Eloise Jarvis McGraw (December 9, 1915 – November 30, 2000) was an American author of

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

and young adult novels.

Career

McGraw also contributed to the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum; working with her daughter, graphic artist and librarian Lauren Lynn McGraw (Wagner), she wrote ''

Merry Go Round in Oz ''Merry Go Round in Oz'' (1963) is the fortieth in the series of Oz books created by L. Frank Baum and his successors. It was written by Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren McGraw Wagner (her married name was dropped from reprinted editions after t ...

'' (the last of the Oz books issued by Baum's publisher) and ''

The Forbidden Fountain of Oz ''The Forbidden Fountain of Oz'' is a 1980 children's novel written by Eloise Jarvis McGraw and her daughter Lauren Lynn Mcgraw (or McGraw Wagner), and illustrated by Dick Martin. As its title indicates, the book is one entry in the long-running ...

''. The actual writing of the books was done entirely by Eloise; Lauren made story contributions significant enough for Eloise to assign her co-authorship credit. McGraw's '' The Rundelstone of Oz'' was published in 2000 without a credit to her daughter. Author Gina Wickwar credited McGraw with help in the editing of her book ''

The Hidden Prince of Oz ''The Hidden Prince of Oz'' is a novel written by Gina Wickwar and illustrated by Anna-Maria Cool. As its title indicates, the book is an entrant into the series of Oz books by L. Frank Baum and his many successors.Michael O'Neal Riley, ''Oz ...

'' (2000).

Awards

She was awarded the

Newbery Honor Newbery is a surname. People * Chantelle Newbery (born 1977), Australian Olympic diver * David Newbery (born 1943), British economist *Eduardo Newbery (1878–1908), Argentine odontologist and aerostat pilot * Francis Newbery (disambiguation), s ...

three times in three different decades, for her novels '' Moccasin Trail'' (1952), '' The Golden Goblet'' (1962), and '' The Moorchild'' (1997). ''A Really Weird Summer'' (1977) won an

Edgar Award The Edgar Allan Poe Awards, popularly called the Edgars, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America, based in New York City. Named after American writer Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849), a pioneer in the genre, the awards honor the bes ...

for Best Juvenile Mystery from the

Mystery Writers of America Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is an organization of mystery and crime writers, based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday. It presents the Edgar Award ...

, as later did ''Tangled Web'' (1994). McGraw had a very strong interest in

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

, and among the many books she wrote for children are ''

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English Fo ...

'', '' The Seventeenth Swap'', '' The Striped Ships'' and ''

Mara, Daughter of the Nile ''Mara, Daughter of the Nile'' by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a historical fiction children's book. It follows Mara, a young Egyptian slave girl who takes up a dangerous job as a double spy between two different masters. Characters Teta: A servant t ...

''. A

Lewis Carroll Shelf Award The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was an American literary award conferred on several books annually by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education annually from 1958 to 1979. Award-winning books were deemed to "belong on the same shelf" ...

was given to ''Moccasin Trail'' in 1963.

Personal life

McGraw lived for many years in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...

before dying in late 2000 of "complications of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

." She was married to William Corbin McGraw, who died in 1999. They had two children, Peter and Lauren.

Bibliography

'' - Coward, 1953 *'' The Golden Goblet'', Coward, 1961 * *''

'' (1963; co-author Lauren Lynn Wagner)Drew, Bernard A. (2010)
''Literary Afterlife: The Posthumous Continuations of 325 Authors' Fictional Characters''
p. 197. McFarland & Company, Inc. *'' The Moorchild'' *''Master Cornhill'' (New York: Atheneum, 1973; reprinted Littleton, CO: Sonlight Curriculum, 1995) *'' The Rundelstone of Oz'', 2000 *''

'' (1980, co-author Lauren Lynn Wagner) *''The Money Room'' *''Crown Fire'', Coward, 1951 *''Pharaoh'' (adult novel, set in Ancient Egypt), Coward, 1958 McGarry, Daniel D., White, Sarah Harriman, ''Historical Fiction Guide: Annotated Chronological, Geographical, and Topical List of Five Thousand Selected Historical Novels''. Scarecrow Press, New York, 1963 (pg. 22) *"Techniques of Fiction Writing", ''Writer'', 1959

References

External links

Guide to the Eloise and William McGraw Papers 1923–1991
in the University of Oregon Libraries
An Evening With Eloise Jarvis McGraw
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:McGraw, Eloise Jarvis 1915 births 2000 deaths 20th-century American novelists American children's writers American fantasy writers American women novelists American historical novelists Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity Women historical novelists Newbery Honor winners Edgar Award winners Writers from Portland, Oregon Women science fiction and fantasy writers American women children's writers 20th-century American women writers Novelists from Oregon Oz (franchise)