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Mabel Leigh Hunt was an American writer of children's books.
Hunt was born in Coatesville, Indiana, to Quaker parents. She was raised in Greencastle and, from age ten until her physician father died, in Plainfield. She and her mother then lived in Indianapolis.
Hunt studied at DePauw University in Greencastle from 1910 to 1912 and returned to school in 1923 for a year at Western Reserve University Library School in Cleveland. From 1926 she was a librarian at the Indianapolis Public Library. Her first book was published in 1934 and in 1938 she left her position to write full time.
She was one of the Newbery Medal runners-up twice, for Have You Seen Tom Thumb? and Better Known as Johnny Appleseed. Better Known as Johnny Appleseed was also listed by the New York Herald-Tribune as one of the best Western books ever written.
Lucinda, A Little Girl of 1860 was based on her own and her mother's experiences. Hunt wrote many other works on Quaker themes including The Double Birthday Present; a 1959 article on Quaker children and Quaker-related children's books for the periodical You Are Called; Cupola House; and Beggar's Daughter. Her papers include a personal letter from Richard Nixon, written in 1960, a year when he was both Vice President and the losing candidate for President.
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