Ruth Plumley Thompson

Ruth Plumly Thompson (1891–1976) was an American children's author best known for continuing the famous Oz book series after the death of its creator, L. Frank Baum. Born on July 27, 1891, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Thompson began writing stories and poems as a child and later worked as a journalist and editor. In 1921, the publishers of the Oz series invited her to continue the franchise, and she accepted, producing one Oz book per year until 1939.

Her first contribution, The Royal Book of Oz (1921), was originally credited to Baum himself. She went on to write nineteen Oz books in total, including Kabumpo in Oz (1922), The Cowardly Lion of Oz (1923), The Lost King of Oz (1925), The Gnome King of Oz (1927), Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz (1929), and The Purple Prince of Oz (1932). Her imaginative storytelling, whimsical humor, and inventive characters helped keep the series popular for a new generation of readers. Beyond Oz, she wrote numerous fairy tales, poems, and short stories for children's magazines.

Thompson retired from writing the Oz series in 1939. She died on April 6, 1976, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the most prolific contributors to American children's fantasy literature.