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Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards (1850-1943) was an American writer and poet, best known for her prolific children's books and biographies of her family members. Daughter to Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe, an educator for the blind, and Julia Ward Howe, author of the 'Battle Hymn of the Republic,' Richards was poised from an early age to embrace a literary path. Her early upbringing was steeped in a milieu of intellectual and social activism which profoundly shaped her writing career.
Richards published over 90 books throughout her lifetime, employing a gentle humor and moral earnestness that endeared her to young readers. Among her most celebrated works is 'The Silver Crown: Another Book of Fables' (1906), a charming collection of stories that illuminate virtue and folly through deft storytelling. Her facility with language and her imaginative narratives contributed to the New England literary tradition, her tales often imbued with the spirit of American, family-centered idealism. Richards's contribution to children's literature was acknowledged with a posthumous Lewis Carroll Shelf Award for her book 'Tirra Lirra' in 1959, while it is her book 'Captain January' that secured a lasting legacy, having been adapted into two films. Richards's literary style was marked by a clarity and simplicity that resonated with the values and aspirations of her time.
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