Nancy Larrick, 93; Author Promoted Reading for Children

Nancy Larrick, 93, an educator who through her helpful guide for parents encouraged children to read, died of pneumonia on Nov. 14 in her native Winchester, Va.

Educated at Goucher College, Columbia and New York universities, Larrick taught at Lehigh University, NYU and Indiana University. She also worked as an editor of children’s books and poetry anthologies for Random House and wrote widely about children’s ability to appreciate literature.

In 1958, she issued her most popular work, “A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Reading,” which has been reprinted six times. She subsequently wrote: “Your Child and His Reading: How Parents Can Help” in 1960, “A Teacher’s Guide to Children’s Books” in 1963 and nine other books for adults.

Her criticism of the lack of black characters in texts prompted studies of ethnicity in children’s books.

Larrick helped found and served as president of the International Reading Assn., which encourages literacy.