Nina Brown Baker
Nina Brown Baker was an accomplished author known for her engaging biographies aimed at children and young adults. Born on December 31, 1888, in Galena, Kansas, she pursued education, earning a teaching certificate from the University of Colorado. After teaching for several years, Baker shifted her focus to writing, first publishing short stories before realizing her affinity for longer works. She relocated to New York City in 1938, where she gained recognition for her well-researched and lively biographies that often highlighted multicultural figures, particularly during the global upheaval of World War II. Her first notable biography, "He Wouldn't Be King: The Story of Simon Bolivar," won the Intra-American Award, marking the beginning of her successful career in this genre. Baker later wrote about American historical figures, including Civil War nurse Mary Ann Bickerdyke and other notable personalities. She continued to publish until her death on September 1, 1957, in Brooklyn Heights, New York. Baker's work remains celebrated for its storytelling prowess and the insightful exploration of diverse cultures and histories.
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Nina Brown Baker
Writer
- Born: December 31, 1888
- Birthplace: Galena, Kansas
- Died: September 1, 1957
- Place of death: Brooklyn Heights, New York
Biography
Nina Brown Baker is best known for her vivid, realistic biographies for children and young adults. Born on December 31, 1888, in Galena, Kansas, she attended Galena public schools and earned a teacher’s certificate from the University of Colorado in 1911. She taught in Galena and later in a small Colorado town.
In 1915, she married Sydney J. Baker and with two young daughters at home in Omaha, Nebraska, began to pursue a career as a writer. Her first published works were short stories for magazines, but she began to work on full-length books when she realized she was better suited to the longer genre. Between 1931 and 1939, Baker published several mysteries for young people.
In 1938, Baker moved to New York City with her family and lived there for the rest of her life. She began to write a series of critically well-received and popular biographies for young people, the work on which her reputation rests. Her first biography, He Wouldn’t Be King: The Story of Simon Bolivar, won the Intra-American Award of the Society for the Americas.
In biography, Baker found her niche. Critics found her work lively and entertaining, noting her strong storytelling and ability to transport the reader to another time and place. Baker’s material at this time was significant for its multicultural nature. She felt it was important for children to learn about other nations and cultures, especially given the global concerns of World War II. The most interesting way to do this, she said, “is through the lives of their great men, because that way you get a good story too.” He Wouldn’t Be King was followed by Juarez: Hero of Mexico, Peter the Great, Garibaldi, Lenin, and Sun Yat-Sen.
In addition to her engaging style, the success of Baker’s books results from her thorough research and careful preparation of time lines and character studies. In the 1950’s, Baker turned to American subjects for her biographies. Cyclone in Calico: The Story of Mary Ann Bickerdyke is the biography of a Civil War nurse, written for young adults, and her first biography of a woman. She continued to write and publish popular biographies until her death, including Pike of Pike’s Peak, Nickels and Dimes: The Story of F.W. Woolworth, Texas Yankee: The Story of Gail Borden, Nelly Bly, and Juan Ponce de Leon.
Baker died in Brooklyn Heights, New York, on September 1, 1957. She is remembered for her lively engaging biographies and her vivid depiction of a wide variety of subjects. Several of her multicultural biographies were reissued by Random House in 1988.