Margaret Hodges facts for kids
Sarah Margaret "Peggy" Hodges (born July 26, 1911 – died December 13, 2005) was an American writer of children's books. She was also a librarian and a wonderful storyteller. She wrote more than 40 books that children loved.
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Early Life and Education
Sarah Margaret Moore was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her parents were Arthur Carlisle Moore and Annie Marie Moore. She went to a school for girls called Tudor Hall. This school helped prepare students for college.
In 1932, she graduated from Vassar College. Later, she moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This was in 1937, when her husband, Fletcher Hodges Jr., became a curator. He worked at the Stephen Foster Memorial.
Becoming a Librarian
Peggy Hodges trained to be a librarian. She studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. This school is now known as Carnegie Mellon University. She learned from a famous librarian named Elizabeth Nesbitt. Peggy also volunteered her time. She told stories at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
A Career in Stories
Peggy Hodges started writing books in 1958. Her first book was called One Little Drum. She wrote over 40 books in her lifetime. One of her books was John F. Kennedy Voice of Hope.
Storytelling on Air
In 1953, Peggy Hodges got a job as a storyteller. She worked for a radio show called Let's Tell A Story. This radio segment later became part of a famous children's TV show. It was called "Tell Me a Story" on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. This part of the show ran from the mid-1960s until 1976.
Famous Books and Awards
Peggy Hodges wrote many well-known books. One of her most famous books is Saint George and the Dragon. It was published in 1984. The pictures for this book were drawn by Trina Schart Hyman. Trina won a special award called the Caldecott Medal for her illustrations in 1985.
Two other popular books by Peggy Hodges are What's for Lunch, Charley? and Merlin and the Making of the King.
Teaching and Retirement
Peggy Hodges also taught at a university. She was a professor of library science. She taught at the University of Pittsburgh. She retired from teaching in 1976.
Later Life
Peggy Hodges passed away on December 13, 2005. She died at her home in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. She had a heart condition and also suffered from Parkinson's disease.
She often wrote her stories on a notepad or a typewriter. She once said, "I need good ideas, and they don't come out of machines." This shows how much she valued her own thoughts and creativity.
Awards and Recognitions
- Caldecott Medal, 1985, for Saint George and the Dragon (awarded to the illustrator, Trina Schart Hyman, for her work on Hodges' book).
Selected Works
- Saint George and the Dragon (1984) (Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman)
- The Kitchen Knight: A Tale from King Arthur (1990) (Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman)
- Comus (1996) (Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman)
