Jane Thayer facts for kids

Catherine Woolley (born August 11, 1904 – died July 23, 2005) was a famous American writer. She wrote many books for children. You might know her by her pen name, Jane Thayer.

She is best known for her book The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy. This book even became a cartoon series in the 1980s. It was called The Puppy's Further Adventures. Catherine Woolley wrote a huge number of books, 86 in total! Many of them, like The Blueberry Pie Elf and The Popcorn Dragon, are still loved today. She wrote so many books that her editor suggested she use another name. So, she wrote picture books as Jane Thayer. This was her grandmother's name. She used her real name, Catherine Woolley, for books for older kids and adults.

Catherine Woolley's Life and Career

Catherine Woolley was born in Chicago, Illinois. She went to the University of California, Los Angeles. She graduated from there in 1927. After college, she worked in New York City. She wrote advertisements and worked as a freelance writer.

From 1933 to 1940, she wrote for a company called American Radiator & Standard Corporation. Later, she worked as an editor for magazines. She became a public relations writer in New York City. Around this time, she also started writing children's books. Her very first book, I Like Trains, came out in 1944.

In 1947, she left her job to write full-time. She sometimes taught writing classes too. She wrote many book series under her own name. These include the "Ginny" and "Cathy" series. As Jane Thayer, she wrote books like Sandy and the Seventeen Balloons (1955). Other popular books were Quiet on Account of Dinosaur (1964) and Mr. Turtle's Magic Glasses (1971). Her last children's book, Clever Raccoon, was published in 1981. In 1989, her book The Popcorn Dragon was reissued. That same year, she also published her only book for adults. It was called Writing for Children.

Honoring Catherine Woolley

Catherine Woolley lived in a seaside village called Truro, Massachusetts. In 1996, the Truro Public Library honored her. They named their children's room after her. In 2004, the town of Truro made her birthday, August 11, "Catherine Woolley Day."

Works

Catherine Woolley wrote many books. Here are some of her popular series and other books.

Gus the Ghost Books

• Gus Was a Friendly Ghost (1961)
• Little Lost Ghost (1966)
• What's a Ghost Going to Do? (1966)
• Gus and the Baby Ghost (1972)
• Gus Was a Christmas Ghost (1972)
• Gus Was a Mexican Ghost (1974)
• Gus Was a Gorgeous Ghost (1978)
• Gus Goes to School (earlier Gus Was a Real Dumb Ghost) (1982)
• Gus Loved His Happy Home (1989)

Ginnie Series

• Ginnie and Geneva (1949)
• Ginnie Joins In
• Ginnie and the New Girl
• Ginnie and the Mystery House (1957)
• Ginnie and the Mystery Doll (1960)
• Ginnie and Her Juniors (later Ginnie's Baby-Sitting Business) (1963)
• Ginnie and the Cooking Contest
• Ginnie and the Wedding Bells (1967)
• Ginnie and the Mystery Cat (1969)
• Ginnie and the Mystery Light (1973)
• Ginnie and Geneva Cookbook (1975)

Cathy Series

• A Room for Cathy (1956)
• Miss Cathy Leonard (1958)
• Cathy Leonard Calling (1960)
• Chris in Trouble (1968)
• Cathy and the Beautiful People (1971)
• Cathy Uncovers a Secret (1972)
• Cathy's Little Sister

Andy Series

• Where's Andy? (1954)
• Andy and the Runaway Horse (1963)
• Andy and Mr. Cunningham (1969)
• Andy and the Wild Worm (1973)
• Andy Wouldn't Talk
• Andy's Square Blue Animal
• Rockets Don't Go to Chicago, Andy

Libby Series

• Look Alive, Libby! (1962)
• Libby Looks for a Spy (1965)
• Libby's Uninvited Guest (1970)
• Libby Shadows a Lady (1974)

Other Books

• I Like Trains (1944)
• The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy (1946)
• Two Hundred Pennies (1947)
• Schoolroom Zoo (1950)
• Lunch for Lennie (1952)
• The Little Car that Wanted a Garage (1952)
• The Popcorn Dragon (1953)
• Holiday on wheels (1953)
• The Animal Train and Other Stories (1953)
• Ellie's Problem Dog (1955)
• David's Railroad (1957)
• The Outside Cat (1957)
• Railroad Cowboy (1958)
• David's Campaign Buttons (1959)
• Little Monkey (1959)
• A Little Dog Called Kitty (1961)
• Blueberry Pie Elf (1961)
• A Drink for Little Red Diker (1963)
• Quiet on Account of Dinosaur (1964)
• Part-Time Dog (1965)
• The Shieny [sic] Red Rubber Boots (1965)
• The Lighthearted Wolf (1966)
• The Cat That Joined the Club (1967)
• Little Mr. Greenthumb (1968)
• Curious, Furious Chipmunk (1969)
• I'm Not a Cat, Said Emerald (1970)
• Mr. Turtle's Magic Glasses (1971)
• Timothy and Madam Mouse (1971)
• The Little House; A New Math Story-Game (1972)
• I Don't Believe in Elves (1975)
• The Mouse on the Fourteenth Floor (1977)
• Try Your Hand (1979)
• Where is Squirrel? (1979)
• Applebaums have a robot! (1980)
• Clever Raccoon (1981)
• The Popcorn Dragon (1989, reissued)
• Read Aloud Funny Stories (1958)
• The Horse with the Easter Bonnet
• The Chicken in the Tunnel
• A Contrary Little Quail
• Little Bear Takes His Nap
• A House for Mrs. Hopper and The Cat Who Wanted To Go Home
• The Second-Story Giraffe
• Emerald Enjoyed the Moonlight
• Mrs. Perrywinkle's Pets
• David's Hundred Dollars
• Writing for Children (published under the name Catherine Woolley) (1990)