Howard Roger Garis

Howard Roger Garis, (25 April 1873, Binghamton, New York–6 November 1962, Amherst, Massachusetts) was an American author, best known for a series of books, published under his own name, that featured the character of Uncle Wiggily Longears, an engaging elderly rabbit.

Garis also wrote many books for the Stratemeyer Syndicate under various pseudonyms. As Victor Appleton, he wrote about the enterprising Tom Swift; as Laura Lee Hope, he is generally credited with writing volumes 4–28 and 41 of the Bobbsey Twins; as Clarence Young, the Motor Boys series; as Lester Chadwick, the Great Marvel series and books featuring Baseball Joe; and as Marion Davidson, a number of books including several featuring the Camp Fire Girls.

By virtue of his accessible characters and engaging plots, Garis was the one of the most influential children's authors of his day. Many of his books, especially the Uncle Wiggily books, are still widely read and are readily available over the internet.

Milton Bradley produced an Uncle Wiggily board game in 1967 [ [http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/UncleWiggily1967.PDF Milton Bradley, 1967] ] and again in 1988. [ [http://www.hasbro.com/common/instruct/UncleWiggily1988(english,spanish).PDF Milton Bradley 1988] ] The game debuted much earlier though, and was most popular up till the 1970's.

Prior to writing for Stratemeyer, Garis and his spouse Lilian Garis both worked as reporters for the "Newark Evening News". He did some work on the side for WNJR also in Newark. Their children also wrote for Stratemeyer.

His son, Roger Garis, penned a biography of the writing Garis family "My Father Was Uncle Wiggily" (McGraw-Hill, 1966). Forty years later, Howard Garis' granddaughter Leslie Garis wrote a more revealing memoir, "The House of Happy Endings" (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2007).

ee also

*Stratemeyer Syndicate
*Uncle Wiggily (board game)

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