Samuel Becket (born Foxrock, County Dublin, Ireland, 1906; died Paris, France, December 22, 1989) wrote books and plays. During World War II he worked with a French resistance group. One of his most famous works is Waiting for Godot.
Gunning Bedford, Jr. (born Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1747; died Wilmington, Delaware, March 30, 1812) represented Delaware at the Constitutional Convention. During the Revolutionary War he was for a short time an aide to General Washington. A staunch abolitionist, he served as a federal judge for 23 years. Children can learn more at: Gunning Bedford, Jr..
Alfred Butts (born Poughkeepsie, New York, 1899; died Rhinebeck, New York, April 4, 1993) invented the game Scrabble. He invented the game when he was out of a job during the Depression. After he sold the game to a company, he received three cents for each game sold.
Erik Christian Haugaard (born Fredricksberg, Denmark, 1923; died County Cork, Ireland, June 4, 2009) fled Denmark in 1940 when the Nazis invaded. He began writing children’s books in 1963. He wrote at least twelve books for young adults. He received the 1968 Jane Addams Award for The Little Fishes. Children can learn more at: Erik Christian Haugaard.
Marguerite Henry (born Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1902; died San Diego, California, November 26, 1997) wrote 59 books for children and young adults. She received two Newbery Honor Awards, one in 1945 for Justin Morgan Had a Horse and one in 1948 for Misty of Chincoteague. She earned the Newbery Medal in 1949 for King of the Wind. Children can learn more at: Marguerite Henry.
Lee Bennett Hopkins (born Scranton, Pennsylvania, 1938; died Cape Coral, Florida, August 8, 2019) was a poet and novelist. His first career was as a teacher, and he found out how important poetry was to children and to him. He published over 200 books, and one of his works is Good Rhymes, Good Times. He also created the Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award to honor the best poetry works of the previously published year. Children could visit the award’s site at: Hopkins Award. They could also read a biography of him and a history of the award in Children’s Book Award Handbook, by Diana F. Marks.
Peale Portrait of Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson (born Albermarle County, Virginia, 1743; died Charlottesville, Virginia, July 4, 1826) was the third president (1801-1808) of the United States. He hoped people would remember him for writing the Declaration of Independence, for writing the statute of Virginia for religious freedom, and for founding the University of Virginia. He also made possible the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Children could visit a website at: Thomas Jefferson. Idea: Jefferson invented several items that made life easier, including the swivel chair, a lap desk, and a decoding device. Children could evaluate his inventions and draw diagrams of them.
Rita Williams-Garcia (born Queens, New York, 1957) writes books for young adults. Her book One Crazy Summer won a 2011 Newbery Honor Award, the Coretta Scott King Medal, and the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction! Children can learn more at: http://www.ritawg.com/.