Mabel Leigh Hunt (November 1, 1892 – September 3, 1971) was an American writer of children's books.
Biography
Hunt was born in Coatesville, Indiana, on November 1, 1892, to Quakers Dr. Tilghman Hunt and Amanda (Harvey) Hunt.Biography Reference Bank: Current Biography Database. EBSCO, 2024. She was raised in a Quaker home in Greencastle, Indiana. When she was ten, her family moved to Plainfield, Indiana, where they lived until her physician father died. She and her mother then moved to Indianapolis where, except for brief periods, she lived for the remainder of her life.
After graduating from Shortridge High School, Hunt returned to Greencastle to study at DePauw University 1910 to 1912, as well as attending the Western Reserve University Library School in Cleveland from 1923 to 1924. For twelve years, from 1926 to 1938, she worked as a children's librarian and branch librarian at the Indianapolis Public Library. In 1934 she published her first book, Lucinda, A Little Girl of 1860 while still working as a librarian; it wasn't until the year of her fifth book (1938) that she left her position to write full-time.
Hunt was just over five feet tall, with brown eyes and brown hair, listing her favorite occupations as "reading, cooking, friends, and travel." Many of her stories were set in Indiana, and their Quaker settings were based on stories of her mother's childhood. Two of her books were Newbery Honor winners: Have You Seen Tom Thumb? in 1943 and Better Known as Johnny Appleseed in 1951.
Mabel Leigh Hunt died in Indianapolis, Indiana, on September 3, 1971.
Works Source: Lucinda, A Little Girl of 1860, 1934 The Boy Who Had No Birthday, 1935 Little Girl with Seven Names, 1936 Susan, Beware!, 1937 Benjie's Hat, 1938 Little Grey Gown, 1939 Michel's Island, 1940 Billy Button's Butter'd Biscuit, 1941 John of Pudding Lane, 1941 Corn-Belt Billy, 1942 Have You Seen Tom Thumb?, 1942 Peter Piper's Pickled Peppers, 1942 The Peddler's Clock, 1943 Young Man of the House, 1944 Sibby Botherbox, 1945 The Double Birthday Present, 1947 Such a Kind World, 1947 Matilda's Buttons, 1948 Better Known as Johnny Appleseed, 1950 The 69th Grandchild, 1951 Ladycake Farm, 1952 Singing Among Strangers, 1954 Miss Jellytot's Visit, 1955 Stars for Cristy, 1956 Cristy at Skippinghills, 1958 Tomorrow Will Be Bright, 1958 Cupola House, 1961 Johnny-Up and Johnny-Down, 1962 Beggar's Daughter, 1963
Awards Newbery Honor, Have You Seen Tom Thumb?, 1943 Newbery Honor, Better Known as Johnny Appleseed, 1951
References
External links Mabel Leigh Hunt at Our Land, Our Literature, Ball State University Mabel Leigh Hunt Papers at Children's Literature Research Collections, University of Minnesota – with biographical sketch