"Books are sometimes silly comrades, but they make children unafraid of life."— Mary Mapes Dodge
Mary Mapes Dodge
The editor who shaped children's magazines
Mary Elizabeth Mapes was born in New York City in 1831. Her father was a professor and inventor, and Mary grew up surrounded by books and ideas.
Mary married a lawyer named William Dodge in her twenties, and they had two sons. Then William died suddenly, leaving Mary a young widow with two little boys to support. She moved her family to her parents' farm in New Jersey and started writing for money.
Quick Facts
- Born: January 26, 1831
- From: New York City, USA
- Job: Novelist & magazine editor
- Famous for: Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates · St. Nicholas Magazine
Mary had never been to the Netherlands when she wrote Hans Brinker. She researched it entirely from books. When she finally visited Holland years later, Dutch readers were amazed at how accurate her descriptions were.
Her Famous Story
Read Mary's stories on Worldly
Hans Brinker is a warm, exciting story about family, skating, and a famous race. On Worldly, every page is adapted to your reading level.
Her Life, Year by Year
From widowhood to magazine empire
Mary Dodge had to rebuild her life from scratch as a young widow. She did it through writing and editing.
Born in New York
Mary Mapes is born in New York City. Her father is a professor and inventor.
Marriage
Mary marries William Dodge, a lawyer. They have two sons.
William dies
William Dodge dies suddenly. Mary is left a widow at 27 with two young boys.
Her first book
Mary publishes Irvington Stories, a collection of children's stories. It does well enough that she keeps writing.
Hans Brinker
Mary publishes Hans Brinker; or, The Silver Skates, a novel about Dutch ice-skaters along the Holland canals. She has never been to Holland. The book is a smash and becomes an international classic.
St. Nicholas Magazine begins
Mary becomes the founding editor of St. Nicholas Magazine, a monthly children's magazine. She edits it for the next 32 years.
Treasure Island appears in St. Nicholas
Under Mary's editorship, St. Nicholas publishes work by every great children's writer of the era, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Louisa May Alcott, Rudyard Kipling, Mark Twain, and L. Frank Baum.
She edits to the end
Mary dies in upstate New York at age 74. She had edited St. Nicholas Magazine for 32 years, until her death.
Two Big Things She Did
A bestselling novel AND a children's-magazine empire
Mary Dodge wasn't just famous for her novel. She also shaped what children's magazines could be.
Hans Brinker · 1865
The Silver Skates
A poor Dutch boy and his sister race for a prize, a pair of silver ice skates, while their family struggles. The book taught generations of kids about Dutch culture and was used in schools for decades.
St. Nicholas · 1873–1905
The greatest kids' magazine ever
As editor of St. Nicholas Magazine for 32 years, Mary published nearly every important American and British children's writer of the late 1800s. The magazine was a who's-who of kid lit.
Innovation
She trusted kids
Mary insisted that children's writing should be high-quality, not "talked down" to kids. Her editorial standards changed what publishers thought kids' books could be.
Wait… really?!
Six surprising things about Mary Mapes Dodge
She never visited Holland before writing Hans Brinker
Mary wrote her famous Dutch novel entirely from books and research. She didn't visit the Netherlands until years AFTER the book was published. Dutch readers were amazed at how accurate it was.
She invented 'The Boy Who Put His Finger in the Dyke'
The famous story of a small boy who saves Holland by holding his finger in a leaking dyke wall? Mary invented it for Hans Brinker. There's no real Dutch folktale behind it. People believed it was an old Dutch story for over 100 years.
She edited St. Nicholas for 32 years
Mary edited St. Nicholas Magazine from its founding in 1873 until her death in 1905. The magazine published almost every important American children's writer of the late 19th century.
She published Treasure Island in installments
Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island ran as a serial in St. Nicholas Magazine in 1881 under Mary's editorship. She published most of the famous children's writers of her time.
She was widowed young
Mary's husband William Dodge died when she was 27, leaving her with two small sons. She turned to writing and editing because she needed to support her family.
Her Hans Brinker is still read
Hans Brinker has stayed in print for over 150 years. It's been translated into many languages, and Dutch kids today still recognize it.
Good questions, answered
Mary Dodge FAQ
Did the boy with his finger in the dyke really exist?+
No! That famous Dutch story was actually invented by Mary Mapes Dodge for her novel Hans Brinker. It's not an old Dutch folktale, even though almost everyone thinks it is.
Did she really edit a magazine for 32 years?+
Yes! Mary edited St. Nicholas Magazine from 1873 until her death in 1905. Under her editing, the magazine published almost every major American and British children's writer of the late 1800s.
Did she visit Holland?+
Eventually, yes. She wrote Hans Brinker entirely from books and research without going there. Years later, when she finally visited the Netherlands, Dutch readers were amazed at how accurate her descriptions were.
What age is Hans Brinker good for?+
Hans Brinker works as a read-aloud from age 7, and as a chapter book from age 8 or 9. The Worldly version is adapted to fit each reader's level.
Was she famous in her own time?+
Yes, very. Between Hans Brinker and her decades editing St. Nicholas Magazine, Mary was one of the most influential people in American children's literature during the late 19th century.
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