Mabel Robinson

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Mabel Louise Robinson (July 19, 1874 – February 21, 1962) was an American writer who loved creating books for young women. Born in Waltham, Massachusetts, she wanted stories that showed girls as brave, smart, and thoughtful and that dealt with real-life problems. Many of her books were named Newbery Honor titles. She also wrote popular dog stories, including Dr. Tam O’Shanter (1921) and the Robin and… series (Robin and Tito, Robin and Angus, Robin and Heather).

Robinson had a long career in teaching. She studied at Radcliffe College and earned advanced degrees at Columbia University. She taught at Wellesley College (1904–1906) and led advanced fiction writing workshops at Columbia for 26 years (1919–1945). She also taught in Istanbul and did research for the Carnegie Foundation. Through her teaching, she helped launch hundreds of books and mentored many writers, including Walter Farley and Ann Petry. She also brought the coast of Maine to life in her stories. She died in 1962.