Cornelia Meigs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cornelia Meigs
Born	(1884-12-06)December 6, 1884 Rock Island, Illinois
Died	(1973-09-10)September 10, 1973 Havre de Grace, Maryland
Pen name	Adair Aldon
Occupation	Writer, teacher
Period	1915–1970 (as author)
Genre	Children's fiction, biography
Subject	History of children's literature, literary criticism
Notable works	Invincible Louisa A Critical History of Children's Literature
Notable awards	Newbery Medal 1934

Cornelia Lynde Meigs (1884–1973) was an American writer who wrote many books for children, including fiction stories and biographies. She was also a teacher of English and writing, and she studied and wrote about the history of children's literature.

Cornelia Meigs won the famous Newbery Medal in 1934 for her book Invincible Louisa. This book was a biography about the life of Louisa May Alcott, who wrote Little Women. Cornelia Meigs also wrote three other books that were recognized as Newbery Honor Books, which are like runners-up for the award.

About Cornelia Meigs' Life

Cornelia Meigs was born on December 6, 1884, in Rock Island, Illinois. She was the fifth of six daughters in her family. Her father was an engineer, and her sister, Grace Meigs Crowder, became a well-known doctor.

After finishing high school in 1901, Cornelia went to Bryn Mawr College and graduated in 1907.

Starting Her Writing Career

Cornelia Meigs began writing books for children while she was an English teacher at St. Katherine's School in Davenport, Iowa. Her very first book, The Kingdom of the Winding Road, was published in 1915.

In 1922, her book The Windy Hill was one of the first books to be recognized for the new Newbery Medal. This award is given by librarians for the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." Her books Clearing Weather (1929) and Swift Rivers (1933) were also Newbery Honor Books. These books now have a special silver seal on their covers.

Winning the Newbery Medal

Cornelia Meigs won a special writing competition with her book The Trade Wind. This book was published in 1927. She also wrote biographies for children about famous people like Louisa May Alcott and Jane Addams.

Her most famous book is Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of "Little Women", which won the Newbery Medal in 1934. This book tells the story of Louisa May Alcott's life, from her childhood to when she wrote the classic novel Little Women. Many people suggest reading Invincible Louisa alongside Little Women because it helps you understand the author's life better.

Teaching and Later Works

In 1932, Cornelia Meigs became a professor of English at Bryn Mawr College, where she had studied. She taught there until she retired in 1950. During World War II, she took time off to work for the War Department.

After leaving Bryn Mawr, she taught writing at the New School in New York City. She was also the main editor and one of the writers for A Critical History of Children's Literature, published in 1953. This book is considered a very important work in the study of children's books. It was updated and re-released in 1969.

During her life, Cornelia Meigs wrote over 30 fiction books for children, along with two plays, two biographies, and several books and articles for adults.

Cornelia Meigs lived in Havre de Grace, Maryland, and Brandon, Vermont. She passed away in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on September 10, 1973.

Awards and Recognition

Cornelia Meigs received several awards for her writing:

• 1915 Drama League prize, The Steadfast Princess
• 1922 Newbery runner-up (now called Newbery Honor Book), Windy Hill
• 1928 Newbery runner-up, Clearing Weather
• 1933 Newbery runner-up, Swift Rivers
• 1927 Beacon Hill Bookshelf Prize, The Trade Wind
• 1934 Newbery Medal, Invincible Louisa
• 1963 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, Invincible Louisa

Selected Books

Here are some of the books Cornelia Meigs wrote:

Frontispiece, The Windy Hill

Children's Fiction Stories

• The Kingdom of the Winding Road, 1915
• Master Simon's Garden, 1916
• The Pool of Stars, 1919
• The Windy Hill, 1921
• The Trade Wind, 1927
• The Wonderful Locomotive, 1928
• Clearing Weather, 1928
• The Crooked Apple Tree, 1929
• Swift Rivers, 1934
• The Covered Bridge, 1936
• Young Americans, 1936
• The Scarlet Oak, 1938
• Call of the Mountain, 1940
• The Two Arrows, 1949
• The Dutch Colt, 1952
• Wild Geese Flying, 1957
• Mystery at the Red House, 1961
• Willow Whistle
• As the Crow Flies
• The Mounted Messenger
• The New Moon
• Rain on the Roof
• The Vanished Island
• Wind in the Chimney
• Fair Wind to Virginia

Fiction as Adair Aldon (another name she used)

• The Island of Appledore, 1917
• The Pirate of Jasper Peak, 1918
• At the Sign of the Two Heroes, 1920
• The Hill of Adventure, 1922

Plays

• The Steadfast Princess, 1916
• Helga and the White Peacock, 1922

Biographies

• Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of "Little Women", 1933
• Jane Adams: Pioneer for Social Justice: A Biography, 1970