Emily Paret Atwater (1873-1951)
Emily Paret Atwater was the granddaughter of Episcopalian Bishop William Paret, but she took after her mother, Adaline Peck “Addie” Paret Atwater, finding her niche in writing children’s stories. Writing for the New York Ledger, the Puritan, Nickel Magazine and elsewhere, she also published children’s fiction that merged adventure with nature education.
Her book How Sammy Went to Coral-Land demonstrates her ability to capture the attention of adventure-lovers who may have become tired of stereotypical fairy tales. The Tennessean newspaper praised the book as containing “useful information about marine creatures,” and the same approach can also be seen in Trixsey’s Travels, where each chapter opens with information about a new furry character that a little squirrel Trixsey meets on his travels.
Atwater’s writing was used as textbooks and readers in New England states, and were positively received by educational journals such as the Kindergarten Review.