World Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Elsie Singmaster Lewars

エルシー・シングマスター・ルワーズ

Erushī Shingumasutā Ruawāzu

Pen Names: Elsie Singmaster（Pen name used for publication (continued to publish under this name after marriage)）

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1879-08-29 （Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, U.S.）
Died
1958-09-30 （Macungie, Pennsylvania, U.S.） age 79
Nationality
United States
Languages
English

Career

Occupations
Writer, Children's author, Short story writer
Active Years
1905-1950

Education

William Allen High School (Allentown High School)
Country: United States
West Chester Normal School
Country: United States
Cornell University
Period: 1898–1900
Country: United States
Attended 1898–1900
Radcliffe College
Year of Graduation: 1907
Country: United States
Graduated in 1907

Awards

Newbery Honor
1934
Work: Swords of Steel
Organization: American Library Association (ALA)
Result: 受賞（Newbery Honor）
O. Henry Award (position of merit)
1924
Work: The Courier of the Czar
Organization: O. Henry Award committee
Result: 選外入賞（position of merit）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Swords of Steel

1933 Children's literature / Young adult historical fiction

A young-adult historical story set around the American Revolutionary period, focusing on courage and coming of age.

American RevolutionComing of ageCourage

The Hidden Road

1923 Short stories / Historical fiction

A collection of short stories focused on Gettysburg-area history, depicting local tradition and the impact of war.

GettysburgLocal historyWar and memory

When Sarah Saved the Day

1909 Children's literature

An early children's work featuring Sarah's resourcefulness and courage in a short/novella format.

Child independenceCourage

Rifles for Washington

1938 Historical fiction

One of her historical stories aimed at children and young adults about American history.

HistoryHeroism

Bibliography

  • When Sarah Saved the Day (1909)
  • Gettysburg: Stories of the Red Harvest and the Aftermath (1913)
  • Katy Gaumer (1915)
  • Emmeline (1915)
  • The Story of Lutheran Missions (1917)
  • The Long Journey (1917)
  • Martin Luther (1917)
  • Basil Everman (1920)
  • Ellen Levis (1921)
  • Bennett Malin (1922)
  • The Hidden Road (1923)
  • A Boy at Gettysburg (1924)
  • Bred in the Bone, and other Stories (1925)
  • The Book of the Constitution (1926)
  • The Book of the United States (1926)
  • Keller's Anna Ruth (1926)
  • Sewing Susie (1927)
  • What Everybody Wanted (1928)
  • Virginia's Bandit (1929)
  • You Make Your Own Luck (1929)
  • A Little Money Ahead (1930)
  • Swords of Steel (1933)
  • The Magic Mirror (1934)
  • The Loving Heart (1937)
  • Stories of Pennsylvania (1937)
  • Rifles for Washington (1938)
  • A Cloud of Witnesses (1939)
  • Stories to Read at Christmas (1940)
  • A High Wind Rising (1943)
  • I Speak for Thaddeus Stevens (1947)
  • I Heard of a River (1948)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Narrative style emphasizing historical backgroundClear, accessible prose aimed at children and young adults
Recurring Motifs
Pennsylvania local historyGettysburg and Civil War legacyPennsylvania German heritage and folklore

Legacy

Singmaster is known for regional Pennsylvania histories and children's historical fiction, notably receiving a Newbery Honor in 1934 for Swords of Steel. Her Gettysburg-themed writings have attracted attention in local history studies and have been preserved and digitized by libraries and colleges.

Archives

  • Gettysburg College Musselman Library digitized 'The Hidden Road'

Trivia

  • Married Harold Steck Lewars in 1912 but continued to publish under Elsie Singmaster.
  • Her husband died in March 1915 at age 33; she lost their infant child two months later.
  • First published short story was 'The Lèse-Majesté of Hans Heckendorn' in 1905.
  • Received a Newbery Honor in 1934 for 'Swords of Steel'.