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Ida Chittum
Born: April 6, 1918 in North Canton, Ohio
Died: December 1, 2002 in Bloomville, New York Pen Name: None Connection to Illinois: Ida lived in Findlay. She was instrumental in bringing a library to her longtime home of Findlay and was the first woman to act as commencement speaker at Findlay High School. Biography: Ida Chittum was educated through the eighth grade in a one-room schoolhouse. She was a prolific reader and advocate of literacy. Her love for all living things as well as her warm sense of humor are evident in her many published children's books. She received the Lewis Carol Shelf Award of the University of Wisconsin and an award of recognition for her outstanding contribution to children's literature from Central Missouri State University. She also wrote and published poetry. In addition to her books, she was a popular speaker to school children who she visited along with her talking mynah, Poo Bah. She was an expert storyteller who could make you laugh or shiver in horror or do both at the same time. She was active in hospital work, the American Legion Auxiliary, Cub Scouts and Brownies. She was a friend to stray animals, wildlife and a tireless comforter of the sick and defender of the downtrodden.
Awards:
- Farmer Hoo and the Baboons Lewis Carroll Shelf Award of University of Wisconsin
- Other Awards Certificate of appreciation from Mobile Media, 1975; award of recognition from Central Missouri State University for outstanding contribution to children's literature, 19
Selected Titles
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A nutty business. ISBN: 0399203532 OCLC: 707122 Putnam New York, [1973] When Farmer Flint gathers nuts to sell in order to buy calico for his wife and daughter, the squirrels declare war. |
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Clabber biscuits. ISBN: 0811477452 OCLC: 257462 Steck-Vaughn Co. Austin, Tex., [1972] Farmer Grit finally stops trying to bake the biscuits that are his wife's speciality and concocts something that will help her get well. |
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Empty Grave ISBN: B000BH1M90 OCLC: Weekly Readers 1974 Short stories for young readers. Illustrated in black and white. |
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Farmer Hoo and the Baboons ISBN: B001WBHP4U OCLC: Delacorte Press 1972 |
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Tales of Terror ISBN: 0528821660 OCLC: 1364071 Rand McNally, Chicago : ©1975. A collection of short stories set in the Ozarks dealing with natural and supernatural events. |
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The Buried Casket ISBN: B00AA8OSJQ OCLC: Xeros Education Publications |
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The Cat's Pajamas ISBN: 0836811240 OCLC: 6016173 Fred spends a lot of time and effort making his cat a pair of pajamas, but the cat won't wear them. |
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The Ghost Boy of El Toro ISBN: 0448169274 OCLC: 12353821 Grosset & Dunlap, New York : 1982, ©1978. Jason's summer running a tropical island clinic brings him into touch with a witch doctor, superstitious villagers, a ghost boy, and a monster. |
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The Golden Casket ISBN: B000P1C94Y OCLC: Middletown, Connecticut: Xerox Education |
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The Hermit Boy ISBN: B007T0A2PM OCLC: Delacorte Press 1972 Hiding out from the welfare investigators in his Ozark Mountain cave, the hermit boy is a self-sufficient and hardy local legend. |
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The Princess Book ISBN: 0528820958 OCLC: Chicago, IL : Chicago, IL : 1974 A collection of nine original stories about beautiful and energetic princesses clever enough to cope with the likes of dragons, evil curses, and handsome princes. |
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The Secrets of Madam Renee ISBN: 0830901272 OCLC: 1325855 Independence Press, Independence, M.O. : ©1975. A fourteen-year-old orphan, curious about her origins, becomes involved with a mysterious woman whose crystal ball and erratic ways have earned her a reputation as a disagreeable witch. |
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The Thing without a Name, and Other Strange Tales from the Ozark Hills ISBN: 0830902996 OCLC: [Independence, Mo.] : Independence Press [Independence, Mo.] : 1981 Granny Grit entertains and terrifies her grandchildren with strange tales of her youth and the old days in the Ozark Mountains. |