Dodge, Mary Elizabeth Mapes (1831-1905), an American author, wrote Hans Brinker, or, The Silver Skates (1865), a famous children’s book about the Netherlands. Within 30 years the book had appeared in more than 100 editions and was translated into six languages. Dodge was recognized as a leader in the field of juvenile literature. She became editor of the magazine St. Nicholas when it began in 1873, and got the best authors of the time to contribute to the publication.
Mary Elizabeth Mapes was born on Jan. 26, 1831, in New York City and grew up in a home that was a center for literary groups. William Cullen Bryant and Horace Greeley were frequent visitors. In 1851, she married William Dodge, a lawyer. Her husband died when she was 27, leaving her with two sons. Because she had to support them, she returned to her father’s home in Newark, New Jersey, and started her literary career. Dodge died on Aug. 21, 1905.
