Barbara Robinson (October 24, 1927 – July 9, 2013) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

author and writer of the children's books; ''

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever ''The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'' (titled ''The Worst Kids in the World'' in Australia, New Zealand and the UK) is a children's novel written by Barbara Robinson in 1971. It tells the story of six misfit children who volunteer to star in th ...

'' (1972) and ''The Best School Year Ever'' (1994).

Biography

Barbara Robinson was born and raised in

Portsmouth, Ohio Portsmouth is a city in and the county seat of Scioto County, Ohio, United States. Located in southern Ohio south of Chillicothe, it lies on the north bank of the Ohio River, across from Kentucky, just east of the mouth of the Scioto River. ...

, and had no brothers or sisters. Her father died when she was three. Robinson's mother, a schoolteacher in Portsmouth for forty-nine years, got her interested in books, and she began writing very early. Robinson attended

Allegheny College he, תגל ערבה ותפרח כחבצלת , mottoeng = "Add to your faith, virtue and to your faith, knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5)"The desert shall rejoice and the blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1) , faculty = 193 ...

, where she received a bachelor's degree in theater. In addition to her children's books, Robinson wrote many short stories in publications such as ''

McCall's ''McCall's'' was a monthly American women's magazine, published by the McCall Corporation, that enjoyed great popularity through much of the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 8.4 million in the early 1960s. It was established as a small-f ...

'', ''

Redbook ''Redbook'' is an American women's magazine that is published by the Hearst Corporation. It is one of the " Seven Sisters", a group of women's service magazines. It ceased print publication as of January 2019 and now operates an article-comprise ...

'' and ''

Ladies Home Journal ''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States. In ...

'', and has some books of poetry. Robinson lived in

Berwyn, Pennsylvania Berwyn is a census-designated place (CDP) in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The population was 3,775 at the 2020 census. The area is part of the Philadelphia Main Line suburbs. History At times, the village has been called Cocheltown, Reesevi ...

, a suburb of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. She died July 9, 2013, at her home in Berwyn. She was 85 and had cancer. Robinson had two daughters with her husband John F. Robinson: Carolyn and Marjorie; three grandchildren: Tomas, Marcos, and Lucas.

Works

* ''Across from Indian Shore'', illustrated by

Evaline Ness Evaline Ness (April 24, 1911 – August 12, 1986) was an American commercial artist, illustrator, and author of children's books. She illustrated more than thirty books for young readers and wrote several of her own. She is noted for using a ...

( Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1962) * ''Trace through the Forest'' (Lothrop, 1965) * ''The Fattest Bear in the First Grade'', illus.

Cyndy Szekeres Cyndy Szekeres (born October 31, 1933) is an American children's book author and illustrator who has produced more than 130 books in the tradition of Beatrix Potter and Garth Williams. Best known for her anthropomorphic animal illustrations, sh ...

(Random House, 1969) – picture book * ''Temporary Times, Temporary Places'' (

Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...

, 1982) * ''My Brother Louis Measures Worms and other Louis stories'' (Harper, 1988) ;The Herdmans * ''

'', illus. Judith Gwyn Brown (Harper, 1972); global title ''The Worst Kids in the World'' * ''The Best School Year Ever'' (Harper, 1994) * ''The Best Halloween Ever'' (HarperCollins Joanna Cotler Books, 2004)

References

External links

official website
(web.archive.org 2014-07-19) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Robinson, Barbara 1927 births 2013 deaths Allegheny College alumni American children's writers Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania People from Chester County, Pennsylvania People from Portsmouth, Ohio Writers from Pennsylvania American women children's writers 20th-century American writers 21st-century American writers 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women writers