbie's family had lived in New England for many generations. Abbie herself lived her whole life in her family's home in Beacon Hill, Boston.

Her School Days

Abbie was a very bright student. In 1886, she was the top student, or valedictorian, at the Bowdoin School. After that, she went to the Girls' Latin School. There, she became good friends with another future writer, Josephine Preston Peabody.

Abbie helped start the school newspaper, The Jabberwock. She named it after a famous poem by Lewis Carroll. She even wrote to Carroll to ask for permission to use the name. He wrote back, wishing the magazine "all success." Today, the school, now called Boston Latin Academy, still publishes The Jabberwock.

After finishing Girls' Latin School in 1891, Abbie went to Radcliffe College. She graduated from Radcliffe in 1894.

Starting Her Writing Career

Even while she was at Girls' Latin School, Abbie was already writing. She sent stories to St. Nicholas Magazine, a popular children's magazine. Some of her stories were even illustrated by her sister, Ethel.

Later, starting in 1898, she wrote articles for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat newspaper. For these articles, she used the pen name Jean Neal. She also wrote a short play called Quits in 1896. This play was set at a women's college.

Writing for Young Readers

A carving at Chester Cathedral showing Saint Werburgh and a goose. This inspired Abbie Brown's first book.

Abbie Farwell Brown's first children's book was The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts (1900). She got the idea for this book during her first trip abroad. She saw beautiful carvings in the choir stalls at Chester Cathedral in England. These carvings showed stories about Saint Werburgh. Her book retold old Christian stories about saints and their animal friends.

Abbie loved to retell old tales for children. Her book In the Days of Giants (1902) shared exciting stories from Norse mythology. This book was very popular and was used in libraries for many years. She also co-wrote Tales of the Red Children (1909) with James MacIntosh Bell. This book told stories from Canadian Indian folklore.

Abbie also wrote her own original stories for children. Some of her well-known books include:

• The Lonesomest Doll (1901)
• The Flower Princess (1904)
• John of the Woods (1909)
• The Lucky Stone (1914)

She also wrote several books of poetry for children. These include A Pocketful of Posies (1901) and Fresh Posies (1908). She wrote some poetry books for adults too, but they were not as successful.

Abbie Farwell Brown in a 1921 portrait.

Abbie also wrote song lyrics. She worked with composer Mabel Wheeler Daniels. Together, they wrote the song "On the Trail." This song later became the official song for the Girl Scouts of the USA. Daniels also set Abbie's war poem "Peace with a Sword" to music. It was performed in 1917. Abbie also wrote a biography for young readers about a composer, called The Boyhood of Edward MacDowell (1924).

Her Role in Literary Life

Abbie Farwell Brown was an active part of the literary world in New England. She helped edit a 20-volume book series called the Young Folks Library. She was a member of several important groups, including:

• The Boston Authors' Club
• The Boston Drama League
• The American Folklore Society
• The Poetry Society of America

She was also the president of the New England Poetry Club. Abbie Farwell Brown passed away at the age of 55.

Works

• The Book of Saints and Friendly Beasts (1900)
• In the Days of Giants: A Book of Norse Tales (1902)
• The Curious Book of Birds (1903)
• The Flower Princess (1904)
• John of the Woods (1909)
• The Christmas Angel (1910)
• Kisington Town (1915)