Lynne Reid Banks, the British author who was known for her 1980 children’s novel, The Indian in the Cupboard, has died at 94, the Guardian reports.

Reid Banks was born in London, and raised there and in Saskatoon, Canada. She worked as a journalist, becoming one of the first women television news reporters in the U.K. She made her literary debut in 1960 with the adult novel The L-Shaped Room, about an unmarried pregnant woman who finds a home in a boarding house; the book was adapted into a 1962 film directed by Bryan Forbes.

Reid Banks wrote several more adult novels before scoring a bestseller with The Indian in the Cupboard, based on a bedtime story she told her son, Omri. The novel follows a boy, also named Omri, who learns that his toys come to life when he stores them in a magical cupboard.

The book was adapted into a 1995 film, directed by Frank Oz, and spawned four sequels, including The Return of the Indian and The Mystery of the Cupboard.

Reid Banks’ admirers paid tribute to her on social media. On X, formerly known as Twitter, literary agent Jo Williamson posted a picture of a book Reid Banks autographed to her, with the inscription “For Jo—champion passer!”

“Such sad news about Lynne Reid Banks,” Williamson wrote. “She was a formidable lady who kept you on your toes but I loved working with her. For clarity, I was passing her books to sign not playing rugby with her!”

And poet Brian Moses posted, “Sad to hear that Lynne Reid Banks has died. She was a brilliant writer, both for adults and children. ‘Indian in the Cupboard’ was popular with the children I taught and both ‘The L Shaped Room’ and ‘An End to Running’ were books I enjoyed immensely.”

Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.