Ellenor Fenn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellenor_Fenn

Fenn wrote a series of children's books for her nephews and nieces, inspired by Anna Laetitia Barbauld's Lessons for Children (1778-9), and in 1782 she wrote to the children's publisher John Marshall asking whether he would be willing to publish them. Between 1782 and 1812, he published numerous books by Fenn, often anonymously or under the pseudonyms Mrs. Teachwell or Mrs. Lovechild.[2] Cobwebs to Catch Flies (1783), a reading primer, was perhaps her most popular book; it went through multiple editions in both Britain and America until the 1870s.[3] Her Child's Grammar went through sixty editions by the 1860s.

Fenn also created toys and games that encouraged mothers to teach their children themselves. Andrea Immel, a specialist in eighteenth-century childhood, writes that through her games, we can “recognize [Fenn] as an early advocate of child-centered teaching strategies”[4] The games emphasize conversation and the child’s own world; they encourage the mother to answer the child's questions and to spontaneously teach when the child is interested in learning.[5]

In 1795, Fenn had a falling out with her publisher, John Marshall, and moved her business to Elizabeth Newbery's firm and publishers in Norwich. Throughout her career, Fenn never received any royalties for her work, only free distribution copies of her works.[6]