Eloise Jarvis McGraw was the author of many novels for children and young adults, including Mara, Daughter of the Nile; Moccasin Trail; The Golden Goblet; and The Moorchild. She also wrote several books in the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum, including Merry-Go-Round in Oz and The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, both of which she wrote with her daughter, Lauren Lynn McGraw. During her lifetime, her writing won numerous awards, including two for lifetime achievement. She was a longtime resident of the Portland, Oregon, area. She passed away in 2000, but her works remain popular to this day.