Howard Pease facts for kids

Howard Pease (born September 6, 1894 – died April 14, 1974) was an American writer. He was famous for his adventure stories. Howard Pease was from Stockton, California.

Most of his books were about a young character named Joseph Todhunter, often called "Tod" Moran. Tod worked on tramp freighters (cargo ships that don't have a fixed route) between the two World Wars.

Life

Howard Pease was born in Stockton, California. He lived mostly in the San Francisco area. Sometimes, he worked on freighters as a crew member. He did this to find new ideas for his stories.

Pease decided to become a writer when he was in sixth grade. He wrote his first short story in 1907. He went to Stanford University in Stanford. He paused his studies for two years to serve in the United States Army in Europe. After that, he returned to college and graduated. During two summers, he worked as a "wiper" (someone who cleans) in the engine room of a cargo ship.

Howard Pease's first published story appeared in The American Boy magazine in June 1921. His first novel, The Tattooed Man, came out in 1926. This book was based on two of his sea trips and a walking tour in France.

The Tattooed Man introduced Tod Moran. Tod was a young merchant mariner who worked his way up from a wiper to a first mate in the books. These stories are sometimes called "the Tod Moran mysteries." Other characters who often appeared in the Tod Moran novels were his friends Toppy and Sven. Toppy was a Cockney (from London) deckhand, and Sven was from Sweden. Captain Jarvis, the master of the freighter Araby, was also a father figure to Tod.

By the late 1930s, Pease had written many Tod Moran novels. He also wrote The Gypsy Caravan and Secret Cargo. He wanted to write different kinds of stories. His publisher, Doubleday, wanted him to write only Tod Moran books. So, he wrote Captain Binnacle and The Long Wharf. After that, his editor allowed him to write about other topics.

However, he still continued the Tod Moran series. His last book, Mystery on Telegraph Hill, was a Tod Moran mystery published in 1961. He wrote 22 novels in total.

Besides writing, Pease taught high school English. In the mid-1940s, he was the principal at Los Altos Elementary School. He also wrote for journals and reviewed books for The New York Times.

Howard Pease passed away in San Rafael, California, on April 14, 1974. He is buried in Stockton Rural Cemetery in Stockton.

Influence on Other Writers

Many famous writers said that Howard Pease's stories influenced them when they were kids. These writers include Philip Roth, Russell Freedman, Michael Dirda, and E. L. Doctorow.

Michael Dirda remembered that he looked for Pease's "old-fashioned nautical adventures." These stories were full of interesting sea terms like "bilge" (dirty water in a ship's bottom) and "fo'csles" (the front part of a ship where sailors live). Russell Freedman, who won the Newbery Medal, called Pease his "literary hero." Freedman admired Pease's focus on realism and accuracy in children's books.

Views on Children's Literature

Howard Pease had strong opinions about children's literature in the 1930s. He felt there were not enough male authors and that stories lacked realism. He believed that children's books needed more realistic adventures.

In 1939, Pease gave a speech at an American Library Association meeting. He talked about his ideas for improving children's books. His speech started a discussion in the field. It even led to a review of how the Newbery Medal winner was chosen. Pease continued to be interested in how realistic children's books were. He talked about this topic with other authors, like librarian Julia Sauer.

Awards

Howard Pease received two awards for his books. In 1944, he won the California Commonwealth Book Award for his novel Thunderbolt House. In 1946, he received the Children's Book Award from the Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College of Education. He won this award for his novel Heart of Danger. The award was given for books that show real-life problems in a child's world.

Howard Pease's Books

Howard Pease's writings are kept at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. Here are some of his published novels:

• The Tattooed Man (1926) – Tod Moran's exciting trip on a freighter from San Francisco to the Mediterranean.
• The Jinx Ship (1927) – Tod Moran works on the tramp steamer Congo, which has a bad reputation.
• Shanghai Passage (1929) – A story of mutiny and mystery on a ship going to China. (Tod Moran Mystery)
• The Gypsy Caravan (1930) – Betty and Joe have adventures with gypsies. They meet famous figures like Robin Hood.
• Secret Cargo (1931) – The story of Larry Matthews and his dog, Sambo.
• The Ship Without a Crew (1934) – A mystery in the South Pacific. (Tod Moran Mystery)
• Wind in the Rigging (1935) – Tod Moran's adventurous journey on the tramp steamer "Sumatra" from New York to North Africa.
• Hurricane Weather (1936) – Tod Moran goes on a sailing vacation in the South Pacific.
• Foghorns (1937) – A story set on the San Francisco Waterfront. (Tod Moran Mystery)
• Captain Binnacle (1938) – Three children and an old sea captain have pretend adventures on a stranded ship.
• Jungle River (1938) – Don Carter searches for his father in the jungle of New Guinea.
• Highroad to Adventure (1939) – What happened to Tod Moran when he traveled into Old Mexico.
• Long Wharf (1939) – A story about early San Francisco.
• The Black Tanker (1941) – Adventures of a landlubber (someone not used to ships) on the oil tanker ZAMBORA. (A Tod Moran Mystery)
• Night Boat (1942) – A collection of Tod Moran short stories.
• Thunderbolt House (1944) – A mystery set in San Francisco in 1905.
• Heart of Danger (1946) – Tod Moran's adventures in Nazi-occupied France.
• Bound for Singapore (1948) – A true account of how an adventurer is made.
• Dark Adventure (1950) – Johnny Stevens loses his memory while hitchhiking.
• Captain of the Araby (1953) – Tod Moran returns to the South Pacific.
• Shipwreck (1957) – The strange adventures of Renny Mitchum, a mess boy on the trading schooner SAMARANG.
• Mystery on Telegraph Hill (1961) – A Tod Moran Mystery set on the foggy hills of San Francisco.