Rebecca Sophia Clarke facts for kids
Rebecca Sophia Clarke (born February 22, 1833 – died August 10, 1906) was an American writer. She was also known by her pen name, Sophie May. She wrote many popular stories for children.
Rebecca Clarke used her nieces and nephews as inspiration for her characters. She wrote realistic stories about children, showing them as they truly were. Between 1860 and 1903, she wrote 45 books. Her most famous books were part of the Little Prudy series. She lived most of her life in her hometown of Norridgewock, Maine.
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Early Life and Learning
Rebecca Sophia Clarke was born in Norridgewock, Maine. Her parents were Asa and Sophia Clarke. She was born on February 22, 1833.
She learned at home, studying old languages like Greek and Latin. She also went to the Norridgewock Female Academy. Rebecca kept a diary from ages nine to eleven. In it, she wrote down details from sermons, debates, and lectures. This helped her prepare to be a writer.
When she was 18, she moved to Evansville, Indiana. There, she worked as a teacher. Her teaching career ended after 10 years because she started to lose her hearing. In 1861, she moved back to her family home in Maine. She lived with her sister, Sarah Jones Clarke. Sarah also wrote children's books using the name Penn Shirley.
Becoming an Author
Rebecca Clarke published her books using the pen name "Sophie May". She chose this name in 1861. She used it to sign her first story, which appeared in the Memphis Appeal. After finishing the story, she signed it "Sophie". Then she said, "Well, I'll call it May, for I may write again and I may not."
People called Clarke "the Dickens of the nursery." This meant she was a very important writer for young children. The children in her books were often playful and sometimes a little naughty. She was one of the first authors to write stories that showed children realistically. Her characters had humor, imagination, and even mischief. This was different from earlier stories, which often featured children who were too perfect.
Her most successful stories were about the Little Prudy characters. These characters first appeared in short stories for children's magazines. These included The Little Pilgrim and the Congregationalist. Rebecca Clarke's nieces were the inspiration for her characters: Prudy, Susy, and Dotty Dimple. Later, these stories were published as books. She also wrote for other children's magazines, like Merry's Museum.
From 1861 until 1903, Rebecca Clarke wrote 45 books. Thirty-seven of these were part of a series. At least five others were also for children.
Later Life
Rebecca Clarke gave a special gift to her hometown of Norridgewock. She donated a brick building to be used as a library. It also became a home for the "Village Improvement Society."
She enjoyed traveling and spent her winters in places like Baltimore, Florida, and California. After being unwell for several months, Rebecca Clarke passed away in Norridgewock. She was 73 years old when she died on August 16, 1906. She is buried at the Old Oak Cemetery. Her long-time home in Norridgewock is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
List of Books
- Little Prudy (series 1864-1868)
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- Little Prudy (1864)
- Sister Suzy (1864)
- Captain Horace (1864)
- Cousin Grace (1865)
- Fairy Book (1865)
- Dotty Dimple (1868)
- Dotty Dimple (series 1868-1869)
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- Dotty Dimple at Her Grandmother's (1868)
- Dotty Dimple Out West (1868)
- Dotty Dimple at Home (1868)
- Dotty Dimple at Play (1869)
- Dotty Dimple at School (1869)
- Dotty Dimple's Flyaway (1869)
- Little Prudy's Flyaway (series 1870-1873)
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- Little Folks Astray (1870)
- Prudy Keeping House (1870)
- Aunt Madge's Story (1871)
- Little Grandmother (1872)
- Little Grandfather (1873)
- Miss Thistledown (1873)
- Flaxie Frizzle (series 1876-1884)
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- Flaxie Frizzle (1876)
- Doctor Papa (1877)
- Little Pitchers (1878)
- Twin Cousins (1880)
- Flaxie's Kittyleen (1883)
- Flaxie Growing Up (1884)
- Little Prudy's Children (series 1894-1901)
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- Wee Lucy (1894)
- Jimmy Boy (1895)
- Kyzie Dunlee (1895)
- Wee Lucy's Secret (1899)
- Jimmy, Lucy, and All (1900)
- Lucy in Fairyland (1901)
- Quinnebasset Girls (series 1871-1903)
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- Doctor's Daughter (1871)
- Our Helen (1874)
- Asbury Twins (1875)
- Quinebasset Girls (1877)
- Janet (1882)
- In Old Quinnebasset (1891)
- Joy Bells (1903)
- Other known books
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- Kittyleen (1883)
- Drones' Honey (1887)
- Pauline Wyman (1897)
- The Champion's Diamonds (1897)
Images for kids
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Rebecca Sophia Clarke (1833-1906)
See also
In Spanish: Rebecca Sophia Clarke para niños
