What does it take to uncover a story that’s been hiding in plain sight?
In this episode of Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations, I sat down with Nancy Hudgins, author of Books Good Enough for You: The Storied Life of Ursula Nordstrom, to talk about the research journey behind her middle grade biography—and the surprising discoveries that reshaped how she understood one of the most influential editors in children’s literature.
👉 Watch the full conversation here: Writing the Woman Behind Children’s Books: Researching Ursula Nordstrom with Nancy Hudgins
The “Gold Mine” Moment Every Nonfiction Writer Dreams Of
Every researcher hopes for that one discovery, the moment you realize you’ve uncovered something no one else has told before.
For Nancy, that moment came early. While digging into Ursula Nordstrom’s life, she learned something astonishing: Nordstrom never graduated from high school, a detail that had never been previously published.
Here was a woman who shaped some of the most iconic books in children’s literature like Charlotte’s Web, Goodnight Moon, and Where the Wild Things Are, all without the traditional credentials we might expect.
That discovery added to Nancy’s picture of who Ursula Nordstrom was and just how hard she had to work to become such a preeminent editor.
Why Ursula Nordstrom? And Why Now?
Nancy’s interest in Nordstrom began years before she ever planned to write for children. Reading Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom introduced her to Nordstrom’s wit, voice, and editorial brilliance.
But it wasn’t until later when Nancy began writing for young readers herself that she realized just how influential Nordstrom had been.
👉 Watch this discussion (2:00)
What gave the book a much-needed hook was how the discussions around what’s appropriate for kids and issues of freedom to read emerged even during Nordstrom’s day.
As Nancy explains, Nordstrom spent her career defending bold, unconventional books, stories like In the Night Kitchen that pushed boundaries and trusted young readers. Today, with rising book challenges and censorship, that legacy feels more relevant than ever.
Why Middle Grade Was the Right Fit
Originally, Nancy experimented with picture book versions of this story but something wasn’t working.
The problem? Ursula Nordstrom’s life was simply too big.
👉 Watch this turning point (4:00)
A picture book couldn’t cover:
- The behind-the-scenes stories of multiple iconic books
- The evolution of Nordstrom’s editorial philosophy
- The broader cultural questions about what children should be allowed to read
Middle grade, on the other hand, offered space to explore greater complexity. It also allowed Nancy to write for readers who had grown up with these books and were ready to discover the woman behind them.
The Power (and Joy) of Primary Source Research
At the heart of this book is deep archival research, and Nancy didn’t just rely on familiar sources.
She started with Nordstrom’s letters, then expanded outward: bibliographies, newspaper archives, academic databases, and beyond.
👉 Watch the research deep dive (9:00)
One of her biggest breakthroughs came from a small “ah ha” moment. Instead of searching for “Ursula Nordstrom,” she searched for “Ursula Dixie” (her father’s surname) and uncovered legal transcripts from her parents’ divorce, as well as other sources.
That discovery opened a window into Nordstrom’s childhood, revealing emotional experiences that shaped her later life.
It’s a powerful tip for writers: always research multiple spellings and forms of a subject’s name. For example, in Wood, Wire, Wings, I had to search for “Lilian Todd,” as well as “Lillian Todd,” “Emma Todd,” and “E. Lilian Todd.”
Research Rabbit Holes
Of course, with deep research comes a familiar challenge: what do you leave out?
Nancy describes falling down fascinating rabbit holes only to realize later that some details, however interesting, didn’t belong in a book for young readers.
The solution wasn’t to stop being curious but to try to wrangle what she was writing. Structure helped. By organizing the book around chapters devoted to specific children’s classics, Nancy created a clear framework that guided her decisions about what to include and what to set aside.
Writing for Kids Without Writing “Down”
One of the most powerful threads in our conversation was Ursula Nordstrom’s deep respect for young readers.
She didn’t believe in simplifying stories to make them “appropriate.” She believed in making them honest.
👉 Watch this discussion (20:00)
That philosophy shows up in her famous editorial challenge to her writers: Is this really good enough for you? That quote reveals her belief that she would accept nothing but the best from her writers. And that children deserve their best work too.
Nancy carries that same respect into her writing, emphasizing that middle grade readers are capable of understanding nuance, complexity, and even contradiction.
The Stories Behind the Stories
One of the delights of Nancy’s book—and our conversation—is the peek behind the curtain of beloved classics.
Take Goodnight Moon, for example.
👉 Watch the full story (25:30)
What feels like a simple bedtime story actually emerged from one of Margaret Wise Brown’s childhood rituals and was shaped by a dream she had. When she explained it to Ursula Nordstrom, she bought it on the spot. When Nordstrom received the initial illustrations, she and Wise Brown weren’t satisfied with the child character and the grandmother being humans, so they suggested bunnies to Clement Hurd, inspired by Wise Brown’s earlier book, Runaway Bunny.
What Writers Can Learn from This Process
For nonfiction writers, Nancy’s process offers several key takeaways:
- Look beyond the obvious. Names change, so try alternate spellings, maiden names, etc.
- Research the world, not just the person. Look at additional sources to research the setting, time period, and context.
- Let structure guide your story. It helps you decide what belongs.
- Respect your reader. Never write down, but respect your reader.
👉 Watch Nancy’s advice (30:30)
Why Ursula Nordstrom Still Matters
Ursula Nordstrom didn’t just edit books. She reshaped what children’s literature could be.
She championed stories that were strange, honest, funny, and real, stories that trusted children to think and feel deeply.
And thanks to Nancy Hudgins’ research, we now have a fuller picture of the woman behind that legacy.
🎧 Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/niownBnAmIE
