Carolyn Wells facts for kids
Carolyn Wells (born June 18, 1862 – died March 26, 1942) was a famous American writer and poet. She wrote many books, especially mystery stories and books for children.
Life and Writing Career
Carolyn Wells was born in Rahway, New Jersey. Her parents were William E. and Anna Wells. After finishing school, she worked as a librarian in Rahway.
Early Books and Poetry
Her first book, At the Sign of the Sphinx (1896), was a collection of literary charades. She then wrote The Jingle Book and The Story of Betty in 1899. In 1900, she published a book of poems called Idle Idyls. For the first ten years of her career, Carolyn focused on poetry, humor, and children's books.
Becoming a Mystery Writer
Carolyn Wells wrote a huge number of books, about 170 in total! She once heard a mystery novel called That Affair Next Door (1897) being read aloud. She was so amazed by how the puzzle was solved that she decided to write mysteries herself.
She became very well known for her mystery novels, especially the Fleming Stone Detective Stories. She wrote 61 books in this series! Her book The Clue (1909) is considered a classic mystery. Carolyn also started a yearly series that collected the best short crime stories in the U.S.
Newspaper Work and Legacy
Besides books, Wells also wrote for newspapers. Her poems often appeared with drawings by famous illustrators. These were sometimes part of ongoing stories in Sunday magazines. One of her early newspaper works was Animal Alphabet. She also wrote the interesting series Adventures of Lovely Lilly.
Carolyn Wells passed away in 1942 in New York City. She was married to Hadwin Houghton, whose family started the Houghton-Mifflin publishing company. Carolyn also had a very special collection of Walt Whitman's poetry. She gave this important collection to the Library of Congress for everyone to enjoy.
Her Books and Collections
Carolyn Wells wrote many different types of books. Here are some of her most popular works.
Mystery Novels
She was best known for her detective stories.
Fleming Stone Mysteries
- The Clue (1909)
- The Gold Bag (1911)
- A Chain of Evidence (1912)
- Vicky Van (1918)
- The Diamond Pin (1919)
- Horror House (1931)
- The Umbrella Murder (1931)
- In the Tiger's Cage (1936)
- Murder On Parade (1940)
- Murder Will In (1942)
Other Mystery Series
- Alan Ford: The Bride of a Moment (1916), Faulkner's Folly (1917)
- Pennington Wise: The Room with the Tassels (1918), The Man Who Fell Through the Earth (1919)
- Kenneth Carlisle: Sleeping Dogs (1929), The Doorstep Murders (1930)
Children's Books
Carolyn Wells also wrote many books for younger readers.
Patty Fairfield Series
This popular series followed the adventures of a girl named Patty.
- Patty Fairfield (1901)
- Patty at Home (1904)
- Patty in Paris (1907)
- Patty's Success (1910)
- Patty-Bride (1918)
Marjorie Maynard Series
Another series about a young girl's life.
- Marjorie's Vacation (1907)
- Marjorie's Busy Days (1908)
- Marjorie in Command (1910)
Other Children's Novels
- Folly in Fairyland (1901)
- The Story of Betty (1911)
Other Writings
Carolyn Wells also wrote non-fiction and edited collections of other people's works.
Nonfiction
- The Technique of the Mystery Story (1913)
Poetry
- At the Sign of the Sphinx (1896)
- A Whimsey Anthology (1906)
Anthologies (as editor)
She put together collections of poems and stories by other writers.
- A Parody Anthology (1904)
- A Satire Anthology (1905)
- A Nonsense Anthology (1910)
- The Best American Mystery Stories of the Year (1931, 1932)
- Carolyn Wells, "Why Women Read Detective Stories", True Detective Mysteries(September 1930) pp. 18–19, 105-06
Images for kids
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Caroly Wells
