Lilian C. Garis, born Lilian C. McNamara (20 October 1873 – 19 April 1954), was an American author who wrote hundreds of books of juvenile fiction between around 1915 and the early 1940s. Prior to this, she was the first female reporter for the Newark Evening News in New Jersey. Garis and her husband, Howard R. Garis, were possibly the most prolific children's authors of the early 20th century.

Biography

Lilian McNamara was born in 1872 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents were Irish immigrants Edward and Winifred. Lillian wrote her own "Woman's Page" for a city paper as a teenager. She attended private schools including Dunkirk Union School. In 1893 her poem "Peace" was featured in the New Jersey Scrapbook of Women Writers created for the World's Columbian Exposition. At this point she uses an alternate name "Lillian Mack" and lives in Newark. Lilian was in charge of "Woman's Work" in the Newark Evening News from 1895 to 1900 and was known as "Miss Mack" or "Lilian Mack". Lillian was also a suffragette. "Lilian Garis is one of the writers who always wrote, She expressed herself in verse from early school days and it was then predicted that Lilian Mack would one day become a writer. Justifying this sentiment, while still in high school, she took charge of the woman's page for a city paper and her work there attracted such favorable attention that she left school to take entire charge of woman's work for the largest daily in an important Eastern city." Lilian met Howard Garis at the Newark Evening News and the couple married in 1899. In 1951, they moved from East Orange, New Jersey to Amherst, Massachusetts. They had two children Roger and Cleo. For the Stratemeyer Syndicate Garis wrote under the pseudonym Margaret Penrose and Laura Lee Hope, with her works including some of the earliest books in the Bobbsey Twins series as well as the Dorothy Dale series. But Mrs. Garis also wrote some books under her own name. "Among her 'fan' letters Lillian Garis receives some flattering testimonials of her girl readers' interest in her stories. From a class of thirty comes a vote of twenty-five naming her as their favorite author/ Perhaps in is the element of live mystery that Mrs. Garis always builds her stories upon, or perhaps it is because the girls easily can translate her own sincere interest in themselves from the stories. At any rate, her books prosper through the changing conditions of these times, giving pleasure, satisfaction, and, incidentally, that tactful word of inspiration, so important in literature for young girls. Mrs. Garis prefers to call her books 'juvenile novels' and in them romance is never lacking." Lilian died April 19, 1954.

Bibliography of titles written under Garis' name

Sources:

Let's Make Believe series

First published by R. F. Fenno; also by Donohue

The Girl Scouts series

Nancy Brandon set

Originally printed by Milton Bradley, then by Grosset & Dunlap and Whitman.

Barbara Hale set

Ted set

Cleo set

Connie Loring set

Judy Jordon set

Sally set

Gloria set

Joan set

Melody Lane series

Two versions were printed of the first six books, one with cover art by Ruth King and one by Pelagie Doane (best known for her work on the Judy Bolton series). The series follows Carol Duncan and her sister and friends as they solve mysteries around Melody Lane. The events they encounter are standard series book fare of the time period; and are often criticized for their dated writing style and slow moving plots.

The Riverton Mystery