|
Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Susan Campbell Bartoletti,
author of DEAR AMERICA: A COAL MINER'S BRIDE, taught eighth grade for
eighteen years before becoming a full-time writer. Her non-fiction photo essay, GROWING
UP IN COAL COUNTRY, won the James Addams Children's Book Award and the SCBWI Gold Kite
Nonfiction Honor Award, and was also named an ALA Notable Book. Bartoletti lives in
Pennsylvania with her family.
Back to top.
Barry Denenberg
MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL: The Diary of Bess Brennan is the fourth Dear America book that Barry Denenberg has written. He also wrote ONE EYE LAUGHING, THE OTHER WEEPING, WHEN WILL THIS CRUEL WAR BE OVER?: The Civil War Diary Of Emma Simpson and SO FAR FROM HOME: The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl as well as one of the first two My Name Is America books, THE JOURNAL OF WILLIAM THOMAS EMERSON: A Revolutionary War Patriot. He is also the author of the popular non-fiction titles AN AMERICAN HERO: The True Story Of Charles A. Lindbergh and VOICES FROM VIETNAM, both ALA Best Books for Young Adults and New York
Public Library Books for the Teenage. Denenberg lives in Westchester County, New York,
with his family.
Read an interview.
Back to top.
Sherry Garland
Sherry Garland's interest in the Mexican culture began early on and she draws on her own family ancestry when she
writes. VALLEY OF THE MOON is her second Dear America book following A LINE IN THE SAND: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence. She has won the Texas
Institute of Letters Award, the California Young Readers Medal, and the Western Writers of
America Spur Award. Among her many distinguished novels are SONG OF THE BUFFALO BOY,
SHADOW OF THE DRAGON, and INDIO, all ALA Best Books for Young
Adults. Garland lives in central Texas with her husband.
Back to top.
Kristiana Gregory
Kristiana Gregory is the
author of four Dear America books, THE GREAT RAILROAD RACE: The Diary of Libby West, THE WINTER OF RED SNOW: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, ACROSS THE WIDE AND LONESOME PRAIRIE: The Oregon Trail Diary o Hattie Campbell and SEEDS OF HOPE: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild, as well as The
Royal Diaries title CLEOPATRA VII: Daugher of the Nile. Ms. Gregory has
also written JIMMY SPOON AND THE PONY EXPRESS, THE STOWAWAY, and ORPHAN
RUNAWAYS. She lives in Boise, Idaho.
A Talk with Kristiana Gregory
Back to top.
Joyce Hansen
Joyce Hansen is the author of two Coretta Scott King Honor books, THE CAPTIVE and WHICH WAY FREEDOM?, in addition to many other highly-praised works of historical fiction and non-fiction. An educator in the New York City public school system for more than 20 years, Hansen now writes full-time in South Carolina, where she lives with her husband. She is the author of I THOUGHT MY SOUL WOULD RISE AND FLY: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl.
Back to top.
Karen Hesse
Karen Hesse is one of the foremost children's book writers in America today. Her Scholastic novel OUT OF THE DUST won the 1998 Newbery Medal, the Scott O'Dell Award, and many other awards and honors. In addition to A LIGHT IN THE STORM: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin, Ms. Hesse has written the novels JUST JUICE, WITNESS, THE MUSIC OF DOLPHINS, THE STOWAWAY, as well as the picture book COME ON, RAIN! illustrated by Jon J Muth. She lives with her family in southern Vermont.
Back to top.
Kathryn Lasky
Kathryn Lasky is the Newbery Honor-winning author of SUGARING TIME, as
well as many other distinguished books for middle-grade and young-adult readers. She has
written three books in the Dear America series, A TIME FOR COURAGE: The Suffragette Diary of Kathleen Bowen, Washington, D.C., 1917, A JOURNEY TO THE NEW WORLD: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple and DREAMS IN THE GOLDEN COUNTRY: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl. She has also written two books
for The Royal Diaries series, MARIE ANTOINETTE, Princess of Versailles and the debut title ELIZABETH I, Red Rose Of The House Of Tudor. Lasky lives
in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her family.
Back to top.
Patricia McKissack
Patricia C. McKissack is the author of two Dear America books, COLOR ME DARK:
The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, THE GREAT MIGRATION NORTH and A PICTURE OF
FREEDOM: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl. She was inspired to write A
PICTURE OF FREEDOM, because her great-great-great grandmother was a slave. She has
written more than 60 books, including CHRISTMAS IN THE BIG HOUSE, CHRISTMAS IN THE
QUARTERS. Among her many awards are a Newbery Honor, a Boston Globe/Horn Book
Award, a Jane Addams Book Award, four Coretta Scott King Awards, and an NAACP Image Award.
McKissack lives in St. Louis with her husband, writer Frederick McKissack.
Back to top.
Jim Murphy
Jim Murphy is the critically-acclaimed author of THE GREAT FIRE, winner of
the Newbery Honor Award, a Boston Globe/Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Award, and an NCTE
Orbis Pictus Award. Among his many other award-winning books are A YOUNG PATRIOT,
ACROSS AMERICA ON AN EMIGRANT TRAIN, THE BOY'S WAR and THE
LONG ROAD TO GETTYSBURG. In addition to writing a Dear America book, WEST
TO A LAND OF PLENTY: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi, he also wrote one of
the first two My Name Is America books, THE JOURNAL OF JAMES EDMOND PEASE: A Civil War Union Soldier. Murphy lives in New Jersey with his family.
Back to top.
Mary Pope Osborne
Mary Pope Osborne is the critically acclaimed and best-selling author of more than
forty books for children and young adults including the Magic Tree House series. MY SECRET WAR is her second book in the Dear America line. Her first, STANDING IN THE
LIGHT: The Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, received outstanding reviews and recently
debuted on HBO. She lives in New York City
Back to top.
Ann Rinaldi
Ann Rinaldi visited the Carlisle Barracks, the former site of the Carlisle Indian
School, to write her Dear America book, DEAR AMERICA: MY HEART IS ON THE
GROUND. In addition to the Dear America series, she has written for My Name Is
America. She is the popular author of many acclaimed historical novels for young
adults, seven of which have been named ALA Best Books for Young Adults. She lives with her
husband in Somerville, New Jersey.
• MY HEART IS ON THE GROUND Book Club Guide
Back to top.
Ann Turner
Ann Turner is the author of SHAKER HEARTS, and AMERICAN BOOKSELLER
Pick of the Lists; MISSISSIPPI MUD; and FINDING WALTER, a Smithsonian
Notable Book for Children. THE GIRL WHO CHASED AWAY SORROW: The Diary of Sarah Nita,
a Navajo Girl is her first book in the Dear America series.
Back to top.
Ellen Emerson White
Ellen Emerson White, author of both WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE? The Diary of Molly MacKenzie Flaherty (Dear America) and THE JOURNAL OF PATRICK SEAMUS FLAHERTY (My Name is America), has written several novels for young adults, including VOYAGE ON THE GREAT TITANIC (Dear America), THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER, LIFE WITHOUT FRIENDS, and LONG LIVE THE QUEEN, which was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. She is also the author of the Echo Company series. Ms. White lives in New York City.
Back to top.
NOTE: The above bios are courtesy of Scholastic.com.
|
