Elizabeth George Speare

Elizabeth George Speare (1908-1994) was an American author of children's historical fiction, best known for her Newbery Medal-winning novels The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958) and The Bronze Bow (1961), as well as the Newbery Honor book The Sign of the Beaver (1983). Born in Melrose, Massachusetts, she drew on meticulous historical research to create vivid stories of colonial America and biblical times, earning the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award in 1989 for her enduring contributions to children's literature.