Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856–1923)
Author of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
About the Author
Kate Douglas Wiggin was born Sept. 28, 1856, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wiggin attended a district school in Philadelphia and for short periods the Gorham Female Seminary in Maine, the Morison Academy in Maryland, and the Abbott Academy in Massachusetts. In 1873 she moved with her family to show more California. In San Francisco, in 1877, after the death of her stepfather, Kate became involved in the "free kindergarten" movement after attending a kindergarten training class at the Pacific Model Training School for Kindergartners. She opened the first free kindergarten in California, Silver Street Free Kindergarten, and worked there until the late 1880's. Wiggin organized the first free kindergartens on the Pacific coast in 1878 and with her sister established a training school for kindergarten teachers. Kate wrote and privately published her first book, The Birds' Christmas Carol, in order to raise money for her school in San Francisco. The book helped Kate begin her career in publishing, translation, and travel. As part of her teaching career she wrote The Story of Patsy, published in 1883. The most popular among her many later works for children were The Birds¿ Christmas Carol published in 1887, Timothy¿s Quest published in 1890, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm published in 1903, and Mother Carey¿s Chickens published in 1911. Wiggin is best known for Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm which was later made into a film starring Shirley Temple. Other works include The Diary of a Goose Girl, Rose O' the River, The Flag-Raising, The Old Peabody Pew, and books of the Penelope series, including Penelope's English Experiences, Penelope's Experiences in Scotland, Penelope's Irish Experiences, and Penelope's Postscripts. In 1904, Bowdoin College presented Wiggin with an honorary degree, only the second such degree the College had ever granted to a woman. Kate Wiggin died on August 24th, 1923 at Harrow, Middlesex, England. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: Project Gutenberg
Series
Works by Kate Douglas Wiggin
American Classics for Children: Little Women / Pollyanna / Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (2003) 18 copies
Bird's Christmas Carol, The 1 copy
Rebeca d ela granja del sol 1 copy
The Writings of Kate Douglas Wiggin Volume 4: Penelope's Irish Experiences, Penelope's Postscripts 1 copy
KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN Ultimate Collection: 21 Novels & 130 Short Stories, Fairy Tales and Poems (Illustrated): Including… (2017) 1 copy
The Complete Works of Kate Douglas Wiggin (28 Complete Works of Kate Douglas Wiggin Including A Cathedral Courtship,… (2015) 1 copy
Froebel's occupations 1 copy
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm 1 copy
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm 1 copy
Golden Numbers: Poems for Children and Young People, Chosen and Arranged (Classic Reprint) (2017) 1 copy
The Birds' Christmas Carol and The Old Peabody Pew: Two Christmas Stories by Kate Douglas Wiggin (2023) 1 copy
REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM & NEW CHRONICLES OF REBECCA (Children's Book Classics): Adventure Novels 1 copy
The Birds Chrismas Carol 1 copy
Timothys Quest 1 copy
Mother Carey's chickens and The romance of a Christmas card (Writings of Kate Douglas Wiggin) 1 copy
Arabian Nights. Edited by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora A. Smith. Illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. 1 copy
A Birds' Christmas Carol 1 copy
Rebecca of Sunnybroke Farm 1 copy
Associated Works
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm [adapted - Junior Classics for Young Readers] (2011) — Author, some editions — 102 copies
Swords and Sorcerers: Stories from the Worlds of Fantasy and Adventure (2002) — Contributor — 16 copies
Jurgen and the Censor: Report of the Emergency Committee Organized to Protest Against the Suppression of James Branch… (1920) — Contributor — 10 copies
The Second Christmas Megapack: 29 Modern and Classic Christmas Stories (2012) — Contributor — 3 copies
A Retelling of the Complete Story PLUS Activities: Back To The Classics, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, Grades 3-5 (1997) — Originator — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Wiggin, Kate Douglas Smith
- Birthdate
- 1856-09-28
- Date of death
- 1923-08-24
- Burial location
- South Buxton Cemetery, Buxton, Maine, USA
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- USA (birth)
- Country (for map)
- USA
- Birthplace
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
- Place of death
- Harrow-on-the-Hill, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA (birth)
Santa Barbara, California, USA
New York, New York, USA
Hollis, Maine, USA
England, UK - Education
- University: Pacific Model Training School for Kindergartners
- Occupations
- teacher
- Relationships
- Smith, Nora A. (sister)
- Organizations
- The Dorcas Society (founder)
Society of Bowdoin Women (founder)
Froebel Society (founder)
New York Kindergarten Association - Awards and honors
- Bowdoin College honorary degree (1904)
- Short biography
- Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856-1923) was a pioneer of the kindergarten movement in the United States in the nineteenth century. She helped to establish the Silver Street Kindergarten in San Francisco in 1878, the first free kindergarten in California. She also co-founded the California Kindergarten Training School for aspiring kindergarten teachers in 1880. In addition to kindergarten training and advocacy, Wiggin was a prolific author of books for children, including the well-known Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903) and Mother Carey's Chickens (1911). Wiggin also published a number of works on kindergarten theory and method as well as fiction for adults.
Members
Reviews
Born on Christmas Day, and named in honor of the hymn Carol, Brothers, Carol, the sound of which was drifting in from the church next door just after her birth, Carol Bird was a kind-hearted, generous little girl—a true Christmas Child. Becoming ill when still quite young, she remained cheerful and bright, providing a good influence on her three brothers, and even upon her loving parents. Delighted that her beloved Uncle Jack was coming home for the holidays, Carol had a plan: to give the most wonderful Christmas to the nine Ruggles children living across the alley behind her house...
Originally privately printed in 1886, and then published in 1888, The Birds' Christmas Carol was, according to the prefatory letter in the edition I read, author Kate Douglas Wiggin's first book. It was published in order to help fund the kindergarten she founded in San Francisco, and went on to become a very popular holiday tale. I found it enjoyable, and while I recognize that its eponymous heroine might be a little too perfect at times—something which I think will irritate some contemporary readers—I just took that as it was. The depiction of the little Ruggles, and the lessons on manners given to them by their mother, added a note of hilarity to what might otherwise have been a depressing tale, and there was a happy feeling throughout, despite Carol's illness, and eventualdeath . I found Wiggins' prose here sometimes quite moving, with an occasional aside well worth remembering. When she writes that "Love could do nothing, and when we have said that we have said all, for it is stronger than anything else in the whole wide world," I found myself nodding in agreement. I also greatly enjoyed the illustrations of Katharine R. Wireman, which were frequently quite lovely.
All in all, I am glad to have read this holiday classic, and while I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as some of Wiggin's Christmas romances—The Old Peabody Pew, The Romance of a Christmas Card—and certainly nowhere near as much as her best-known work, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, it nevertheless made for a sweet seasonal tale.… (more)
Originally privately printed in 1886, and then published in 1888, The Birds' Christmas Carol was, according to the prefatory letter in the edition I read, author Kate Douglas Wiggin's first book. It was published in order to help fund the kindergarten she founded in San Francisco, and went on to become a very popular holiday tale. I found it enjoyable, and while I recognize that its eponymous heroine might be a little too perfect at times—something which I think will irritate some contemporary readers—I just took that as it was. The depiction of the little Ruggles, and the lessons on manners given to them by their mother, added a note of hilarity to what might otherwise have been a depressing tale, and there was a happy feeling throughout, despite Carol's illness, and eventual
All in all, I am glad to have read this holiday classic, and while I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as some of Wiggin's Christmas romances—The Old Peabody Pew, The Romance of a Christmas Card—and certainly nowhere near as much as her best-known work, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, it nevertheless made for a sweet seasonal tale.… (more)
When Rebecca Rowena Randall goes to live with her spinster aunts in Riverboro, Rebecca's aunts find her to be more of a handful than they bargained for. But even more surprising than the transition of Rebecca into a well-mannered young lady are the effects that Rebecca has on her aunts' humdrum lives. Rebecca, with her wide dark eyes and spirit that no walls can contain, will change their lives -- and the lives of everyone she meets -- forever.
A sweet old fashioned book. I'm sure my book group will love it. I look forward to seeing the movie which was based on it. It is nice to see the positive attitudes through difficult times. Not what we see much today.
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Statistics
- Works
- 112
- Also by
- 14
- Members
- 8,322
- Popularity
- #2,899
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 119
- ISBNs
- 822
- Languages
- 9
- Favorited
- 8
However, precocious Rebecca Randall is too similar to Anne Shirley for me to dislike her. In fact, reading this book is like meeting someone who is similar to someone you really like. It's cool, but kind of weird when you notice the small, glaring differences between them. K.D. Wiggin as narrator just loves on Rebecca too too much. She's always saying how beautiful she is, how wonderful and amazing. It's kind of creepy.
And what's with the implied romance between R.R.R. and A.L.? Again, creepy.
I can't find a place in my heart for this, but I can sympathize with those who have.… (more)