Description
The Garthwaite collection includes draft versions of a number of her books including:
Bright Particular Star(1958; Coarse Gold Gulch(1956); Holdup on Blackjack Hill; Locked
Crowns (1963); Mario (1960); Shaken Days (1952); Tomas and the Redheaded Angel (1950);
Twelfth Night Santons; and, You Never Know. The collection also includes research notes
and literary correspondence (1946-76).
Background
Marion Garthwaite (1893-1982) was an author of children's fiction and lecturer on
Children's Literature at the University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif. (1954-65) and at
the University of San Francisco (1967-73). She received an A.B. from the University of
California, Berkeley (1916) and later studied children's literature at the Riverside
Library School (1923). Garthwaite was Children's Librarian first at the Madera County
Library and subsequently at the Redwood City Library (1951-1960). Beginning with her
first book, Tomás and the Redheaded Angel (1950), Garthwaite's stories were often based
on California history. Her books won a number of awards, including: the Commonwealth Club
Silver Medal (1950); the AAUW Distinguished Woman Award (1967); and, a citation from the
California Library Association.