Over the span of almost two decades, nineteenth-century United States author Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote and published a wide range of works intended for children. These included six books: Grandfather’s Chair (1840/1841), Famous Old People (1841), and Liberty Tree (1841), each of which focused on tensions between England and its Massachusetts colonies; Biographical Stories for Children (1842), which sketched the childhood of well-known historical figures; A Wonder Book for Girls and Boys (1852) and Tanglewood Tales for Girls and Boys: A Second Wonder Book (1853), the pioneering first published retellings of Greek myths in English for children. Hawthorne also published shorter pieces for children such as “The Gentle Boy” (1832), “Little Annie’s Ramble” (1834/1835), “Little Daffydowndilly” (1843), “A Good Man’s Miracle” (1844), and “The Snow Image” (1849). Additionally, Hawthorne served as ghostwriter for a book in...
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Citation: Laffrado, Laura. "Grandfather's Chair". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 August 2011; last revised 18 September 2025. [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=33486, accessed 09 June 2026.]
