Charles J. Finger was born December 25, 1867 in Willesden England. He attended school at King's College in London and in Frankfurt, Germany. In 1898, Finger established the San Angelo Music Conservatory and until 1904 taught lessons and arranged concerts and tours. In 1902, he married Eleanor Ferguson. September of the following year, the couple had a son named Hubert Philip. The following years, Finger worked as an auditor for the Columbus Railway Co., in Ripley, Ohio. During these years, the couple had four more children, Julia Louise (1904), Charles Ferguson (1907), Helen Grace (1913) and Herbert Eric (1915). In 1919, William Reedy published three of Finger's short stories and hired him to take over Reedy's Mirror while on vacation. In 1920, the family moved to a farm called Gayeta Lodge in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Finger wrote 36 books in the last 20 years of his life including Newbery Medal winning Tales From Silver Lands. The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville presented Finger an honorary LL.D in 1932 and in 1944 honored posthumously by Maritime Commission by having a freighter named after him. Finger died January 7, 1941 at his home.

After James Keddie read Charles J. Finger's article, "Note on Children's Books," he wrote to him asking for permission to publish the article in Bellows-Reeve which Keddie was the eastern distributer. Keddie became vice-president of Bellows-Reeve, while Finger was appointed managing editor. Finger edited a monthly journal for Bellows-Reeve and answered queries from readers.