Amy Ella Blanchard

Amy Ella Blanchard (June 28, 1854 – July 4, 1926) was a prolific American writer of children's literature.

Early life Amy Ella Blanchard was born in Baltimore in 1854, the daughter of Daniel Harris Blanchard and Sarah Reynolds.

Her first poem was published in a Salem newspaper when she was 16 years old. Three years later she published her first book, but it was not until 1893 that she obtained her first success with her stories.

In 1888 she published her first book, and the first collaboration with Ida Waugh, Bonny Bairns, with the Worthington & Co. firm of New York.

Personal life Amy Ella Blanchard was a lifelong companion of her artist collaborator Ida Waugh (1846-1919). They met when Waugh was still living with her parents and Blanchard was hired as tutor of Waugh's younger brother, future painter Frederick Judd Waugh.

They lived together in Philadelphia and New York City, their homes a gathering place for authors. Winters were spent in Redding Ridge, Connecticut.

From 1923 to 1925 Blanchard won for three successive years the first prize in a national contest promoted by the National League of American Pen Women, of which league she was a member, for the best story written by American women writers. She is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Woodlawn, Baltimore County, Maryland, at her own request.

Works Her works include: As Others See Us (publication date unknown) The Four Corners Abroad, "Four Corners" series, illust. by Wuanita Smith (G.W. Jacobs, 1909) A Girl Scout of Red Rose Troop (1918) Girls Together (publication date unknown) Ida Waugh's Alphabet Book: For Little Ones Who, If They Look, Will Find their Letters in This Book (poetry), illust. by Ida Waugh (J.B. Lippincott, 1888) An independent daughter (J.B. Lippincott Co., 1900) Kittyboy's Christmas (George W. Jacobs & Co. 1898) Life's Little Actions (publication date unknown) Wee babies: printed in colours from original designs (poetry), illust. by Ida Waugh (E.P. Dutton & Co., 1882) Wee tots, illust. by Ida Waugh (Worthington Co., 1890) When Mother Was a Little Girl (poetry), illust. by Ida Waugh (Ernest Nister, 1909) Wits' end (D. Estes & company, 1909) Worth his while (George W. Jacobs, 1901)

She contributed a few titles to the Camp Fire Girls series including: The Camp Fire Girls of Brightwood: a story of how they kindled their fire and kept it burning (1915) In Camp with the Muskoday Camp Fire Girls (W. A. Wilde company, ca. 1917)