Thompson, Ruth Plumly
Thompson, Ruth Plumly (1891–1976),American author of juvenile literature and Oz books. L. Frank Baum's death in 1919 posed a financial problem: who would continue his lucrative Wizard of Oz series, so recently recuperated from a World War I sales slump? Thompson was children's editor of the Philadelphia Public Ledger when she became the Second Royal Historian of Oz. She carried on the tradition of a new Oz book for Christmas for 19 consecutive years, writing five more novels than Baum himself. Her first title (The Royal Book of Oz, 1921) was supposedly edited from his notes. This false statement plus the continuation of John R. Neill as illustrator eased the transition between authors.
But while the artwork remained the same, Thompson's sequels differed. Her brisk‐yet‐poetic style full of wordplay was more...
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