Eleanor H. Ayer

She was born Eleanor Ann Hubbard, but to her friends, families, neighbors, and everyone lucky enough to know her, she went by, “Ellie.”

Ellie came into the world on September 6, 1947, and was raised in Rutland, VT. Her mother was an elementary school teacher in a one-room school house, instilling in her a love for books from a very young age.

Ellie worked her way through Syracuse University with degrees in Childhood Education and Journalism by selling term papers. She charged by the grade level the student wanted.

While working as a ski instructor at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, she met John Ayer, the man would become her husband and father of their two sons, Madison and William. They moved to Colorado to start their own publishing company, where Ellie authored over 50 books. Her career focused on:

- Young Adult non-fiction, with the majority being about the holocaust.

- Several biographies including Charles Dickens, Margaret Burke White, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

- Several in a series of self-help books for teens.

- Numerous travel guidebooks for Colorado, Arizona, and California.

- Won the Christopher Award and ALA Best Book for Young Adults for her book, “Parallel Journeys” in 1995.

In addition to her many books, Ellie also:

- Volunteered at several schools throughout Colorado.

- Took three consecutive teams to the National Geographic Geography Bee finals

- Volunteered at local libraries.