Keith Carlton Robertson (1914–1991) was an American writer of children's books and murder mysteries. He was a former
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the United States Navy.
Biography
Keith Robertson was born on May 9, 1914 in
Dows, Iowa
Dows is a city in Franklin and Wright counties of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 521 at the time of the 2020 census. The town was incorporated on May 3, 1892.
History
Dows got its start in the year 1880, following construction of th ...
. He joined the Navy in 1931, and served as a radioman on a destroyer.
[Henry Reed, Inc. Study Guide]
/ref> Later, he attended the United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
, graduating with a B.S. degree. He attributed his initial decision to study at the Academy to a "fanatical aversion to washing dishes." He said, "When I discovered that midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy did ''not'' wash dishes but were gentlemen by act of Congress, I promptly applied for entrance." Robertson served in World War II as captain of a destroyer. He was awarded five battle star
A service star is a miniature bronze or silver five-pointed star inch (4.8 mm) in diameter that is authorized to be worn by members of the eight uniformed services of the United States on medals and ribbons to denote an additional award or ser ...
s. He retired from the service as a captain in the United States Naval Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sele ...
.
Robertson published his first book, ''Ticktock and Jim'', in 1948.[Papers of Keith Robertson]
/ref> His writing career spanned 40 years. As a member of the Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
Council on Children's Literature, he was active in encouraging aspiring authors.
He was married to Elizabeth Woodburn Robertson, a rare-book dealer, and had four children. He died of cancer at his home in Hopewell, New Jersey
Hopewell is a borough in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. This historical settlement is located within the heart of the Raritan Valley region. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,918, a decreas ...
on September 23, 1991, aged 77.
Writing career
Keith Robertson is best known for the five books of the '' Henry Reed'' series, beginning in 1958 with ''Henry Reed, Inc.'', which won the William Allen White Children's Book Award
The William Allen White Children's Book Award is a set of two annual awards for books selected by vote of Kansas schoolchildren from lists prepared by committee. As a single award it was established in 1952 by Ruth Garver Gagliardo, a children's ...
in 1961.[William Allen White Children's Book award, Past Winners 1960-1969]
Another Henry Reed book, ''Henry Reed's Baby-Sitting Service'', also won this award, along with the Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Readers' Choice Award, in 1969. The Henry Reed series was illustrated by Robert McCloskey
John Robert McCloskey (September 15, 1914 – June 30, 2003) was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He both wrote and illustrated eight picture books, and won two Caldecott Medals from the American Library Association for th ...
.[''The Continuum Encyclopedia of Children's Literature'' by Bernice E. Cullinan, Diane Goetz Person. Continuum International Publishing Group 2003, page 531]
Keith Robertson used the pseudonym Carlton Keith for his six murder mysteries.
Selected bibliography
*''Ticktock and Jim'' (1948)
*''Ticktock and Jim, Deputy Sheriffs'' (1949)
*''The Dog Next Door'' (1950)
*''The Year of the Jeep'' (1968)
*''In Search of a Sandhill Crane'' (1972)
*''Tales of Myrtle'' (1974)
The Neil and Swede books AKA the Carson Street Detective Agency series
*''The Mystery of Burnt Hill'' (1952)
*''Three Stuffed Owls'' (1954)
*''The Crow and the Castle'' (1957)
*''The Money Machine'' (1969)
The Henry Reed books
*''Henry Reed, Inc.'' (1958)
*''Henry Reed's Journey'' (1963)
*''Henry Reed's Baby-Sitting Service'' (1966)
*''Henry Reed's Big Show'' (1970)
*''Henry Reed's Think Tank'' (1986)
*''The Adventures of Henry Reed'' omnibus (1982)
Carlton Keith books
*''The Diamond-Studded Typewriter '' aka ''A Gem of a Murder'' (1958)
*''Missing, Presumed Dead'' aka ''The Missing Book-keeper'' (1961)
*''Rich Uncle'' (1963)
*''The Hiding Place'' (1965)
*''The Crayfish Dinner'' aka ''The Elusive Epicure ''(1966)
*''A Taste of Sangria'' (1968)
References
External links
*
*
Carlton Keith
at LC Authorities, with 7 records
{{DEFAULTSORT:Robertson, Keith
1914 births
1991 deaths
20th-century American novelists
American children's writers
American male novelists
American mystery writers
Deaths from cancer in New Jersey
People from Hopewell, New Jersey
Novelists from Iowa
Novelists from New Jersey
United States Navy officers
20th-century American male writers
Military personnel from New Jersey
United States Navy personnel of World War II
United States Naval Academy alumni