Ruth Sawyer (August 5, 1880 – June 3, 1970), was an American storyteller and a writer of fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. She may be best known as the author of Roller Skate. Sawyer first book was an adult novel, The Primrose Ring. It appeared in 1915 and was made into a silent film in 1917, starring Mae Murray and an uncredited Loretta Young in her film debut as a fairy. The next year Sawyer published her first book for children, This Way to Christmas. The story is about young boy based on her son, David, whose parents go on a trip and leave him in the care of an Irish couple, Joanna and Barney. In each chapter David listens to a new Christmas story or folk tale. Sawyer’s final children’s novel was Daddles, The Story of a Plain Hound-Dog. In Daddles, the narrator remembers three summers she and her brother spent in their cottage in Maine. The first two summers they share their adventures with their dog, Daddles. The third summer they come back to find their companion has died.
This story has already won the approval of thousands of children, and each is fraught with the true Christmas spirit. It will prove equally acceptable to parents, teachers, and librarians. Each adult and a child looking forward to this holiday favorite of all, full of magic and gifts as well as read this delightful story, permeated by the spirit of the holiday and feel it now.
By Ruth Sawyer Durand