Ruth Stiles Gannett American children's writer Date of Birth: 12.08.1923 Country: USA

1. Ruth Gannet: A Literary Giant in Children's Fiction
2. Early Life and Education
3. Career as a Scientist and Author
4. Literary Breakthrough: "My Father's Dragon"
5. Subsequent Novels and Awards
6. Legacy and Family

Ruth Gannet: A Literary Giant in Children's Fiction

Ruth Brown Gannet was an acclaimed American children's author, best known for her timeless novel "My Father's Dragon" and its two sequels.

Early Life and Education

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 12, 1923, Ruth attended the City and Country School in Manhattan and later studied at George School and Vassar College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1944.

Career as a Scientist and Author

After graduating, Gannet moved to Boston, where she worked at the Boston General Hospital and the Massachusetts Radiation Laboratory. She later managed a ski lodge before returning home to work on her most important literary accomplishment.

Literary Breakthrough: "My Father's Dragon"

In 1947, Ruth Gannet married artist and art historian Peter Kahn. Her pivotal book, "My Father's Dragon," was published the following year by Random House and became a finalist for the prestigious John Newbery Medal. The novel, illustrated by her stepmother, Ruth Chrisman Gannett, and designed by her husband, was translated into fourteen languages.

Subsequent Novels and Awards

Gannet penned two more novels in the "My Father's Dragon" series: "Elmer and the Dragon" and "The Dragons of Blueland." She also wrote two additional children's books, "The Wonderful House-Boat-Train" (1949) and "Katie and the Sad Noise" (1961), illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg and Eli Simmons, respectively.

Legacy and Family

Ruth Gannet and Peter Kahn had seven daughters and eight grandchildren by the time of Kahn's passing in 1997. Gannet lived in Trumansburg, New York, near Cornell University, where her husband served as a professor for four decades. She passed away on June 11, 2024, in the United States at the age of 100, leaving behind an enduring literary legacy.