Hazel Hutchins Wilson facts for kids

Hazel Hutchins Wilson (born April 8, 1898 – died August 20, 1992) was an American writer. She is best known for her children's books. Before becoming an author, she worked as a librarian in schools and universities.

About Hazel Wilson

Hazel Wilson was born in Portland, Maine. This was on April 8, 1898. She went to Bates College in Lewiston. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1919. The next year, in 1920, she got a Bachelor of Science degree. This degree was in library science from Simmons College in Boston.

Her Career as a Librarian

Hazel Wilson started her library career in 1920. She worked at a high school in Portland until 1923. Then, she moved to Kirksville. There, she worked at Northeast Missouri State Teacher's College from 1923 to 1926.

After that, she moved to Paris, France. She became the head of the circulation department. This was at the American Library in Paris from 1926 to 1928. When she returned to the U.S., she worked at Bradford Academy. This was in Bradford, Massachusetts (1928–1929).

She also supervised school libraries in Denver (1929–1930). Later, she taught at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. She taught there from 1956 to 1967.

Joining Groups and Clubs

Hazel Wilson helped start the Children's Book Guild of Washington. She was even its president for a time. She was also a member of the American Newspaper Women's Club. And she joined Women in Communications.

Her Family Life

In 1930, Hazel married William Jerome Wilson. They had one child together, named Jerome Linwood Wilson. William Wilson passed away in 1963.

Her Books and Awards

Hazel Wilson wrote many books for children. Her stories covered different topics. Some books were about famous people like George Washington. Others were about events in Maine. She also wrote a popular series about a 10-year-old boy named Herbert.

Awards for Her Writing

Her books won several awards:

• Island Summer received an Ohioana Award.
• Thad Owen won a Boys Clubs of America Junior Book Award.
• Herbert was an honor book at the New York Herald Spring Book Festival.
• His Indian Brother won an Edison Award in 1955.

Besides writing books, she also reviewed books every month. Her reviews appeared in the Washington Evening Star newspaper.

List of Her Books

Here are some of the books Hazel Wilson wrote:

• The Red Dory (1939)
• The Owen Boys (1947)
• Island Summer (1949)
• Thad Owen (1950)
• Herbert (1950)
• Herbert Again (1951)
• The Story of Lafayette (1952)
• The Story of Anthony Wayne (1953)
• More Fun With Herbert (1954)
• His Indian Brother (1955)
• The Little Marquise: Madame Lafayette (1957)
• The Surprise of Their Lives (1957)
• Tall Ships (1958)
• Jerry's Charge Account (1960)
• Herbert's Homework (1960)
• The Seine: River of Paris (1961)
• The Last Queen of Hawaii (1963)
• Herbert's Space Trip (1965)
• The Years Between: Washington at Home at Mount Vernon, 1783–1789 (1969)
• Herbert's Stilts (1972)

Some of Hazel Wilson's original papers are kept at the University of Oregon Libraries archives. These papers are related to her books about Washington Irving and George Washington. You can find them in Eugene.