Elizabeth Hoffman Honness facts for kids

Elizabeth Hoffman Honness McKaughan (born June 29, 1904 – died 2003), known as Elizabeth Honness, was an American author and poet. She wrote many books for children, especially exciting mystery stories. During her career, she published 21 books between 1936 and 1983.

To research her novels, Honness traveled to interesting places like Italy, Guatemala, and Mexico. She studied ancient cultures such as the Greeks and Romans, the Maya, the Etruscans, the Nuragic people, and the Aztecs.

Early Life and School Days

Elizabeth Honness was born in Boonton, New Jersey, on June 29, 1904. Her parents were George Gill Honness and Mary Van Syckle Leigh. She grew up in the beautiful Catskill Mountains area of New York. Her father worked as an engineer for New York City's water system.

Honness went to the Beard School in Orange, New Jersey. In her first year there, she drew a picture that was honored in St. Nicholas magazine. This was a popular magazine for children at the time.

After high school, Honness went to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. She earned her degree in English in 1926. While studying, she wrote a poem that was chosen for a book called Poets of the Future.

In 1931, Honness returned to Skidmore College to read her poems. These poems were from her published book, Poems from Beyond the Hill. She later served on Skidmore College's Board of Trustees for seven years. In 1987, the college honored her with an award for her achievements.

Becoming a Writer

Elizabeth Honness worked as the managing editor for American Girl magazine. This magazine was for teenage girls and was published by the Girl Scouts of the USA. She worked there for eight years, from 1934 to 1942.

While working at the magazine, she also showed her artistic talent. In 1942, she displayed a watercolor painting at an exhibition in New York City. This show helped encourage art for Girl Scouts.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Honness wrote poems for different magazines. She also wrote advertisements for various companies. Her first children's books came out in 1936 and 1937. She continued writing children's books until the 1970s.

After moving to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1942, she changed her focus. She started writing mystery books for middle schoolers (ages 8 to 12).

The Free Library of Philadelphia keeps some of Honness's original writings. These include typed copies and early versions of her books from 1957 to 1966. Library staff even interviewed her and other authors in the 1950s.

Her Family

Elizabeth Honness married Jesse Alfred McKaughan in 1936. He was a publisher and worked for Reynal & Hitchcock. They had one daughter, Molly McKaughan.

Molly McKaughan followed in her mother's footsteps and became a writer and editor. She worked for magazines like The Paris Review and New York Magazine. In 1987, she wrote a book called The Biological Clock. Later, she worked for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. In 2019, Molly published a book of poetry called "Recovering Myself: A Memoir in Poetry."

Honness's family had deep roots in Clinton, New Jersey. Her ancestors helped start the town. Her grandfather, Bennet Van Syckle Leigh, was the head of Clinton National Bank, the town's first bank. The town hall in Clinton was once her grandmother's home. Leigh Street in Clinton is named after her family.

Books by Elizabeth Honness

• Poems from Beyond the Hill (1930)
• The Tail of the Sorry Sorrel Horse (1936)
• Sammy Squirrel Goes to Town (1937)
• Did You Ever? (1940)
• Belinda Balloon and the Big Wind (1940)
• The Flight of Fancy (1941)
• The Great Gold Piece Mystery (1944)
• People of the Promise (1949)
• Mystery of the Diamond Necklace (1954)
• Mystery at the Doll Hospital (1955)
• Mystery of the Auction Trunk (1956)
• Mystery in the Square Tower (1957)
• Mystery of the Wooden Indian (1958)
• We are His People (1959)
• Mystery of the Secret Message (1961)
• Mystery of the Hidden Face (1963)
• Mystery of the Pirate's Ghost (1966)
• Mystery at the Villa Caprice (1969)
• Mystery of the Maya Jade (1971)
• The Etruscans: An Unsolved Mystery (1972)
• The Spy at Tory Hole (1975)
• A Long Look Back (1983)