Howard R. Garis

Howard R. Garis (1873–1962) was a prolific American author, best remembered as one of the most productive writers of children's literature and series books in the early twentieth century. Born in Binghamton, New York, Garis worked for the Newark News in New Jersey for thirty-seven years, where his stories appeared regularly. Together with his wife, Lilian, also a writer, he authored hundreds of books over his long career.

Garis is most famous for creating Uncle Wiggily Longears, a kindly elderly rabbit gentleman whose adventures entertained American children for decades. The Uncle Wiggily stories were published daily in newspapers for more than fifty years and appeared in numerous best-selling books, beginning with Uncle Wiggily's Adventures (1912).

Writing under the pseudonym Victor Appleton for the Stratemeyer Syndicate, Garis created the immensely popular Tom Swift series, featuring a young inventor and his marvelous machines. As Lester Chadwick, he wrote the Baseball Joe series, and under the name Grace Brooks Hill, he produced The Moving Picture Girls series. He also penned the Daddy Series and dozens of other juvenile titles.

Howard Garis's inventive storytelling and remarkable output left a lasting mark on American children's literature, shaping popular fiction well into the twentieth century.