thumb|From the cover of Nora Archibald Smith's book Boys and Girls of Bookland (1923), illustrated by [[Jessie Willcox Smith]]

Nora Archibald Smith (1859–1934) was an American writer of children's literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and sister of Kate Douglas Wiggin. Smith and Wiggin co-authored and co-edited a series of children's books.

Both sisters were active in the kindergarten movement that was developing at the turn of the twentieth century, and wrote repeatedly on the subject. They were admirers of Friedrich Fröbel and promoted his theories on early childhood education.

Biography

Early life

Nora Archibald Smith was the sister of Kate Douglas Wiggin, known best for her novel Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm. Both girls were born in Philadelphia to Robert Noah Smith and Helen Elizabeth (Dyer) Smith. In 1880 Nora and Kate founded the California Kindergarten Training School together and Nora received a certificate from the school in 1881.

Nora then went on to become the superintendent of the free kindergarten on Silver Street Two of Nora's poems ("Doll's Calendar" and "Feast of the Doll") were set to music by composer Grace Chadbourne.

Selected works

As sole writer

  • The Children of the Future (1898)
  • The Kindergarten in a Nutshell: a handbook for the home (1899)
  • Under the Cactus Flag: a story of life in Mexico (1899)
  • The Message of Froebel and Other Essays (1900)
  • Three Little Marys (1902)
  • Nelson the Adventurer: a story for boys (1906)
  • The Adventures of a Doll (1907), illus. Dan Sayre Groesbeck
  • The Home-Made Kindergarten (1912)
  • Old, Old Tales from the Old, Old Book (1916) – Bible stories
  • Plays, Pantomimes, and Tableaux for Children (1917)
  • The Christmas Child (1920)
  • Boys and Girls of Bookland (1923), illus. Jessie Willcox Smith
  • Action Poems and Plays for Children (1923)
  • Children of the Lighthouse (1924)
  • Kate Douglas Wiggin as Her Sister Knew Her (1925)