Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson
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Atkinson in The New Student's Reference Work
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| Born | 1863 |
| Died | November 4, 1942 |
Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson (1863 – November 4, 1942) was an American author, journalist, and teacher. She is best known for her popular book, Greyfriars Bobby, which tells the heartwarming story of a loyal dog.
Contents
Her Early Life
Eleanor Stackhouse was born in Rensselaer, Indiana. She later married an author named Francis Blake Atkinson. They had two daughters together: Dorothy Blake, born in 1892, and Frances Eleanor, born in 1899.
A Career in Words
Eleanor Atkinson started her career as a teacher. She taught in schools in both Indianapolis and Chicago. After teaching, she began writing. From 1888 to 1890, she wrote for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. She used a special writing name, or Pen name, called "Nora Marks" during this time.
Later, Eleanor Atkinson became a publisher. She worked for the Little Chronicle Publishing Company. This company published some of her own books. They also published other educational books. The company even created a newspaper for young children called The Little Chronicle. This newspaper had many pictures and was designed to be easy for kids to read.
Eleanor Atkinson wrote different kinds of books. Some were story books, often about love. Others were fact books, which were mostly educational.
The Story of Greyfriars Bobby
Eleanor Atkinson is most famous for her 1912 story book, Greyfriars Bobby. This book tells the well-known tale of a very loyal dog named Bobby. The story takes place in Edinburgh, a city in Scotland.
Many new versions of the Greyfriars Bobby story use parts that Eleanor Atkinson wrote. However, some details in her book, like those about the dog's owner, were not completely accurate. It is believed that Eleanor Atkinson never actually visited Edinburgh. It seems she took the basic story and added parts from her own imagination.
Even though she didn't visit Scotland, her book is very detailed. The descriptions of the places are sometimes a little off. But Eleanor Atkinson tried hard to get names right. She also tried to capture the feeling of the city.
It's quite unusual that she knew the local Scottish accent so well. She had not been to Scotland and had no family from there. This suggests that Scottish people who had moved to the Midwest, USA, might have told her the story.
The book is often seen as a classic, especially for children. It has been printed many times over the years. Greyfriars Bobby was also made into two movies after Eleanor Atkinson passed away. These films were Challenge to Lassie (made by MGM in 1949) and Greyfriars Bobby (made by Disney in 1961). Both movies starred the actor Donald Crisp.
Her Family
Eleanor Atkinson's daughter, Eleanor Blake, also became a writer. She wrote a detective story called Death Down East in 1942. Eleanor Blake's son, who was Eleanor Atkinson's grandson, became a famous movie and television actor named Wally Cox.
Books by Eleanor Atkinson
- Mamzelle Fifine : A Romance of the Girlhood of the Empress Josephine on the Island of Martinique (1903)
- Boyhood of Lincoln (1908) (also known as Lincoln's Love Story)
- Story of Chicago and National Development, 1534-1910. (1910)
- New Student's Reference Work for Teachers, Students and Families (1911)
- Greyfriar's Bobby (1912)
- Loyal Love (1912)
- Johnny Appleseed: The Romance of the Sower (1915)
- Pictured Knowledge; Visual Instruction Practically Applied for the Home and School (1916)
- Hearts Undaunted : A Romance of Four Frontiers (1917)
- "Poilu," a Dog of Roubaix. (1918)
