Ruth M. Arthur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth Mabel Arthur Huggins
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Born | Ruth Mabel Arthur 26 May 1905 |
Died | 6 March 1979 | (aged 73)
Pen name | Ruth M. Arthur |
Occupation |
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Nationality | Scottish |
Alma mater | Froebel Training College |
Period | 1932–1979 |
Genre |
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Spouse |
Frederick Newey Huggins
(m. 1932) |
Children | 6 |
Ruth Mabel Arthur Huggins (May 26, 1905 – March 6, 1979) was a Scottish teacher and writer. She published her books using her maiden name, Ruth M. Arthur. She is best known for writing stories for children and young adults.
Contents
Ruth M. Arthur's Early Life and Education
Ruth Mabel Arthur was born on May 26, 1905, in Lanark, Glasgow, Scotland. She grew up in the countryside near Glasgow. Ruth attended St. Columba's School in Kilmacolm.
At 18, she went to Froebel Training College in Roehampton, London. While studying there, she had several short stories published. In 1926, she graduated as a certified kindergarten teacher. After graduating, she returned to Glasgow and taught kindergarten for three years. In 1930, she moved to Loughton, Essex, England, where she taught at a local high school until 1932.
Ruth M. Arthur's Writing Career
Starting Her Writing Journey
In 1932, Ruth Arthur became engaged to Frederick Newey Huggins. As her own children grew, Arthur began writing books for their age groups. In 1957, she started writing for 7-8 year olds. When her youngest child got older, Arthur changed her writing to match. She once said, "I followed my youngest daughter as she grew up. When she grew out of the children's book stage, so did I." During this time, she wrote the "Carolina and Roberto" series. This included Carolina's holiday, Carolina's Golden Bird, Carolina and Roberto, and Carolina and the Sea-horse. She also wrote The Daisy Cow and A Cottage for Rosemary.
Popular Young Adult Novels
Starting with Dragon Summer in 1962, Arthur began writing for young adults. These books mixed fantasy with Gothic romance and became very popular. They often featured historical settings, especially during wartime. Her stories also included time slips (where characters travel through time) and haunted objects.
One reviewer noted that her books were "well-constructed and readable." They also said her books helped young readers move on to adult authors like Daphne du Maurier and Mary Stewart.
Some of Arthur's time-slip books include A Candle in Her Room, Requiem for a Princess, and On the Wasteland. Her ghost stories are The Autumn People (also called The Autumn Ghosts) and Miss Ghost. Books featuring old objects include The Saracen Lamp, A Candle in Her Room, and Requiem for a Princess. Other popular young adult novels are After Candlemas (also known as Candlemas mystery), Dragon Summer, Portrait of Margarita, The Whistling Boy, My daughter, Nicola, The Little Dark Thorn, and An Old Magic.
Ruth M. Arthur's Writing Style
In her most popular young adult books, Ruth Arthur often used a first-person narrative. This means the story is told from the main character's point of view. For example, in The Whistling Boy, the characters' feelings are explained directly. A Candle in Her Room tells its story through the eyes of three generations of women in the same family.
The settings in her young adult books often have historical backgrounds. These places were usually ones Arthur knew well. For instance, The Saracen Lamp was set in an old house in the Cotswolds that she was familiar with.
Many of her young adult stories shared similar themes. They often wove together history, time, and old objects. One expert noted, "Ruth Arthur makes constant use of old objects." Examples include The Saracen Lamp, Requiem for a Princess (which uses an old carving), and A Candle for her Room (which features an old doll).
Arthur spent a lot of time researching historical topics. She usually took about a year to write the first draft of a book. Her young adult books mainly fell into two types:
- Time-slip books: These stories often feature a teenage girl facing a problem. She finds a solution by experiencing an earlier, similar situation in history.
- Ghost stories: In these books, ghosts visit girls who are in trouble and help them find answers.
Rose Michael, another writer, shared how much Arthur's tales affected her. She said, "Her stories, where a preteen girl trips into another (historic) world where a character is experiencing a similar but more extreme situation, are so convincing that I couldn’t sleep with them in my room."
Awards and Recognition
Requiem for a Princess was recognized by the Library of Congress Children's Literature Center in 1967. It was listed in the 'Stories for Older Boys and Girls' category. This book tells the story of a young girl named Willow. She learns she is adopted and deals with this news through dreams about Isabel, a girl who lived in her home long ago.
List of Ruth M. Arthur's Books
- 1932 – Friendly Stories, etc.
- 1936 – The Crooked Brownie
- 1938 – Pumpkin Pie
- 1938 – Mother Goose Stories, etc.
- 1942 – The Crooked Brownie in Town
- 1942 – The Crooked Brownie at the Seaside
- 1949 – Cowslip Mollie
- 1957 – Carolina's holiday, and other stories
- 1958 – Carolina's Golden Bird and other stories
- 1958 – The Daisy Cow, and other stories of the Channel Islands
- 1960 – A Cottage for Rosemary
- 1961 – Carolina and Roberto
- 1962 – Dragon Summer
- 1964 – Carolina and the Sea-horse, and other stories
- 1965 – My daughter, Nicola
- 1966 – A Candle in Her Room
- 1967 – Requiem for a Princess
- 1968 – Portrait of Margarita
- 1969 – The Whistling Boy
- 1970 – The Saracen Lamp
- 1971 – The Little Dark Thorn
- 1973 – The Autumn People (also The Autumn Ghosts in 1976)
- 1974 – After Candlemas (also Candlemas mystery in 1976)
- 1975 – On the Wasteland
- 1977 – An Old Magic
- 1979 – Miss Ghost
Many of Arthur's books were published in the United States. These include Dragon Summer, My Daughter, Nicola, A Candle in Her Room, Requiem for a Princess, Portrait of Margarita, The Whistling Boy, The Saracen Lamp, and The Little Dark Thorn.
Translations of Her Works
Ruth Arthur's books have been translated into several languages. These include German, Norwegian, Portuguese, Danish, and Japanese.
Danish Translations
- En fremmed (The Little Dark Thorn)
German Translations
- Kleiner dunkler Dorn (The Little Dark Thorn)
- Wer bist du, Pietro? (Portrait of Margarita)
Norwegian Translations
- Slik var Margarita (Portrait of Margarita)
- Møte med Isabella (Requiem for a Princess)
Portuguese Translations
- O Retrato de Margarida (Requiem for a Princess)
Japanese Translations
- Purinsesu e no chinkonka (プリンセスへの鎮魂歌) (Requiem for a Princess)