Marsha Wilson Chall (November 7, 1953 – March 29, 2026) was an American educator and author of children's picture books. Several of her books were inspired by her home state of Minnesota."Marsha Wilson Chall." Something About the Author, edited by Lisa Kumar, vol. 257, Gale, 2013, pp. 27-31. Gale Literature: Something About the Author. Accessed 8 May 2023.
Life and career
Early life and education Chall was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on November 7, 1953. She was an only child. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Drake University in 1975 and a Master of Arts from the University of Minnesota in 1984."Marsha Wilson Chall." Gale Literature: Contemporary Authors, Gale, 2005. Gale Literature Resource Center. Accessed 8 May 2023.
Career Chall published her first book, Mattie, in 1992. She received a Smithsonian Notable Children's Book citation in 2000 for Bonaparte. Bonaparte received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, which said the book was "fresh as a newly baked croissant" and "Chall's narrative strikes just the right balance between humor and feelings of loss in this captivating dog-loses-boy, dog-gets-boy tale".
She worked at Metropolitan State University as an adult literacy instructor.
Personal life and death Chall was married and had two children. She lived on a farm near Minneapolis. She died on March 29, 2026, at the age of 72.Marsha Wilson Chall
Selected works Mattie. Illustrated by Barbara Lehman. 1992. Up North at the Cabin. Illustrated by Steve Johnson. 1992. Rupa Raises the Sun. Illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger. 1998. Sugarbush Spring. Illustrated by Jim Daly. 2000. Bonaparte. Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin. 2000. Prairie Train. Illustrated by John Thompson. 2000. Happy Birthday, America. Illustrated by Guy Porfirio. 2000. One Pup's Up. Illustrated by Henry Cole. 2010. Pick a Pup. Illustrated by Jed Henry. 2011. A Secret Keeps. Illustrated by Heather M. Solomon. 2012. The Secret Life of Figgy Mustardo. Illustrated by Alison Friend. 2016.
References
External links
Marsha Wilson Chall on Goodreads Papers at the University of Minnesota