Edward Edson Lee facts for kids

Edward Edson Lee (born September 2, 1884 – died September 28, 1944) was a popular writer for young people in the 1920s and 1930s. He wrote many adventure stories using the pen name Leo Edwards.

About Edward Edson Lee

Edward Edson Lee had a tough childhood. He left school when he was young to start working. He began his writing career by creating stories that appeared in parts, especially in The American Boy magazine. His first book, Andy Blake in Advertising, came out in 1922. It was later re-released as the first book in the Andy Blake series.

Lee wrote five different book series. These were the Jerry Todd series (sixteen books), the Poppy Ott series (eleven books), the Trigger Berg series (four books), the Andy Blake series (four books), and the Tuffy Bean series (four books). All of these series were connected in some way.

The Jerry Todd and Poppy Ott stories took place in a made-up town called Tutter, Illinois. This town was based on Utica, a real town Lee knew when he was a child. Some of the characters in the Todd and Ott books, like "Red" Meyers, "Scoop" Ellery, and "Peg" Shaw, were real boys Lee met while living in Shelby, Ohio.

Edward Edson Lee is buried in Beloit, Wisconsin.

His Books and Legacy

After Edward Edson Lee passed away, his books were mostly forgotten for a while. However, they have become very popular with people who collect old children's books. Many of his books featured unique and colorful drawings by Bert Salg.

Each Jerry Todd book had a special part where readers' letters were printed. Lee would write friendly, informal replies to these letters. This idea was later copied by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee (who was not related to Edward Edson Lee). Stan Lee used a similar style in the "Marvel Bullpen Bulletins" pages found in Marvel comics.

The band Cockeyed Ghost from the 1990s got its name from one of Edwards' less famous books, Trigger Berg and the Cock-Eyed Ghost. Also, in his autobiography, "Where's the Rest of Me?", former U.S. President Ronald Reagan wrote that his childhood in Tampico, Illinois, was much like Jerry Todd's adventures.

List of Books

Andy Blake series

• Andy Blake (originally Andy Blake in Advertising) - 1922, republished 1928
• Andy Blake's Comet Coaster - 1928
• Andy Blake's Secret Service - 1929
• Andy Blake and the Pot of Gold - 1930

Jerry Todd series

• Jerry Todd and the Whispering Mummy - 1923
• Jerry Todd and the Rose-Colored Cat - 1924
• Jerry Todd and the Oak Island Treasure - 1925
• Jerry Todd and the Waltzing Hen - 1924
• Jerry Todd and the Talking Frog - 1925
• Jerry Todd and the Purring Egg - 1925
• Jerry Todd in the Whispering Cave - 1927
• Jerry Todd, Pirate - 1928
• Jerry Todd and the Bob-Tailed Elephant - 1929
• Jerry Todd, Editor-In-Grief - 1930
• Jerry Todd, Caveman - 1932
• Jerry Todd and the Flying Flapdoodle - 1934
• Jerry Todd and the Buffalo Bill Bathtub - 1936
• Jerry Todd's Up-The-Ladder Club - 1937
• Jerry Todd's Poodle Parlor - 1938
• Jerry Todd's Cuckoo Camp - 1940

Poppy Ott series

• Poppy Ott and the Stuttering Parrot - 1926
• Poppy Ott's Seven-League Stilts - 1926
• Poppy Ott and the Galloping Snail - 1927
• Poppy Ott's Pedigreed Pickles - 1927
• Poppy Ott and the Freckled Goldfish - 1928
• Poppy Ott and the Tittering Totem - 1929
• Poppy Ott and the Prancing Pancake - 1930
• Poppy Ott Hits The Trail - 1933
• Poppy Ott & Co., Inferior Decorators - 1937
• The Monkey's Paw - 1938
• The Hidden Dwarf - 1939

Trigger Berg series

• Trigger Berg and the Treasure Tree - 1930
• Trigger Berg and His 700 Mousetraps - 1930
• Trigger Berg and the Sacred Pig - 1931
• Trigger Berg and the Cock-Eyed Ghost - 1933

Tuffy Bean series

• Tuffy Bean's Puppy Days - 1931
• Tuffy Bean's One-Ring Circus - 1931
• Tuffy Bean At Funny Bone Farm - 1931
• Tuffy Bean and the Lost Fortune - 1932