Mary Mapes Dodge

Mary Mapes Dodge (1831–1905) was an American author and editor best known for the children’s novel Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates. She helped shape American children’s literature through her writing and editorial work.

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Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates: Mary Mapes Dodge’s 1865 children’s novel follows a Dutch boy and his sister as they seek to help their family. The novel that made Dodge a lasting name in children’s literature.
Harper's Young People: An American children’s magazine published by Harper & Brothers from 1879 to 1899. Dodge edited this magazine and used it to publish stories for young readers.
New York City: The largest city in the United States, located at the mouth of the Hudson River. Dodge was born and spent much of her career in New York.
American children's literature: Literature created for children in the United States, shaped by changing ideas about childhood and education. Dodge became a central figure in its nineteenth-century development.
Dutch culture: The traditions, institutions, and everyday practices associated with the Netherlands and its people. Dodge’s novel introduced many American readers to an idealized Dutch setting.
Harper & Brothers: A New York publishing company founded by James Harper and his brothers in 1817. The firm published Dodge’s work and employed her as an editor.
William Dodge: An American businessman and Mary Mapes Dodge’s husband. His death in 1858 left Dodge to support her family through writing.
Dutch identity: The shared cultural and historical affiliations associated with the Netherlands and Dutch people. Her novel helped popularize a simplified Dutch identity among American audiences.
Speed skating: A racing sport in which competitors skate around an ice track. Skating contests drive the novel’s plot and give it its familiar title.
Louisa May Alcott: An American novelist best known for the children’s novel Little Women. Alcott contributed writing to the children’s periodical Dodge edited.