Alden, Ellen Tracy

About the author

Ellen Tracy Alden (1846–1880) was an American author and educator associated with the wave of 19th-century storytellers who composed accessible prose and verse for young readers. Despite a relatively short literary career, she believed wholeheartedly in the power of cheerful narrative and lyrical forms to stir moral reflection in children. Her writing, often laced with simple poetic images, aimed to foster empathy and cultivate a love of language early on. While she might be overshadowed by better-known figures in juvenile literature, Alden’s gentle approach to storytelling left a modest yet genuine mark on the evolving landscape of American children’s books, illuminating the small yet meaningful ways that everyday experiences could become lessons in integrity and kindness.