Carolyn Haywood
A Philadelphia author who gently chronicled the everyday adventures of American children, creating beloved characters like Betsy and Eddie for generations of young readers.
1898–1990 (age 92)·American writer·Birthday: January 3·The Lost Generation
Biography
Carolyn Haywood found her subject matter in the quiet, familiar moments of childhood. A Philadelphia native and trained artist, she began her career as an illustrator before realizing her stories needed their own words. In 1939, she introduced ‘B’ Is for Betsy, a novel that broke from the fairy-tale tradition to depict the small, real-world triumphs and worries of a girl starting school. The book’s immediate success spawned a series, and soon after came the stories of Eddie, a mischievous but good-hearted boy. For over fifty years, Haywood’s warm, clear prose and her own simple line drawings captured the texture of middle-class American life—lost teeth, new siblings, school plays, and neighborhood friendships. She wrote without condescension, earning the trust of children who saw themselves in her pages.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Carolyn was born in 1898, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carolyn Was Born
The biggest hits of 1898
Carolyn's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1898Born
Spanish-American War; US emerges as a world power
President: William McKinley
1903Started school
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Became a teenager
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could drive
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1916Could vote
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Turned 21
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1928Turned 30
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1938Turned 40
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1948Turned 50
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 60
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 70
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 80
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1990Died at 92
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
Key Achievements
- Published 'B' Is for Betsy' in 1939, pioneering the realistic school-story genre for early readers in America.
- Authored and illustrated 47 children's books, with her Betsy and Eddie series selling millions of copies.
- Received the prestigious Children's Reading Round Table Award for her lasting contribution to children's literature.
- Her books remained in continuous print for decades, becoming staple classroom and library selections.
Did You Know?
She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and illustrated books for other authors before writing her own.
Many of her stories were inspired by the children in her own neighborhood and their real experiences.
She was a lifelong resident of Philadelphia and often set her stories in the city and its suburbs.
Her papers and manuscripts are archived at the University of Oregon.
“I write about real children and the small, true things that happen to them.”
