Bertrand R. Brinley
Encyclopedia
Bertrand R. Brinley was an American writer of short stories and children's tales. He was best known for his Mad Scientists' Club
stories.
The stories in The Mad Scientists' Club originally appeared over several years in Boys' Life
magazine, starting in 1961, and were later collected into book form. The Mad Scientists' Club, The New Adventures of The Mad Scientists' Club and The Big Kerplop! were first published by the now-defunct MacRae Smith Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. Much of the character of Mammoth Falls, the fictional town where the Mad Scientists' adventures take place, was based on the town of West Newbury, Massachusetts
, where Brinley lived during part of his youth and where he graduated from high school in 1935. West Newbury contributed a good many place names and several of the characters to the Mad Scientists' Club stories.
They have since been republished by Purple House Press
in Cynthiana, Kentucky
. Brinley's final work, The Big Chunk of Ice, was published posthumously in 2005 by Purple House Press with permission from his son, Sheridan Brinley.
The Mad Scientists' Club
The Mad Scientists' Club is a series of four books written for children by Bertrand R. Brinley and illustrated by Charles Geer.-Books in the series:* The Mad Scientists' Club consisting of:...
stories.
The stories in The Mad Scientists' Club originally appeared over several years in Boys' Life
Boys' Life
Boys' Life is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America . Its targeted readership is young American males between the ages of 6 and 18.Boys' Life is published in two demographic editions...
magazine, starting in 1961, and were later collected into book form. The Mad Scientists' Club, The New Adventures of The Mad Scientists' Club and The Big Kerplop! were first published by the now-defunct MacRae Smith Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. Much of the character of Mammoth Falls, the fictional town where the Mad Scientists' adventures take place, was based on the town of West Newbury, Massachusetts
West Newbury, Massachusetts
West Newbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. Situated on the Merrimack River, its population was 4,450 at the 2006 census. Along with neighboring Merrimac and Groveland, it is part of the Pentucket Regional School District....
, where Brinley lived during part of his youth and where he graduated from high school in 1935. West Newbury contributed a good many place names and several of the characters to the Mad Scientists' Club stories.
They have since been republished by Purple House Press
Purple House Press
Purple House Press is a publishing house based in Cynthiana, Kentucky. Founded in 2000 by former software engineer Jill Morgan, it specializes in bringing out-of-print children's books back into print....
in Cynthiana, Kentucky
Cynthiana, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,258 people, 2,692 households, and 1,639 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,873.6 people per square mile . There were 2,909 housing units at an average density of 870.9 per square mile...
. Brinley's final work, The Big Chunk of Ice, was published posthumously in 2005 by Purple House Press with permission from his son, Sheridan Brinley.
Writings
- Rocket Manual for Amateurs (1960, nonfiction)
- The Mad Scientists' Club (1965, juvenile)
- The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club (1968, juvenile)
- The Big Kerplop! (1974, juvenile)
- The Big Chunk of Ice (2005, juvenile)