Howard Roger Garis, was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 author, best known for a series of books, published under his own name, that featured the character of Uncle Wiggily Longears

Uncle Wiggily

Uncle Wiggily Longears is the main character of a series of children's stories by American author Howard R. Garis. He began writing the stories for the Newark News in 1910. Garis penned an Uncle Wiggily story every day for more than 30 years, and published 79 books within the author's lifetime....

, an engaging elderly rabbit. Garis and his wife were possibly the most prolific children's authors of the early 20th century. Many of his books were illustrated by Lansing Campbell

Lansing Campbell

Lansing Campbell was an American illustrator best known for his illustrations in the Uncle Wiggily series of books by Howard R. Garis. He also used the signature Lang Campbell....

.

Garis was born in Binghamton, New York

Binghamton, New York

Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...

. He and his spouse Lilian Garis

Lilian Garis

Lilian C. Garis , born Lilian C. McNamara was an American author who wrote hundreds of books of juvenile fiction between around 1915 and the early 1940s...

 both worked as reporters for the Newark Evening News

Newark Evening News

The Newark Evening News was an American newspaper published in Newark, New Jersey. As New Jersey's largest city, Newark played a major role in New Jersey's journalistic history. At its apex, The News was widely regarded as the newspaper of record in New Jersey. It had bureaus in Montclair,...

. He did some work on the side for WNJR

WNJR (AM)

WNJR was a commercial radio station based in Newark, New Jersey, on 91 Halsey St. in Newark, NJ. The station broadcast on 1430 kHz with a transmitter power output of 5000 watts.-History:...

 also in Newark.

Uncle Wiggily

The first Uncle Wiggily story appeared January 10, 1910 in the Newark News. For almost four decades, the newspaper published an Uncle Wiggily story by Garis every day except Sunday, and the series was eventually nationally syndicated. By the time Garis retired from the newspaper in 1947, he had written more than 15,000 Uncle Wiggily stories.

By virtue of his accessible characters and engaging plots, Garis was one of the most influential children's authors

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 of his day. Many of his books, especially the Uncle Wiggily books, are still widely read and are readily available over the internet. Milton Bradley

Milton Bradley Company

The Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...

 produced an Uncle Wiggily board game

Uncle Wiggily (board game)

Uncle Wiggily Game is a track board game based on a character in a series of children's books by American writer Howard Roger Garis. The game is of the "racing" variety in the style of the European "Goose Game". Players advance along the track from Uncle Wiggily's Bungalow to Dr. Possum's House...

 in 1967 and again in 1988. The game debuted much earlier though and remained popular until the 1970s.

Stratemeyer Syndicate

Garis wrote many books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate

Stratemeyer Syndicate

The Stratemeyer Syndicate was the producer of a number of mystery series for children, including Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, the various Tom Swift series, the Bobbsey Twins, the Rover Boys, and others.- History :...

 under various pseudonyms. As Victor Appleton

Victor Appleton

Victor Appleton was a house pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate, most famous for being associated with the Tom Swift series of books.The following series have been published under the Victor Appleton name:* Tom Swift, 1910–1941...

, he wrote about the enterprising Tom Swift

Tom Swift

Tom Swift is the name of the central character in five series of books, first appearing in 1910, totaling over 100 volumes, of American juvenile science fiction and adventure novels that emphasize science, invention and technology. The character was created by Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of...

; as Laura Lee Hope

Laura Lee Hope

Laura Lee Hope is a pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate for the Bobbsey Twins and several other series of children's novels. Actual writers taking up the pen of Laura Lee Hope include Edward Stratemeyer, Howard and Lilian Garis, Elizabeth Ward, Harriet Adams, Andrew E. Svenson, June M...

, he is generally credited with writing volumes 4–28 and 41 of the Bobbsey Twins

Bobbsey Twins

The Bobbsey Twins are the principal characters of what was, for many years, the Stratemeyer Syndicate's longest-running series of children's novels, penned under the pseudonym Laura Lee Hope. The first of 72 books was published in 1904, the last in 1979, with a separate series of 30 books published...

; as Clarence Young

Clarence Young

Clarence Young was a house pseudonym used by the Stratemeyer Syndicate for series of books for boys, the most well-known being the "Motor Boys" series.The following series were published under the name Clarence Young:*Jack Ranger—6 volumes...

, the Motor Boys

Motor Boys

The Motor Boys were the heroes of a popular series of adventure books for boys at the turn of the 20th century issued by the Stratemeyer Syndicate under the pseudonym of Clarence Young. This series was published by Cupples & Leon and was issued with dustjackets and glossy frontispiece...

 series; as Lester Chadwick, the Baseball Joe

Baseball Joe

Baseball Joe is the fictional hero of a number of children's books written by Howard R. Garis under the name of Lester Chadwick. The series follows the main character, a star baseball player, from high school to college and then to success as a professional....

 series; ; and as Marion Davidson, a number of books including several featuring the Camp Fire Girls. The couple's children also wrote for Stratemeyer. After Edward Stratemeyer's death in May 1930, his two daughters, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams (1892–1982) and Edna C. Squier (1895–1974), ran the company, with the result that Garis stopped writing for the Syndicate in 1933 after several disagreements.

Garis died in 1962 in Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States in the Connecticut River valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 37,819, making it the largest community in Hampshire County . The town is home to Amherst College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts...

.

Biographies

Garis' son, Roger Garis

Roger Garis

Roger Garis, was an American author known as a writer for magazines and the author of The Outboard Boys series of books. Roger also wrote several books under pseudonyms for the Stratemeyer Syndicate, as his parents did .Garis was born in Newark, New Jersey and attended Princeton University and...

, penned a biography of the writing Garis family My Father Was Uncle Wiggily (McGraw-Hill, 1966), as well as writing several books under his own name, and pseudonyms. His daughter, Cleo F. also wrote a three-volume series of mysteries, published by A. L. Burt. His granddaughter, Leslie Garis, wrote a more revealing memoir, The House of Happy Endings (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2007).

Circus Animal stories

Published by R. F. Fenno

1. Snarlie the Tiger, 1916
2. Umboo the Elephant, 1918

• Two Wild Cherries series
• Rick and Ruddy series
• Tam of the Fire Cave
• Tom Cardiff series
• Three Little Trippertrots series
• Three Little Trippertrots
• And Their Travels
• Chad of Knob Hill

Bed Time series

This series of children's books was written by Garis beginning in 1910. Each volume contains 31 stories, one for each day of the month:

1. Sammie and Susie Littletail
2. Johnny and Billy Bushytail
3. Lulu, Alice & Jimmie Wibble-Wobble
4. Jackie and Peetie Bow-Wow
5. Buddy and Brighteyes Pigg
6. Joie, Tommie and Kittie Kat
7. Charlie and Arabella Chick
8. Neddie and Beckie Stubtail
9. Bully and Bawly No-Tail
10. Nannie and Billie Wagtail
11. Jollie and Jillie Longtail
12. Jacko and Jumpo Kinkytail
13. Curly and Floppy Twistytail
14. Toodle and Noodle Flat-Tail
15. Dottie and Willie Flufftail
16. Dickie and Nellie Fliptail
17. Woodie and Waddie Chuck
18. Bobby and Betty Ringtail

The Curlytops series

Published by Cupples & Leon, illustrated by Julia Greene

1. At Cherry Farm; or, Vacation Days in the Country, 1918.
2. On Star Island; or, Camping Out with Grandpa, 1918.
3. Snowed In; or, Grand Fun with Skates and Sleds, 1918.
4. At Uncle Frank's Ranch; or, Little Folks on Ponyback, 1918. Cupples & Leon.
5. At Silver Lake; or, On the Water with Uncle Ben, 1920.
6. And Their Pets; or, Uncle Toby's Strange Collection, 1921.
7. And Their Playmates; or, Jolly Times Through the Holidays, 1922.
8. In the Woods; or, Fun at the Lumber Camp, 1923.
9. At Sunset Beach; or, What Was Found in the Sand, 1924.
10. Touring Around; or, The Missing Photograph Album, 1925.
11. In a Summer Camp; or, Animal Joe's Menagerie, 1927.
12. Growing Up; or, Winter Sports and Summer Pleasures, 1928.
13. At Happy House; or, The Mystery of the Chinese Vase, 1931.
14. At the Circus; or, The Runaway Elephant, 1932.

Buddy series

Cupples & Leon published this series about the adventures of Buddy Martyne with his family and friends:

1. Buddy on the Farm or, a Boy and his Prize Pumpkin, 1929
2. Buddy in School, or, a Boy and his Dog, 1929
3. Buddy and his Winter Fun, or, a Boy in a Snow Camp, 1929
4. Buddy at Rainbow Lake, or, a Boy and his Boat, 1930
5. Buddy and his Chum, or, a Boy’s Queer Search, 1930
6. Buddy at Pine Beach, or, a Boy on the Ocean, 1931
7. Buddy and his Flying Balloon, or, a Boy’s Mysterious Airship, 1931
8. Buddy on Mystery Mountain or, a Boy’s Strange Discovery, 1932
9. Buddy on Floating Island or, a Boy’s Wonderful Secret, 1933
10. Buddy and the Secret Cave or, a Boy and the Crystal Hermit, 1934
11. Buddy and his Cowboy Pal or, a Boy on a Ranch, 1935
12. Buddy and the Indian Chief or, a Boy among the Navajos, 1936
13. Buddy and the Arrow Club or, a Boy and the Long Bow, 1937
14. Buddy at Lost River or, a Boy and a Gold Mine, 1938
15. Buddy on the Trail or, a Boy Among the Gypsies, 1939
16. Buddy in Deep Valley or, a Boy on a Bee Farm, 1940
17. Buddy at Red Gate or, a Boy on a Chicken Farm, 1941
18. Buddy in Dragon Swamp or, a Boy on a Strange Hunt, 1942,
19. Buddy’s Victory Club or, a Boy and a Salvage Campaign, 1943
20. Buddy and the G-Man Mystery or, a Boy and a Strange Cipher, 1944
21. Buddy and his Fresh Air Camp or, a Boy and the Unlucky Ones, 1947

Teddy series

1. Teddy and His Mystery Monkey, 1936
2. Teddy and His Mystery Dog, 1936
3. Teddy and His Mystery Cat, 1937
4. Teddy and His Mystery Parrot, 1938
5. Teddy and His Mystery Parrot, 1939
6. Teddy and His Mystery Deer, 1940
7. Teddy and His Mystery Goat, 1941

Uncle Wiggily series

1. Uncle Wiggily's Adventures
2. Uncle Wiggily's Travels
3. Uncle Wiggily's Fortune
4. Uncle Wiggily's Automobile
5. Uncle Wiggily at the Seashore
6. Uncle Wiggily's Airship
7. Uncle Wiggily in the Country
8. Uncle Wiggily in the Woods
9. Uncle Wiggily on the Farm
10. Uncle Wiggily's Journey
11. Uncle Wiggily and Baby Bunty
12. Uncle Wiggily's Story Book
13. Uncle Wiggily's Picture Book
14. Uncle Wiggily's Puzzle Book
15. Uncle Wiggily on Sugar Island
16. The Uncle Wiggily Book
17. Uncle Wiggily's Bungalow
18. Uncle Wiggily's Picnic Party
19. Uncle Wiggily’s Surprises
20. Uncle Wiggily's Happy Days
21. Uncle Wiggly and The Canoe

Happy Home series

The Happy Home Series is a six-volume series of children's books written by Garis between 1926 and 1927:

1. Adventures of the Galloping Gas Stove
2. Adventures of the Runaway Rocking Chair
3. Adventures of the Traveling Table
4. Adventures of the Sliding Foot Stool
5. Adventures of the Sailing Sofa
6. Adventures of the Prancing Piano

External links