Mary Treadgold facts for kids

Mary Treadgold (born April 16, 1910 – died May 14, 2005) was an English writer. She wrote many books for children and adults. She also worked as a literary editor and a producer for the BBC. In 1941, she won the important Carnegie Medal for her children's book We Couldn't Leave Dinah. This award is given to the best children's book written by a British author each year.

Mary Treadgold's Life Story

Mary Treadgold was born on April 16, 1910, in Muswell Hill, England. Her father was a stockbroker, which meant her family was quite well-off. Mary went to several schools, including St Paul's Girls' School in London. Later, she studied English Literature at Bedford College, where she earned a master's degree.

Starting a Writing Career

After finishing college, Mary began working in the publishing world. She first worked for Raphael Tuck & Sons. Then, she became the first children's editor at Heinemann's, a well-known publishing company. In this job, Mary read many stories about ponies and pony clubs. She often felt that these stories were not very good. Because of this, she decided to leave her job and write her own pony book.

She started writing We Couldn't Leave Dinah while she was in an air raid shelter. This was during the Battle of Britain in 1940, when many bombs were falling on London. At the end of 1940, she began working at the BBC. She was a literary editor and producer for their overseas radio service. She even shared an office with George Orwell, a famous writer. Mary worked at the BBC for twenty years. For eleven of those years, she was the literary editor for a show called Books to Read. Eventually, she left the BBC to focus completely on her writing.

Mary Treadgold's Books

Mary Treadgold is best known for her children's books, especially those featuring ponies.

We Couldn't Leave Dinah

Her most famous book, We Couldn't Leave Dinah, was published in 1941. It tells the story of the Templeton children and their friends. They live on a made-up island in the English Channel. The children face a tough choice: they might have to leave their ponies behind when they are evacuated from the island. This happens as the island is about to be taken over by German forces during World War II. Mary used her own childhood memories of the Channel Islands to help her write the book.

When We Couldn't Leave Dinah was published, it quickly became popular. Mary Treadgold won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for it in 1941. This award celebrates the best children's book by a British author each year. The book was also published in America in 1942, where it was called Left Till Called For.

Other Notable Works

Mary Treadgold wrote several other books for young readers.

• No Ponies (1946) is set in France after World War II.
• The Polly Harris (1949) is a sequel to We Couldn't Leave Dinah. In this book, the Templeton children are in London after the war. They get involved in exciting adventures with bombings and smuggling.
• She also wrote a series of three books about a house called The Heron. These books are The Heron Ride, Return to the Heron, and Journey from the Heron.
• The Winter Princess (1962) tells the story of a young African princess who visits Hampton Court Palace in England. There, she meets four English children. This book is praised for showing different cultures without focusing on differences.

Mary Treadgold lived in London for most of her life. She passed away on May 14, 2005, at the age of 95. She never married.

Selected Books by Mary Treadgold

• We Couldn't Leave Dinah (1941)
• No Ponies (1946)
• The Polly Harris (1949)
• The Running Child (1951)
• The Winter Princess (1962)
• The Heron Ride (1962)
• Return to the Heron (1963)
• The Weather Boy (1964)
• Maid's Ribbons (1965)
• Elegant Patty (1967)
• The Humbugs (1968)
• Poor Patty (1968)
• This Summer, Last Summer (1968)
• The Rum Day of the Vanishing Pony (1970)
• Journey from the Heron (1981)