Katherine Paterson
Katherine Paterson, an author who has written many books on children in crisis, understands what it is like to be uprooted. Born in China in 1932, she and her missionary parents moved 15 times in her first 15 years. When she first attended school in the United States as a fourth grader, she spoke mostly Chinese and struggled with English.
A repeat Newbery winner, Paterson has captivated children for decades with stories on tough topics that manage to avoid sentimentality.
Growing up, Paterson said she wanted to be either a movie star or a missionary. She attended college in Tennessee, teaching for a few years in Virginia before going to Japan as a missionary. She said she might have stayed in Japan had she not met and fallen in love with a Presbyterian pastor during one of her visits to the United States. After marrying and beginning to raise four children, Paterson began to write.
Her first major novel, The Bridge to Terabithia, was a Newbery winner and became a beloved classic children's novel. Paterson wrote it after her son's best friend was killed by lightening; the book was her attempt to understand the tragedy. While much loved, the book has also been frequently banned in various libraries.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
The Sign of the Chrysantheum |
Gates of Excellence |
Angels and Other Strangers |
A Sense of Wonder |
Blueberries for the Queen |
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The Master Puppeteer |
Of Nightingales that Weep |
Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water |
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Jacob Have I Loved |
Master Puppeteer |
Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom |
The Same Stuff as Stars |
Come Sing, Jimmy Jo |
The Spying Heart |
Consider the Lillies |
Marvin One Too Many |
Park's Quest |
The Field of the Dogs |
The Tale of Mandarin Ducks |
The Angel and the Donkey |
Lyddie |
Robbie-la-terreur |
The Smallest Cow in the World |
The Invisible Child |
The King's Equal |
Preacher's Boy |
Who Am I? |
A Midnight Clear: Family Christmas Stories |
Flip-Flop Girl |
Marvin's Best Christmas Present Ever |
A Midnight Clear |
Parzival: The Quest of the Grail Knight |
Jip, His Story |
The Wide-Awake Princess |
Of Nightingales That Weep |
Miracles of Christmas |
