Phyllis Schlafly, an influential conservative activist, author, and lawyer, died Sept. 5 at age 92.
She organized a successful grassroots campaign in the 1970s to block passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. She took interest in education issues as well, championing prayer in schools and opposing sex education. Schlafly, who founded the conservative group the Eagle Forum, believed parents had the primary responsibility to educate their children and opposed federally subsidized day care, saying mothers should stay home with their children.
Anna Dewdney, the author and illustrator of the popular Llama Llama children’s books, died Sept. 3. She was 50.
In lieu of a funeral, she requested that people read to a child, according to Penguin Random House. Prior to becoming a full-time children’s author, Dewdney worked as a day-care provider and boarding school teacher. Llama Llama Red Pajama, the first book in the series, was published in 2005. The books have sold more than 10 million copies.
