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When she wrote a picture book titled "Amazing Grace," Mary Hoffman had no idea that she was crafting a modern classic.

Hoffman had already published dozens of books, and, while she made a comfortable living, she hadn't yet caused a major stir in the literary world. But Hoffman's tale of a young black British girl named Grace who faces down racism and sexism to win the title role in the school production of "Peter Pan" has become a worldwide best seller.

Published in 1991, the book, featuring eye-catching illustrations by Caroline Binch, has sold more than 1 million copies. It's a particular favorite of U.S. readers, who have bought hundreds of thousands of copies of the tale of a girl who believes she can do anything at all......

Two years ago, first lady Laura Bush named "Amazing Grace" one of her five favorite children's books, following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law, former first lady Barbara Bush, who also has publicly lauded Hoffman's book.

What many readers find amazing, however, is the fact that Hoffman -- a white Englishwoman -- could have written such a heartfelt story about a young black girl and her battle to overcome racism.

"What matters most is that the story should be written. I am just the vehicle for the story, which has priority over everything else," Hoffman said in a telephone interview from Toronto, where she was promoting her books.

"I have even received a lot of letters from Americans, from black women, who have assumed that I was black. I think that means I have captured something authentic."

Children's book experts agree. " 'Amazing Grace' happens to be one of the most empowering picture books in the canon. And yet it does so with artless simplicity," said Anita Silvey, author of "The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators" and "The 100 Best Books for Children."

"It always causes those who know it to smile, even at the mention of the title," she added.

Once when she was in a Mississippi bookstore, Silvey saw a woman pick up a copy of "Amazing Grace."

"Obviously taken with it, she took it to the clerk in the store, I thought, to buy it. And then she said, 'I'd like the white version.' ... The clerk and I were both stunned. It exists, of course, in its single version -- and I am grateful for the one we have."

Since the publication of "Amazing Grace," Hoffman has written several more books about the intrepid Grace -- "Boundless Grace," a picture book, and two chapter books, "Starring Grace" and "Encore Grace."

Now there's a new chapter book in the series, "Bravo Grace" (Frances Lincoln, $14.95, ages 7-10). This time, Grace is dealing with a host of new challenges: her mom's remarriage, a bully, and a friend who suffers from anorexia. As usual, however, Grace's cheerful resourcefulness carries her through.

In Hoffman's typical style, the book has something to say to readers about difficult topics -- in this case bullying, anorexia and coping with a parent's remarriage. But Hoffman also carefully guards against preachiness by ensuring that it is the story, and not the message, that predominates.

Hoffman, 58, published her first children's book, "White Magic," in 1975. She doesn't really remember why she decided to write a children's book -- only that she was casting about for something to do after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University and then earning an advanced degree, in linguistics, from the University of London.

But Hoffman found that writing children's books suited her, and she decided to make it her career as she married and raised three daughters. Over the years, she's written more than 80 books on a wide variety of subjects, including "A First Bible Storybook" and "Sun, Moon and Stars."

Most recently, Hoffman has won acclaim with her "Stravaganza" series for teens, as well as for a 2003 anthology of children's stories and illustrations titled "Lines in the Sand" that she and her daughter Rhiannon Lassiter put together as a way to protest the Iraq war.

Hoffman's now at work on another teen series, as well as her first novel for adults. And she also produces Armadillo, a Web-based children's review magazine that comes out four times a year.

Meanwhile, Hoffman hasn't finished telling Grace's story and is just starting to write another picture book about her. It is titled "Princess Grace" and is scheduled to be published in 2007.

"It's been a complete surprise to me how well 'Grace' has done," Hoffman said. "I just wrote a book about a theme I loved."