Alida Malkus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alida Sims Malkus
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| Born | Lyda Sims Malkus September 19, 1888 Genesee River valley, New York |
| Died | September 27, 1976 (aged 88) Concord, Massachusetts, US |
| Occupation | Children's writer |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Children's literature, mainly historical fiction |
| Subject | Geography |
Alida Sims Malkus (born September 19, 1888 – died September 27, 1976) was an American author. She wrote many books for children. Her stories were mostly non-fiction and historical novels. Sometimes, they had a touch of fantasy. She was also recognized with a Newbery Honor, a special award for children's books.
About Alida Sims Malkus
Alida Sims Malkus was born on September 19, 1888. She was one of thirteen children in her family. They lived in Bay City, Michigan. As a child, Alida loved to swim and ride horses.
When she was thirteen, she started writing for her school newspaper. She also wrote plays and put them on for her friends. At fifteen, her mother became ill. They moved to San Francisco. On this trip, Alida fell in love with the desert. She decided to live in New Mexico.
While in New Mexico, she spent a lot of time with Native American communities. She also explored Mayan ruins. These experiences sparked her interest in ancient cultures. This interest became the main inspiration for many of her books.
Her book, The Dark Star of Itza: The Story of a Pagan Princess, was a runner-up for the Newbery Medal in 1931. The Newbery Medal is a very important award. It is given to the best children's book published in the United States each year.
Books by Alida Sims Malkus
Alida Sims Malkus wrote many books for young readers. Here are some of her well-known works:
- The Dark Star of Itza: The Story of a Pagan Princess, illustrated by Lowell Houser (1930)
- The Spindle Imp and Other Tales of Maya Myth and Folk Lore, illustrated by Erick Berry (1931)
- Eastward Sweeps the Current: A Saga of the Polynesian Seafarers (1937)
- The Silver Llama (1939)
- The Citadel of a Hundred Stairways (1941)
- Constancia Lona (1947)
- The Story of Louis Pasteur (1952)
- The Story of Good Queen Bess (1953)
- We Were There at the Battle of Gettysburg (1955)
- The Story of Winston Churchill (1957)
- Young Inca Prince (1957)
- The Sea and Its Rivers (1957)
- Through the Wall (1962)
- There Really Was a Hiawatha (1963)
- Animals of the High Andes (1966)
- The Story of Jacqueline Kennedy (1967)
- The Amazon: River of Promise (1970)
