Eleanor Estes (May 9, 1906 - July 15, 1988) was an American children's author. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut as Eleanor Ruth Rosenfield. Originally a librarian, Estes' writing career began following a case of tuberculosis. Bedridden while recovering, Estes began writing down some of her childhood memories, which would later turn into full-length children's books.

Estes's book Ginger Pye (1951) won the Newbery Medal, and three of her other books (The Middle Moffat, Rufus M., and The Hundred Dresses) were chosen as Newbery Honor books. She also received the Certificate of Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature and was nominated for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. By the time of her death at age 82, Estes had written 19 children's books and one novel for adults.

Bibliography

• The Moffats (1941)
• The Middle Moffat (1942)
• The Sun and the Wind and Mr. Todd (1943)
• ''Rufus M. (1943)
• The Hundred Dresses (1944)
• The Echoing Green (book) (1947)
• Sleeping Giant and Other Stories (1948)
• Ginger Pye (1951)
• A Little Oven (1955)
• Pinky Pye (1958)
• The Witch Family (1960)
• Small but Wiry (1963)
• The Alley (1964)
• The Lollipop Princess (1967)
• Miranda the Great (1967)
• The Tunnel of Hugsy Goode (1972)
• The Lost Umbrella of Kim Chu (1978)
• The Coat-Hanger Christmas Tree (1979)
• The Moffat Museum (1983)
• The Curious Adventures of Jimmy McGee (1987)

Sources

• University of Southern Mississippi library page
• Book Web Help page
• Embracing the Child page
• University of Minnesota library page
• Eleanor Estes: A Childhood Shared

1906 births | 1988 deaths | American children's writers | Fiction writers | Newbery Honor winners | Newbery Medal winners | Women writers