Peggy Parish
Peggy Parish, born Margaret Cecile Parish on July 14, 1927, in Manning, South Carolina, was a celebrated author of children's literature renowned for her engaging writing style and relatable characters. She earned her degree from the University of South Carolina and later taught at various educational institutions, including the Dalton School in New York City. Her most famous creation, the Amelia Bedelia series, features a literal-minded housekeeper whose humorous misunderstandings of language captivate young readers and introduce them to wordplay. Beginning with "Amelia Bedelia" in 1963, this series has remained popular, offering both laughter and learning opportunities for children. In addition to Amelia Bedelia, Parish wrote mystery novels for older elementary readers, as well as a series featuring a strong, independent pioneer woman named Granny. She also authored accessible nonfiction craft books aimed at encouraging children's creativity through simple projects. Despite some of her works being viewed as outdated or stereotypical by modern standards, her contributions to children's literature, particularly through humor and engaging narratives, have left a lasting impact. Parish passed away on November 19, 1988, shortly after the celebration of Amelia Bedelia's twenty-fifth anniversary.
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Peggy Parish
Writer
- Born: July 14, 1927
- Birthplace: Manning, South Carolina
- Died: November 19, 1988
- Place of death: Manning, South Carolina
Biography
Margaret Cecile Parish, better known to her young readers as Peggy Parish, was born in Manning, South Carolina, on July 14, 1927. She earned her B.A. f rom the University of South Carolina in 1948 and did graduate work at George Peabody College for Teachers, now Vanderbilt University, in 1950. She worked as a teacher in Oklahoma, Kentucky, and Texas and taught elementary grades at the Dalton School in New York City for fifteen years.
The writer of numerous books for young readers, Parish is best known for the popular Amelia Bedelia series, beginning with Amelia Bedelia in 1963 and continuing through Amelia Bedelia’s Family Album in 1988. Amelia Bedelia is a housekeeper who takes the English language literally; she makes sponge cake with sponges, dresses a chicken in pants and socks, and dusts the house with dusting powder. In Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia, her ridiculous and hilarious antics include stealing bases and running home after hitting the ball out of the park. The Amelia Bedelia books introduce early readers to word play and provide a welcome touch of comedy to the children’s literature canon.
Parish also wrote a series of mysteries for older elementary school children, beginning with Key to the Treasure in 1966 and including Clues in the Woods and Haunted House. In these books, siblings Liza, Bill, and Ted follow clues to find treasures and solve mysteries. The series is easy to read, and while it is somewhat predictable, it engages children in the challenge of following clues and cracking codes. The Granny series, consisting of Granny and the Indians, Granny and the Desperadoes, and Granny, the Baby, and the Big Gray Thing, is another Parish creation, featuring an independent and feisty older pioneer woman who is capable of handling the dangers of Indians, desperadoes, and wolves. Again, Parish gauges the needs and capabilities of young readers in both her writing style and her material, keeping Granny’s brushes with danger exciting without being frightening.
Parish also wrote age-appropriate nonfiction for young readers in a series of craft books beginning with Costumes to Make in 1970 and including Sheet Magic: Games, Toys, and Gifts from Old Sheets, the holiday craft books December Decorations: A Holiday How-to Book and Let’s Celebrate: Holiday Decorations You Can Make, and Beginning Mobiles. These projects use easy-to-obtain materials and simple instructions, allowing children to do-it-themselves.
While Parish’s books about Little Indian, including Good Hunting, Little Indian and Little Indian, are stereotypical, dated, and sometimes considered offensive by today’s standards, the Amelia Bedelia series enjoys enduring popularity. Parish understood the needs and capabilities of her audience, the beginning readers, and offered humor and excitement while challenging their problem-solving skills.
Parish died in Manning, South Carolina, of a ruptured aneurysm on November 19, 1988. Her death came not long after Amelia Bedelia’s twenty-fifty birthday celebration, in which young readers sent thousands of letters, drawings, and cards through special mailboxes set up in bookstores and libraries across the United States.