Mary Norton

Norton, the famous British author of The Borrowers series, was born on December 10, 1903, in London. After finishing her education at covenant schools, she worked as a secretary. This didn't last long before she turned her attention to being an actress at the Old Vic Theatre Company. Acting thrilled her, and Norton only quit after marrying her husband and having children. The family lived in Portugal, and it was there that Norton began writing.

At the outset of World War II, Norton's husband joined the Navy. With the children, Norton tried to return to England but had to stop indefinitely in the United States. By 1943 she resumed acting, and in 1952 The Borrowers saw publication and later won her the Carnegie Medal. Through films and TV, many children have known Norton's works. In fact, Disney took two of her books The Magic Bed Knob and its sequel Bonfires and Broomsticks to create the movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks.