Katherine Paterson Books In Order

Marvin Books In Publication Order

  1. The Smallest Cow in the World (1988)
  2. Marvin’s Best Christmas Present Ever (1997)
  3. Marvin One Too Many (2001)

Standalone Novels In Publication Order

  1. The Sign of the Chrysanthemum (1973)
  2. Of Nightingales That Weep (1974)
  3. The Master Puppeteer (1975)
  4. Bridge to Terabithia (1977)
  5. The Great Gilly Hopkins (1978)
  6. Jacob Have I Loved (1980)
  7. Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom (1983)
  8. Come Sing, Jimmy Jo (1985)
  9. Park’s Quest (1988)
  10. Lyddie (1991)
  11. Flip-Flop Girl (1994)
  12. Jip: His Story (1996)
  13. Parzival: The Quest of the Grail Knight (1998)
  14. Preacher’s Boy (1999)
  15. The Same Stuff as Stars (2002)
  16. Bread and Roses, Too (2006)
  17. The Day of the Pelican (2009)
  18. The Flint Heart (With: JohnPaterson) (2011)
  19. My Brigadista Year (2017)
  20. Birdie’s Bargain (2021)

Chapter Books In Publication Order

  1. The King’s Equal (1992)
  2. The Field of the Dogs (2001)

Picture Books In Publication Order

  1. The Tongue-Cut Sparrow (1987)
  2. The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks (1990)
  3. The Angel and the Donkey (1996)
  4. Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water (1998)
  5. The Wide-Awake Princess (2000)
  6. Blueberries for the Queen (2004)
  7. The Light of the World: The Life of Jesus for Children (2008)
  8. Brother Sun, Sister Moon (2011)
  9. Under The Spell Of The Moon (2012)
  10. The Night of His Birth (2019)

Collections In Publication Order

  1. Angels and Other Strangers: Family Christmas Stories (1979)
  2. Star of Night (1979)
  3. Four Favorites from Katherine Paterson (1986)
  4. Katherine Paterson Treasury (1987)
  5. A Midnight Clear: Family Christmas Stories (1995)
  6. A Stubborn Sweetness and Other Stories for the Christmas Season (2013)
  7. Giving Thanks: Poems, Prayers, and Praise Songs of Thanksgiving (2013)

Non-Fiction Books In Publication Order

  1. Gates of Excellence: On Reading and Writing Books for Children (1981)
  2. Consider the Lilies: Plants of the Bible (1986)
  3. The Spying Heart: More Thoughts on Reading and Writing Books for Children (1989)
  4. Who Am I?: Exploring What It Means to Be a Child of God (1992)
  5. A Sense of Wonder: On Reading and Writing Books for Children (1995)
  6. Images of God (1998)
  7. The Invisible Child (2001)
  8. Stories of My Life (2014)

Anthologies In Publication Order

  1. Places I Never Meant To Be (1999)
  2. Acting Out (2008)

Marvin Book Covers

Standalone Novels Book Covers

Chapter Book Covers

Picture Book Covers

Collections Book Covers

Non-Fiction Book Covers

Anthologies Book Covers

Katherine Paterson Books Overview

The Smallest Cow in the World

Moving is not easy.

Rosie is the meanest cow in the world and Marvin’s best friend. When his family moves to a new farm, Marvin is sad and lonely…
until he finds Rosie again. But now she’s making a lot of trouble for everyone. Will she and Marvin ever adjust to the changes of a new life in a new place?

Marvin’s Best Christmas Present Ever

Christmas is coming and Marvin is worried. He wants to make the best Christmas present ever for his parents. His sister May always makes great presents; Marvin’s are never as good. This year Marvin is determined to make not only the best present, but one that will last forever. Katherine Paterson’s heart warming story and Jane Clark Brown’s charming illustrations create a book that will keep the spirit of Christmas alive throughout the whole year.

Marvin One Too Many

Share the love of reading with your beginner reader! I Can Read books are widely recognised as the premier line of beginner readers. Inaugurated in 1957 with Else Holmelund Minarik’s Little Bear, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, the series has grown to over 200 titles, which include mysteries, adventure stories, poetry, historical fiction and humour. Featuring award winning authors and illustrators, and a fabulous cast of classic characters, I Can Read books introduce children to the joy of reading independently. It is the first day of school, and Marvin is scared. Everyone seems to know where to go except Marvin. Everyone seems to have a place in class except Marvin. And everyone seems to know how to read except Marvin. Marvin’s struggle with reading will ring true to reluctant and eager readers alike, and all will share his triumph in Katherine Paterson’s reassuring story, the third about this popular character. Ages 5 7

The Sign of the Chrysanthemum

Muna has never known his father a samurai, a noble warrior. But Muna’s mother has told Muna how he will know him one day: by The Sign of the Chrysanthemum. When his mother dies, Muna travels to the capital of twelfth century Japan, a bewildering city on the verge of revolution. He finds a haven there, as servant to the great swordsmith, Fu*kuji. But Muna cannot forget his dream: He must find his father. Only then will he have power and a name to be reckoned with. Only then will he become a man.

Of Nightingales That Weep

The daughter of a samurai never weeps. But Takiko, whose warrior father was killed in battle, finds this a hard rule, especially when her mother remarries a strange and ugly country potter. To get away from her miserable home, Takiko eagerly accepts a position at the imperial Japanese court. There, her beauty and nightingale voice captivate the handsome young warrior, Hideo who also turns out to be an enemy spy. As war breaks out, Takiko flees the court and is forced to choose between loyalty to her people and her love for Hideo. She painfully learns that whatever choice she makes, she cannot run away from her samurai honor.

The Master Puppeteer

Who is the man called Sabura, the mysterious bandit who robs the rich and helps the poor? And what is his connection with Yosida, the harsh and ill tempered master of feudal Japan’s most famous puppet theater? Young Jiro, an apprentice to Yosida, is determined to find out, even at risk to his own life.

Meamwhile, Jiro devotes himself to learning puppetry. Kinshi, the puppet master’s son, tutors him. When his sheltered life at the theater is shattered by mobs of hungry, rioting peasants, Jiro becomes aware of responsibilities greater that his craft. As he schemes to help his friend Kinshi and to find his own parent, Jiro stumbles onto a dangerous and powerful secret…
.

Bridge to Terabithia

I was proud of my sister, but that year, something began to rankle beneath the pride.

Louise has had enough of her twin sister. Caroline is beautiful. Caroline is talented. Caroline is better. Growing up on the small island of Rass in Chesapeake Bay, Caroline seems to do nothing but take from Louise: their parents’ love, Louise’s chances for an education, her dreams for the future. They have spent their lives entwined sleeping in the same room, eating at the same table, learning in the same classroom and yet somehow nothing can bring them together. Louise’s only hope lies in seeking a place for herself beyond the stretch of Rass’s shores and her sister’s shadow. What will it take for her to break free?

Winner, 1981 Newbery Medal
Nominee, 1981 American Book Award for Children’s Literature
Notable Children’s Books of 1976 1980 ALA
1980 Best Books for Young Adults ALA
1981 Fanfare Honor List The Horn Book
Best Books of 1980 SLJ
Best of the ’80s BL
1980 Children’s Editors’ Choices BL
Outstanding Children’s Books of 1980 NYT
Children’s Books of 1980 Library of Congress
1980 Children’s Books NY Public Library
Best of the ’80s English Journal

The Great Gilly Hopkins

One tough cookieEleven year old Gilly has been stuck in more foster families than she can remember, and she’s disliked them all intensely. She has a county wide reputation for being brash, brilliant, and completely unmangable. So when she’s sent to live with the Trotters by far the strangest family yet Gilly decides to put her brilliant mind to work. Before long she’s devised an elaborate scheme to get her real mother to come ‘rescue’ her. But the rescue doens’t work out quite the way she planned. And when the time comes for her to go, The Great Gilly Hopkins is left thinking that maybe life with the Trotters wasn’t so bad after all…
. 1979 Newbery Honor BookWinner, 1979 National Book Award for Children’s LiteratureNotable Children’s Books of 1978 ALA1979 Fanfare Honor List The Horn Book’Best of the Best’ Children’s Books 1966 1978 SLJ1979 Christopher Award1979 Jane Addams Award Honor Book1980 81 Children’s Choice Award Iowa1981 Georgia Children’s Book Award1981 Garden State Children’s Book Award New Jersey Library Association1980 81 Children’s Book Award Massachusetts1981 William Allen White Children’s Book AwardNY Public Library Books and Recordings 1978

Jacob Have I Loved

I was proud of my sister, but that year, something began to rankle beneath the pride.

Louise has had enough of her twin sister. Caroline is beautiful. Caroline is talented. Caroline is better. Growing up on the small island of Rass in Chesapeake Bay, Caroline seems to do nothing but take from Louise: their parents’ love, Louise’s chances for an education, her dreams for the future. They have spent their lives entwined sleeping in the same room, eating at the same table, learning in the same classroom and yet somehow nothing can bring them together. Louise’s only hope lies in seeking a place for herself beyond the stretch of Rass’s shores and her sister’s shadow. What will it take for her to break free?

Winner, 1981 Newbery Medal
Nominee, 1981 American Book Award for Children’s Literature
Notable Children’s Books of 1976 1980 ALA
1980 Best Books for Young Adults ALA
1981 Fanfare Honor List The Horn Book
Best Books of 1980 SLJ
Best of the ’80s BL
1980 Children’s Editors’ Choices BL
Outstanding Children’s Books of 1980 NYT
Children’s Books of 1980 Library of Congress
1980 Children’s Books NY Public Library
Best of the ’80s English Journal

Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom

From beloved author and master storyteller Katherine Paterson comes a reissued historical novel of intrigue, war, and love, set against the Taiping Rebellion. Wang Lee is a young peasant boy, caught up in a secret group dedicated to overthrowing the hated Manchu emperor of China. Wang Lee faces a tough challenge: he must learn to be a soldier and kill for his cause. As the battles rage on, Wang Lee finds himself surrounded by a shifting world women who show their strength against all odds, and peasants transforming into a noble army. With her signature grace, style, and compassion, Paterson has created an epic tale of 19th century China, full of adventure, insight, and hope.

Come Sing, Jimmy Jo

The Johnsons are becoming country music stars. They’re on TV and the radio and it’s all because of James. His voice and his guitar playing bring the songs to life, and make the audiences beg for more. Most kids would love it. Not James. He’s had to change his name to ‘Jimmy Jo, ‘ dress in clothes he hates, and turn into someone else. All he wants is to sing the songs he loves. Will he ever be able to cope with fame?

Park’s Quest

‘Paterson offers her young readers a glimpse of the Vietnam War from what might be considered their own perspective: that of the next generation, the children of veterans, those for whom Vietnam is a vague historical event.’ The New York Times.

Lyddie

Lyddie by Katherine Paterson. Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan. Copyright 1991 by Katherine Paterson. P 1993 by Recorded Books, Inc. 93219 5 cassettes/6. 75 hours. Unabridged. ISBN 1 55690 851 2. ‘Lyddie Worthen is only 13 when her family is split up and she is forced to hire herself out at Cutler’s tavern. Far from home, she despairs of ever seeing her loved ones again. Desperate, Lyddie makes her way to Concord, Massachusetts where she becomes a factory girl, working as a weaver in a textile maill. Six days a week Lyddie struggles at the back breaking looms. In spite of the deafening noise of the machines, the sweltering hear, and the choking air thick with lint and dust, Lyddie holds onto her dream: to save enough money to pay off the family debts and bring everyone back home together. But as Lyddie earns a reputation for being a hard and thrifty worker, she watches the grinding work at the factory sap the vitality of young girls some no more than eight or nine who were once healthy and strong. When a friend is threatened by one of the factory managers, Lyddie knows it is time to speak up. But if she does, she could lose her dream and everything she has worked for. Newbery winner Katherine Paterson has rendered with intriguing historical accuracy life in industrial New England during the mid 19the century. ‘A superb story of grit, determination and personal growth.’ The Horn Book.’ from backcase

Flip-Flop Girl

Wishing for a miracle that will bring her father back to life and restore her family, Vinnie Matthews protects her younger brothers from the bullying kids who tease him for refusing to speak and finds a needed friend in Lupe. H. AB. SLJ.

Jip: His Story

From the cover: ‘When officials bring the lunatic to the poor farm in Vermont and lock him in a cage, Jip is the only one who befriends the shaggy old man. An abandoned child who has no memory of his life before coming to the farm, Jip has a gentle knack for calming all frightened creatures. Months later, a dark clad stranger comes to the poor farm, asking about Jip. The boy recoils from him as he would from a snake. In the stranger’s shadow, the lives of Jip and his caged friend soon become joined in a desperate flight from the boy’s perilous heritage. Set in 1855, and based on careful research and historical characters, Jip is a gripping and unforgettable story of racial injustice. Katherine Paterson has won two Newbery Awards and two National Book Awards. It’s no wonder that her novels, like Bridge to Terabithia…
and The Great Gilly Hopkins…
receive worldwide acclaim and have been translated into 20 languages. Each is filled with Paterson’s trademark sensitivity and grace.’ Regarding the narrator, John McDonough: ‘His inflections are lively and spirited…
and his voices are perfect.’ Kliatt. Recommended for listeners ages 10 and up.

Parzival: The Quest of the Grail Knight

Katherine Paterson’s wide reading led her to the Parzival story, in which a simple but handsome boy becomes a knight in King Arthur’s court, discovers he is of noble birth, and undertakes to seek the Holy Grail, emblem of enlightenment and redemption. The author’s craftsmanship is apparent on every page as she retells a thirteenth century epic poem by Wolfram von Eschenbach. Parzival sets out on a long, five year journey, going from wilderness to mountain, until finally he asks the proper question and is crowned the Grail King. Told with compassion, wit, and humor, and with great economy, this is a story that will open new worlds for readers of all ages. Both an adventure story and a spiritual quest, it makes a wonderful Easter gift. It is a story to be read on many different levels and will gain for its author many new fans.

Preacher’s Boy

It’s 1899 in a small town in Vermont, and the turn of the century is coming fast. According to certain members of the church where Robbie’s father is the preacher, the end of the century might even mean the end of the world. But Robbie has more pressing worries. He’s sure his father loves his simple minded brother, Elliot, better than him, and he can no longer endure the tiresome restrictions of Christianity. He decides to leave the fold and become an ‘apeist’ and, just in case the church whisperers are right, resolves to live life to the fullest. His high spirited and often hot headed behavior does nothing to improve his father’s opinion of him, nor does it improve the congregation’s flagging opinion of his father. Not until the consequences of his actions hurt others does Robbie put a stop to the snowballing chain of events he has set off and begin to realize his father might love him despite his wayward tendencies.

The Same Stuff as Stars

Angel Morgan needs help. Daddy is in jail, and Mama has abandoned her and her little brother, leaving them with their great grandmother. Grandma is aged and poor, and doesn t make any attempt to care for the children that’s left up to Angel, even though she is not yet twelve. The only bright spot in Angel s existence is the Star Man, a mysterious stranger who appears on clear nights and teaches her all about the stars and planets and constellations. We re made out of the same stuff as the stars, he tells her. Eventually, Grandma warms to the children and the three begin to cobble together a makeshift family. Then events in Angel s life take yet another downturn, and she must once again find a way to persevere. Katherine Paterson s keen sensitivity and penetrating sense of drama bring us a moving story of throwaway children, reminding us of the incredible resilience of childhood and the unquenchable spirit that, in spite of loss, struggles to new beginnings.

Bread and Roses, Too

Rosa’s mother is singing again, for the first time since Papa died in an accident in the mills. But instead of filling their cramped tenement apartment with Italian lullabies, Mamma is out on the streets singing union songs, and Rosa is terrified that her mother and older sister, Anna, are endangering their lives by marching against the corrupt mill owners. After all, didn t Miss Finch tell the class that the strikers are nothing but rabble rousers an uneducated, violent mob? Suppose Mamma and Anna are jailed or, worse, killed? What will happen to Rosa and little Ricci? When Rosa is sent to Vermont with other children to live with strangers until the strike is over, she fears she will never see her family again. Then, on the train, a boy begs her to pretend that he is her brother. Alone and far from home, she agrees to protect him…
even though she suspects that he is hiding some terrible secret. From a beloved, award winning author, here is a moving story based on real events surrounding an infamous 1912 strike.

The Day of the Pelican

Grade Level: 4 6 Age Level: 9 11 Listening Level: Grades 4 6 Meli Lleshi is positive that her drawing of her teacher with his pelican nose is what started it all. The Lleshis are Albanians living in Kosovo, a country trying to fight off Serbian oppressors. Suddenly, they are homeless refugees. As they travel the dangerous roads at night and leave burning farms and houses behind, young and old alike find their courage and resilience constantly tested. It is humiliating to have to live in crowded tent cities with hundreds of other displaced persons. If it weren t for Mama and Baba’s efforts to keep the family together, who knows what would happen to them? Then one day Baba makes a surprise announcement: they will all soon be going to a country far away. It will be a great adventure, he assures the family. There will be no more running from an enemy, and no turning back to their old way of life. But will they really find freedom at last? Meli wonders.

The Flint Heart (With: JohnPaterson)

Long ago, in the land of Dartmoor, a magic man created an enchanted charm that granted its possessor incredible power ; ;at the cost of the wearer’s own tenderness and compassion. After the merciless Flint Heart causes much destruction, it is lost among the reeds and rocks of the moor, where a kindly farmer discovers it thousands of years later. With the Flint Heart in his possession, the once adoring father Billy Jago is transformed into a cruel and merciless brute. Young Charles is determined to win back his father s true nature, and with his sister Unity and dog, Ship, he sets off into an enchanted world where animals talk, fairies hold elaborate banquets, and magical mischief must be resolved to bring Dartmoor and Merripit Farm back to rights again. This luminous fantasy by Katherine and John Paterson, freely abridged from Eden Phillpotts s original story, is a tale that promises to capture the hearts of listeners with an enchantment all its own.

The King’s Equal

Who is she?

A dying king makes his son his heir on one condition. Vain Prince Raphael must marry a woman who is his equal in beauty, intelligence, and wealth…

Where is this woman?

A search throughout the kingdom proves fruitless. Then the lovely Rosamund appears at the palace, as if by magic, and Raphael is certain he has found his wife. She is intelligent and wealthy, as well as beautiful certainly his equal, he thinks.

But what does the mysterious Rosamund think?

‘Finding a princess who is the ‘king’s equal’ in comeliness, intelligence, and wealth is an order that confounds the wisest, most loyal councilors in this distant realm. Finding a book equal in quality to this one is an even more formidable task. Newbery medalist Paterson weaves her story within the structure of familiar fairy tales…
. Vagin’s illustrations are exquisite.’ SLJ.

1993 Teachers’ Choices IRA
1992 Irma Simonton Black Award Bank Street College of Education
1993 Children’s Booksellers’ Choices Association of Booksellers for Children

The Field of the Dogs

It was all so unfair. Josh hadn’t wanted to move with his mother to Vermont. Now, on top of a new stepfather and new baby brother, Josh is faced with a new school, and worse: a menacing bully. Then Josh stumbles upon a secret. Following his dog, Manch, out to a field near the woods one day, Josh overhears Manch and his other dog friends talking! Not only that, Josh discovers that Manch and his friends are also faced with a bully a pack of bullies, in fact, who are threatening a fight. The dogs don’t want Josh’s help, but still Josh thinks he can solve their problems and his own with one simple solution. The only hitch to his plan: It’s dangerous. Taut and suspenseful, Katherine Paterson’s exciting chapters, together with Emily Arnold McCully’s pen and ink drawings, debuted in more than a hundred newspapers across the country as part of the Breakfast Serials program and are here published for the first time as a book.

The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks

Coveting a mandarin duck for his magnificent plumage, a greedy Japanese lord captures and cages him for all to admire. But the wild drake pines for his mate. Some compassionate servants release the drake to go to his mate, but are sentenced to death for it and the drake comes to their rescue. Watercolor and pastel paintings illuminate this Japanese folktale.

The Angel and the Donkey

In this story from the Hebrew Bible, a stubborn donkey delivers an important message from the angel and helps her master, a powerful curse layer, save the Israelites from the King of Moab.

Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water

Long ago, a young girl named Celia lived with her mother and a grumpy dog, Brumble, in a tiny house deep in the countryside. When Celia’s beloved mother fell ill, Celia tried to make her feel better, but nothing seemed to help. ‘If only I could drink once more the sweet, sweet water of my childhood, my life would be saved,’ her mother cried. As Celia loves her mother very much, she sets out immediately with the complaining Brumble to find the precious water. Along the way, they meet several unhappy creatures: a wild child of the woods; a sobbing, wretched woman of the water; and a mad man of the mountain. Through kindness and enormous generosity, Celia manages not only to complete her quest, but to dissolve the sorrow of the three souls she has encountered on her journey.

The Wide-Awake Princess

In 1942 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, living in exile after the Na*zi invasion of her country, spent the summer in Lee, Massachusetts, with her daughter and granddaughters. The following is based on a true story…
.

It 146;s summertime in New England during World War II, and a boy named William likes to imagine at bedtime that he is a brave knight fighting great battles to end the war. But in the morning he is always just William again, not big enough to contribute to the war effort like the rest of his family.

Then a real queen moves in just down the road: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. William 146;s parents explain that the queen has been forced out of her country because of the war. Now William has his chance to do something. It may not be 147;war work 148; it 146;s more like peace work but that makes all the difference.

Susan Jeffers 146;s dramatic illustrations portray the compelling contrast between William 146;simagination and the real events in the story, which are based on an actual incident in John Paterson 146;s childhood. Visually stunning, with an evocative, poignant telling, this is the picture book art form at its finest.

Blueberries for the Queen

In 1942 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, living in exile after the Na*zi invasion of her country, spent the summer in Lee, Massachusetts, with her daughter and granddaughters. The following is based on a true story…
.

It 146;s summertime in New England during World War II, and a boy named William likes to imagine at bedtime that he is a brave knight fighting great battles to end the war. But in the morning he is always just William again, not big enough to contribute to the war effort like the rest of his family.

Then a real queen moves in just down the road: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. William 146;s parents explain that the queen has been forced out of her country because of the war. Now William has his chance to do something. It may not be 147;war work 148; it 146;s more like peace work but that makes all the difference.

Susan Jeffers 146;s dramatic illustrations portray the compelling contrast between William 146;simagination and the real events in the story, which are based on an actual incident in John Paterson 146;s childhood. Visually stunning, with an evocative, poignant telling, this is the picture book art form at its finest.

The Light of the World: The Life of Jesus for Children

Two time Newbery Award winning author Katherine Paterson tells the story of Jesus’s life with extraordinary clarity and grace, accompanied by paintings as human and reverent as the text.’When the people looked at all the sadness and evil in the world, they had trouble believing that God was in charge. ‘God’s kingdom,’ said Jesus, ‘is as tiny as the smallest of seeds, but when it is planted it grows into such a huge tree that the birds make their nests in its branches.” Newbery Medalist & minister’s wife Katherine Paterson retells the life of Jesus in simple, beautiful language for all ages, making the story new again through her trademark generosity and compassion. Iconic images from Jesus’s life light the text with the same warmth and directness. A perfect gift book!

Brother Sun, Sister Moon

In Brother Sun, Sister Moon, award winning author Katherine Paterson re imagines a hymn of praise originally written by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1224. Illuminated with the exquisite illustrations of cut paper artist Pamela Dalton, this picture book offers a stunningly beautiful tribute to nature.

Under The Spell Of The Moon

For nearly 40 years, the International Board on Books for Young People IBBY has honored illustrators through the Hans Christian Andersen Awards and supported the growth of illustration for children worldwide. In honor of IBBY’s work and to support its future endeavors, many of the world’s greatest illustrators for children have donated art based on a text of their choice drawn from their childhood and culture. The result is a stunning book of illustrations featuring the contributions of illustrators worldwide, including Marie Louise Gay, Rosemary Wells, Vera Williams, and Ange Zhang. Texts are presented in both the original language and English. Groundwood Books will donate 15 percent of all sales to the International Board on Books for Children.

Angels and Other Strangers: Family Christmas Stories

Aminister, trying to help a boy find his father, winds up in jail on Christmas Eve. A mother copes with the death of her infant. A father searches for his runaway son. A widower takes in an outspoken foster child who tests the limits of his generosity. In unexpected ways that illuminate the true meaning of the Christmas story, these people put aside their loneliness and sorrows and fears and rediscover the joy of life. These inspirational stories are parables for today, voicing hope, celebration, and the mysteries of the human heart.

Gates of Excellence: On Reading and Writing Books for Children

A collection of essays relating to the author’s experience as a writer of novels for children, and her ideas on children’s literature in general.

Consider the Lilies: Plants of the Bible

Explores the symbolic significance of the flowers, fruits, and plants mentioned in various stories and passages of the Bible. Each passage is followed by a stunning full color painting by one of America’s most distinguished botanical illustrators.

Who Am I?: Exploring What It Means to Be a Child of God

An inviting book by an award winning author, Who Am I? explores with young readers what it means to be a child of God. Within the context of biblical teaching and the Christian faith, Katherine Paterson discusses common, basic questions that she herself has grappled with for a long time: Where in the World Is God?, What about Me?, Where Do I Belong?, Who Is My Neighbor?, What Is My Purpose?.

A Sense of Wonder: On Reading and Writing Books for Children

World renowned, award winning children’s book author Katherine Paterson shares her insights into the wonder of a child’s imagination in this stunning collection of more than a dozen critical essays on reading and writing for children. Originally published as two books: Gates of Excellence and The Spying Heart.

Images of God

Spiritual images transform the world all around us, in signs and symbols that are familiar to us from ancient times. The Bible is filled with word pictures that illuminate the various ways God defines the eternal message and meaning. From common symbols of rock and light to the parable of the prodigal son and the story of Jacob and Esau, the intricate brocade of Bible text is interwoven with transfiguring images. These symbols and stories help us to know more about God who God is and what God means to teach us within the everyday situations of our own lives. John and Katherine Paterson have conceived a book that is at once accessible and wise. Their astute, elegant text, coupled with Alexander Koshkin’s radiant paintings, will appeal to readers of all ages. Includes biblical references and an index.

The Invisible Child

Here are the remarkable critical speeches and essays of world renowned author Katherine Paterson. Featuring selected essays originally published in Gates of Excellence and The Spying Heart, this collection also includes the complete acceptance speeches for her two National Book Awards and two Newbery Medals, plus a new introduction and eight speeches never before published in book form. With the same perception, wit, and generosity that characterize her fiction, this much honored writer shares her ideas about writing for children, as well as her passion for reading, her spiritual faith, and her conviction that the imagination must be nourished. Her words will touch all those who care about literature and the lives of children.

Places I Never Meant To Be

Judy Blume asked prominent authors whose writing has been censored or challenged to contribute an original story to a collection that will benefit the National Coalition Against Censorship. The response was overwhelming and the results are simply extraordinary. The main characters of these stories find themselves in places they never meant to be: trapped in a baseme*nt with a vengeful cheerleader; transfixed by a fire that may have been lit by a teenager; terrified on the baseball field by a sad*istic coach. Featuring stories by David Mass, the late Norma Klein, Julius Lester, Chris Lynch, Harry Mazer, Norma Fox Mazer, Walter Dean Myers, Katherine Paterson, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Rachel Vail, Jacqueline Woodson, and Paul Zindel, Places I Never Meant To Be is a stunning literary achievement as well as a battle cry against censorship. All royalties generated from the sale of this book are being donated to the National Coalition Against Censorship, an alliance of over forty national nonprofit organizations united by a conviction that freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression must be defended.

Acting Out

Six masterful children’s authors have become master playwrights in this collection of one act plays that might just make you want to ACT OUT! In The Raven, Sharon Creech spoofs a publishing office while Susan Cooper shows the environment fighting back against overdevelopment in The Dollop. Patricia MacLachlan puts a twist on detention in The Bad Room and Katherine Paterson gives us a new twist on a classic fairy tale in The Billionaire and the Bird. Richard Peck’s Effigy in the Outhouse is the story of schoolboys doing their best to trick a spooky substitute while Avi’s Not Seeing Is Believing has words playing tricks on everyone. With a star studded lineup of writers there’s a stage full of drama, comedy, and great storytelling waiting behind these curtains! Newbery Medal winning and beloved authors Avi, Susan Cooper, Sharon Creech, Patricia MacLachlan, Katherine Paterson, and Richard Peck have come together and written six original one act plays to be read, shared, and acted out by the audience they know best. The playwrights could write about anything and anyone they wanted, but one thing would need to tie the stories all together. Each author had to choose one word and share it with the group. These six words then had to be written into each of the plays. The words they chose were ‘dollop,’ ‘hoodwink,’ ‘Justin,’ ‘knuckleball,’ ‘panhandle,’ and ‘raven.’ To find out the funny, odd, and creative ways they were used…
Well, you’ll have to read for yourself.

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