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Ruth Plumly Thompson facts for kids

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Ruth Plumly Thompson
Ruth Plumly Thompson, around 1972

Ruth Plumly Thompson (born July 27, 1891 – died April 6, 1976) was an American writer who created stories for children. She is most famous for writing many books set in the magical Land of Oz. This fictional land was first created by L. Frank Baum in his classic children's book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its follow-up stories.

Ruth Thompson's Life and Writing Journey

Ruth Plumly Thompson loved reading L. Frank Baum's books. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Even when she was in high school, she started selling her first fairy tale story to St. Nicholas Magazine. She kept writing for this magazine and also for The Smart Set.

Starting Her Career as a Writer

In 1914, Ruth Thompson began working for the Philadelphia Public Ledger newspaper. She wrote a special weekly column just for children. She had already published her first children's book, The Perhappsy Chaps. Her second book, The Princess of Cozytown, was also about to be published.

At this time, a man named William Lee from Reilly & Lee, who published Baum's books, asked Thompson to continue the Oz series. Some fans thought she was Baum's niece, but this was not true. From 1921 to 1939, she wrote one new Oz book every year. The money she earned from these books was very important for her. She was the main person supporting her mother and her sister, who had a disability.

Her Style in the Oz Books

Ruth Thompson's Oz books are full of energy and new ideas. She created many colorful and unique characters. She used more humor in her stories than L. Frank Baum did. She also focused more on writing specifically for children.

John R. Neill, who drew the pictures for the Oz books, really liked her writing. After finishing the drawings for Kabumpo in Oz, he wrote to her. He said he enjoyed reading her story very much. He also congratulated her on being such a great author to continue the Oz books. He felt she was very skilled at writing things that children would love. He thought her books were funny, interesting, and exciting. He even called Kabumpo in Oz one of the best Oz books ever.

Writing for Other Magazines and Comics

After some disagreements with the Oz publisher in the 1930s, Ruth Thompson started writing for other popular magazines. These included Jack and Jill, Saturday Evening Post, and Ladies Home Journal.

She also became an editor for comic books. She was the first editor for Ace Comics and King Comics. Later, she also edited Magic Comics. All these comics were published by David McKay Publications. Sometimes, she used the pen name Jo King. Her friend Marge, a cartoonist, drew pictures for many of the stories Ruth wrote. From 1965 to 1970, she created the "Perky Puppet" page for Jack and Jill magazine.

Returning to Oz

After many years, Ruth Thompson wrote two more Oz books. These were published by The International Wizard of Oz Club. They were Yankee in Oz (published in 1972) and The Enchanted Island of Oz (published in 1976). The last book was not originally written as an Oz story.

Ruth Thompson's Oz Books

A small collection of poems by Thompson about Oz, called The Cheerful Citizens of Oz, was published in 1992.

Other Books by Ruth Thompson

  • The Perhappsy Chaps, P.F. Volland Co. (1918)
  • The Princess of Cozytown, P.F. Volland Co. (1922)
  • The Curious Cruise of Captain Santa, Reilly & Lee (1926)
  • “The Wonder Book” , Reilly & Lee (1929)
  • King Kojo, illustrated by Marge, Donald MacKay (1938)
  • The Wizard of Way-Up and Other Wonders, The International Wizard of Oz Club (1985), edited by James E. Haff and Douglas G. Greene
  • Sissajig and Other Surprises, The International Wizard of Oz Club (2003), edited by Ruth Berman and Douglas G. Greene

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ruth Plumly Thompson para niños

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