May 19, 2025

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Mary Pope Osborne
Columns & Opinion
May 19, 2023
Mary Pope Osborne

Mary Pope Osborne, American author of children’s books, was born May 20, 1949, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Her father was military and as a child she lived in Oklahoma, Virginia and Austria before his retirement, and they settled in North Carolina. She grew up with a sister Natalie, her twin brother Bill and a younger brother Michael.

Mary Pope Osborne, American author of children’s books, was born May 20, 1949, in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Her father was military and as a child she lived in Oklahoma, Virginia and Austria before his retirement, and they settled in North Carolina. She grew up with a sister Natalie, her twin brother Bill and a younger brother Michael.

She graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1971, where she began studying drama and graduated with a degree in religion. She traveled extensively after graduation including eleven countries throughout Asia. When she came back to the States, she met her husband Will Osborne and they married in 1976 and settled in New York.

Mary held several different jobs before her writing career started when she published her first book “Run, Run As Fast As You Can” in 1982. She has written almost one hundred books including young adult novels, picture books, biographies, mysteries and is most famous for her Magic Tree House Series, which she began writing in 1992. As of 2017, the series sold more than 134 million copies worldwide. The first book was “Dinosaurs Before Dark” and now there are more than 60 Magic Tree House books.

Mary is co-author of the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker Series along with her husband Will Osborne and her sister Natalie Pope Boyce. The first two non-fiction books in this series were published in 2000. Mary loved reading as a child and her mother, being a 2nd grade teacher, read with her children and took them to the library. Mary still loves to read and has more than two thousand books in her home library.

Mary and Will now live in Connecticut in a home on a lake where they love to kayak and hike with their dogs.

We have some 75 copies of her books, including the Magic Tree House Series and Fact Tracker Series.

Voters approve GCTC millage proposal
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Voters approve GCTC millage proposal
May 18, 2025
Okmulgee County voters delivered decisive outcomes in two key elections Tuesday, approving the Green Country Technology Center (GCTC) building fund millage proposal and selecting Republican Bryan Loga...
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HPS advances key staffing, contracts and projects at May meeting
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HPS advances key staffing, contracts and projects at May meeting
May 17, 2025
The Henryetta Board of Education tackled a packed agenda Monday evening during its regular May 13 meeting, addressing personnel decisions, infrastructure partnerships and program renewals as the distr...
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County honors its finest at annual banquet
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County honors its finest at annual banquet
May 16, 2025
The Elks Lodge #1822 in Okmulgee once again opened its doors with pride, gratitude and respect as they hosted the annual Law Enforcement and First Responders Banquet on May 10. The event, which has be...
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Supt. Price reflects on busy end of school year
May 16, 2025
As Henryetta Public Schools approaches the final days of the 2024-25 academic year, Superintendent Jason Price offered words of reflection and encouragement to students, staff and the community.In his...
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Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign reminds drivers to buckle up
May 16, 2025
Starting May 19, law enforcement across Oklahoma will be looking for seat belt violations.The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Oklahoma Highw...
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AEB to host fraud prevention training sessions
May 16, 2025
American Exchange Bank is organizing a community- focused scam and fraud prevention training on Thursday, May 22, offering local residents the opportunity to learn how to protect themselves and their ...
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Martha Jo Whitworth celebrated for lifetime of creativity
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Martha Jo Whitworth celebrated for lifetime of creativity
May 16, 2025
The heart of Henryetta’s Main Street shined a little brighter this past weekend as Bear Bottom Antiques unveiled a stunning tribute to one of the community’s own treasures, Martha Jo Whitworth. At 89 ...
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The Light on Lavender Street
News
The Light on Lavender Street
May 16, 2025
Mary Ray Stephenson sat in the backyard of the house she and Wilbur bought in 1958, the same white clapboard home on lavender street in Schulter, Oklahoma where she had watched the world change from h...
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News
Morris Council tackles items at meeting
May 16, 2025
In a comprehensive city council meeting that addressed multiple critical municipal issues, local officials demonstrated their commitment to community development, infrastructure improvement and fiscal...
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Funeral Preplanning Tips
News
Funeral Preplanning Tips
May 16, 2025
Planning a funeral can be an overwhelming and emotional process. However, preplanning your own funeral or that of a loved one can help alleviate stress during a difficult time. Here are some helpful t...
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News
Beggs School: The Early Days of a Proud Tradition
May 16, 2025
Gabrielle Spencer-Ginn Special to the TimesLast year, we took a look back at the cherished traditions of the Beggs alumni banquets. Today, let’s travel even further into the past - to the very roots o...
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