Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley

Marguerite Henry was born on April 12, 1902 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After high school, she attended the Milwaukee State Teachers College. She became an English teacher.

She sold her first published story to a woman's magazine in 1913. Her first book, "Justin Morgan Had a Horse" was named a Newberry Honor Book. This and her other titles to follow were written in collaboration with illustrator, Wesley Dennis. They worked together until his death in 1996. Her other works included "King of the Wind," the story of the Godolphin Arabian horse, which won a Newberry Award, "Misty of Chincoteague," which won the Junior Book Award Medal of the Boys' Clubs of America, and "Justin Morgan Had a Horse," which won the Junior Scholastic Gold Seal Award. She was presented the Children's Reading Roundtable Award for her lasting contribution to children's reading in 1961. At the time of her death she had written 58 books. Her works have been translated into eight languages.

Marguerite Henry died of complications from a series of strokes on November 26, 1997 in California.