Born: October 31,1932 Place of Birth:

Qing Jiang, China Maiden Name: Katherine Womeldorf Parents: George and Mary Womeldorf Her parents were Americans working

in China as Christian missionaries Katherine is the middle of 5 children

Katherine lived in China till 1937 when Japan was invaded andthe family was forced to move to North Carolina

The family returned to China but returned to the United States again when World War II broke out

Unable to go back to China, Katherine’s family lived in many different towns throughout North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia

Katherine moved to eighteen different places by the time she was eighteen years old

Katherine attended King College in Bristol, Tennessee where she earned a degree in English in 1954

She spent a year teaching 6th grade in a rural school in Northern Virginia She would use these students as the basis for her

characters in Bridge to Terabitha Katherine earned her Master’s Degree in

Bible and Christian Education from Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, Virginia

In 1957, Katherine moved to Japan to work as a missionary

Katherine moved to New York to continue her education in 1962. It was there that she met and married a Presbyterian Pastor named John Paterson

They have four children, Elizabeth, Mary, John, and David. Mary and Elizabeth are both adopted.

Katherine and John have seven grandchildren

As a child, Katherine enjoyed writing plays for her friends to act out

Her career as professional writer began in 1964 when the Presbyterian church asked her to write curriculum for 5th and 6th graders

After the books were finished, she decided she wanted to be a writer. But now she wanted to write fiction

Katherine wrote many things but none of them were published

Finally, a friend convinced her to take a creative writing course

It was in this class that she wrote her first children’s novel The Sign of the Chrysanthemum which was published in 1976.

The settings in Mrs. Paterson’s books are often places that she has lived such as Japan, China, and many different places up and down the east coast of the United States

Katherine sometimes uses her books to deal with issues in her own life For example, she wrote:

Bridge to Terabitha to deal with the sudden death of her son’s best friend

The Great Gilly Hopkins after she had a foster child for two months that they could not handle

Come Sing, Jimmy Jo to help her deal with her new found fame and her personal shyness

Katherine’s characters are usually on a quest to find themselves

Her work portrays strong characters who are set apart or cast out of society

Katherine’s books help to put a human face on the people who are different Her books on China and Japan introduce her

readers to two culture very different from their own

Her writings also display a deep insight into human nature and deal with the vast realm of human emotions

A motion picture has been produced based on the book Bridge to Terabitha. The movie premiered in 2007

Her newest book, The Day of the Pelican, was published in 2009

Katherine is National Ambassador for Young Peoples Literature

She is the Vice President of National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance

Katherine currently lives with her husband in Barrie, Vermont

The Sign of the Chrysanthemum, 1973.

Of Nightingales That Weep, 1974.

The Master Puppeteer, 1975.

Bridge to Terabithia, 1977.

The Great Gilly Hopkins, 1978.

Jacob Have I Loved, 1980.

Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom, 1983.

Come Sing, Jimmy Jo, 1985.

Park's Quest, 1988. Lyddie, 1991. Flip-Flop Girl, 1994. Jip, His Story, 1996. Parzival: The Quest of

the Grail Knight, 1998. Preacher’s Boy, 1999. The Same Stuff as

Stars, 2002 Bread and Roses, Too,

2006 The Day of the

Pelican, 2009

The Angel and the Donkey, 1996. The King's Equal, 1996 Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water, 1998. Tale of the Mandarin Ducks, 1990. The Wide-Awake Princess, 2000. Blueberries for the Queen, 2004. Brother Sun, Sister Moon: Saint Francis of

Assisi's Canticle of the Creatures, 2011 The Field of the Dogs, 2001. Marvin One Too Many, 2001. Marvin’s Best Christmas Present Ever, 1997. The Smallest Cow in the World, 1991.

Gates of Excellence: On Reading and Writing Books for Children, 1981.

Consider the Lilies: Plants of the Bible, 1986. The Spying Heart: More Thoughts on Reading and

Writing Books for Children, 1989. Who Am I?, 1992. A Sense of Wonder: On Reading and Writing Books for

Children, 1995 (combined text of Gates of Excellence and The Spying Heart)

The Invisible Child: On Reading and Writing Books for Children, 2001

Angels & Other Strangers: Family Christmas Stories, 1979.

A Midnight Clear: Twelve Family Stories for the Christmas Season, 1995.

Star of Night: Stories for Christmas, 1980.

Written by: Katherine Paterson Main Characters: 10 year olds - Jess

Aarons and Leslie Burke Setting: Rural Northern Virginia in

the 1970s Summary of the Story:

Jess lives with his parents and four sisters. He has one goal in life to be the fastest runner in fifth grade. Though no one knows what a really good artist he is.

However, a strange new girl, Leslie Burke, enters his class and things begin to change.

They become great friends and create a magical world in their minds. In this new world, Terabithia, they rule as king and queen

But when tragedy strikes everything changes for Jess again

Written by: Katherine Paterson Main Characters: Louise Bradshaw,

Caroline Bradshaw, and Call Purnell Setting: Rass Island on the

Chesapeake Bay in the 1940s Summary of the Story:

Louise lives with her family on a small island on the Chesapeake. She is a tom boy who makes money by crabbing with her best friend Call

Her twin sister, Caroline, is not only a great singer but she is also beautiful

Louise is terribly jealous of her twin sister. She hates how everyone fawns over her sister and ignores her. She is desperate for her own world away from her sister

When her best friend tells her he’s going to marry Caroline, Louise knows she must find a new life away from the island

Written by: Katherine Paterson Main Characters: Galadriel “Gilly” Hopkins,

Trotter, William Ernest Setting: Small town in Maryland in the

1970s Summary of the Story:

11 year old, Gilly Hopkins, has been in the foster system since she was 3. She has been in 3 foster homes in the past year. Gilly knows she can only depend on herself

Gilly’s goal in life is to make her foster family and teachers as miserable as possible so they send her back to her beautiful mother

They send her to the Trotters, the weirdest foster family she’s ever had. She immediately started cooking up plans for getting back to her mother

After a while she realizes that life at the Trotter’s isn’t so bad. However something is about to backfire in Gilly’s life.

Written by: Katherine Paterson Main Characters: Lyddie Wenthon Setting: New England in the 1840s Summary of the Story:

Lyddie lives on a small farm in Vermont. Her father ran off 3 years ago so her and her brother Charlie runs the farm

One day, Lyddie’s mother hires out Charlie and her to help pay off their father’s debt.

Lyddie works in a tavern for a year until she decides to run off to Lowell, Mass. to become a factory girl

Now she works in factory were she works as hard as she can and saves as much money as possible. Her goal is to pay off her father’s debt and return to her farm.

  

Bread and Roses, Too New York Public Library Best Books for Teen Age, 2007 Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year, 2007 VOYA's 2006 Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, 2007 Christopher Award, 2006 Parents' Choice Gold Medal, Fall 2006, Historical Fiction

The Same Stuff as Stars Co-winner of the Paterson Prize 2003 Honor Book for The Red Mitten, Judy Lopez Memorial, and

Jane Addams Awards 2003

Preacher's Boy Parents' Choice 1999 Story Book Award Jefferson Cup of Virginia Library Association

Jip, His Story The Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction 1997 Parents' Choice 1996 Story Book Award Parents' Choice 1999 Paperback Book Honor

Flip-Flop Girl ALA Notable Children's Book School Library Journal Best Book American Bookseller Spring Pick of the Lists for Middle

Readers New York Public Library - 100 titles for Reading and Sharing

Lyddie Honor Book of the International Board of Books for

Young People 1994 ALA Best Book for Young Adults ALA Notable Children's Book American Bookseller Pick of the Lists IBBY Honor Book

The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks Boston Globe/Horn Book Picture Book Award 1991 The New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Books American Bookseller Pick of the Lists Booklist Editors' Choice

Park's Quest American Bookseller Pick of the Lists NCSS_CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of

Social Studies IRA-CBC Children's Choice Learning Choice Library of Congress Books for Children Child Study Assocation Children's Books of the Year The Horn Book Fanfare Honor List

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow Parent's Choice Award NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of

Social Studies IRA-CBC Children's Choice Child Study Association Children's Books of the Year CCBC Choice Library of Congress Books for Children

Come Sing, Jimmy Jo Parents' Choice Award School Library Journal Best Books CCBC Choice Booklist Editors' Choice

Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom Parents' Choice Award NCSS-CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social

Studies Child Study Assoc. Children's Books of the Year

Jacob Have I Loved Newbery Medal 1981 ALA Notable Children's Book 1976-1980 School Library Journal Best Books of 1980 Best of the 80's YA Novels (English Journal) Best of the 80's (ALA Booklist)

The Great Gilly Hopkins National Book Award 1979 Newbery Honor Award 1979 Honor Book, Jane Addams Children's Book Awards 1979 Christopher Award, 1979 American Library Association Notable Children's Books 1978 School Library Journal Best book of 1978

Of Nightingales that Weep Phoenix Award Children's Literature Association 1994 ALA Notable Children's Books 1974

Bridge to Terabithia Janusz Korczak Medal (Poland) 1981 Silver Pencil Award (Netherlands) 1981 Newbery Medal 1978 ALA Notable Children's Books 1977 School Library Journal Best Book of 1977 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, 1978 Le Grand Prix des Jeunes Lecturs (France), 1986 1986 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award

The Master Puppeteer National Book Award for Children's Literature 1977 Edgar Allen Poe Special Award, Mystery Writers of

America 1977 Citation from The Puppeteers of America, Inc. 1978 ALA Notable Children's Books 1976 School Library Journal Best Book of Spring, 1976

Massachusetts Reading Association Lifetime Award

NSK Neustadt Award (University of Oklahoma), 2007

Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, Swedish Government, 2006

Literary Light, Boston Public Library 2000 Living Legend, Library of Congress 2000 New York Public Library Lion 1998 Hans Christian Andersen Medal for Writing 1998 Who's Who in American Women 1995 to present

King College, Outstanding Alumnus 1993-1994 Education Press Friend of Education Award 1993 Anne V. Zarrow Award Tulsa Public Library 1993 New England Book Award 1992 Regina Medal, Catholic Library Association 1988 Children's Literature Award, Keene State College 1987 Kerlan Award, University of Minnesota 1983 University of Southern Mississippi Medallion 1983 US Nominee Hans Christian Andersen Medal 1979 The Union Medal, Union Theological Seminary New

York

Katherine Pattern @ Web English Teacher http://www.webenglishteacher.com/paterson.html#bio This site has lesson plans and activities for Bridge to

Terabithia, The Great Gilly Hopkins, Jacob Have I Loved, Lyddie, The Master Puppeteer, and Same Stuff of Stars. It also has a biography on Katherine Paterson

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson Scholastic.com http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=37512

08 This site provides lesson plans on Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia http://rmtc.fsdb.k12.fl.us/content/terabithia.html This site provides links to sites that will help teachers

teach Bridge to Terabitha

Interactive Workshop- In Search of a Novel http://www.learner.org/workshops/isonovel/Pages/Bridgep

age.html This site gives a two day lesson plan for Bridge to

Terabithia as well links to other activities on the book Katherine Paterson- Bridge to Terabithia,

Lyddie http://literature.pppst.com/PQR/katherine-paterson.html This site provides Power Points, lesson plans and study

guides for Bridge to Terabithia and Lyddie Literature: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine

Paterson http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1805?locale=en This provides links to internet sites that can be used

while teaching Bridge to Terabithia

TeachersFirst- Katherine Paterson http://www.teachersfirst.com/tchr-keyword.cfm?

keyword=paterson&lower=1&upper=12&Submit4=Search%2Bby%2Bkeyword

This site provides links to lesson plans to different Katherine Paterson books

Teacher’s Guide: Bridge to Terabithia http://www.teachervision.com.au/fiction/printable/

64764.html This site provides a teachers guide for Bridge to Terabithia

Lyddie by Katherine Paterson http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/lyddie.html This site provides talking points, activities, and related

books for the book Lyddie

Beyond Books- Reading Between the Line http://www.beyondbooks.com/lit71/1.asp This provides ways for teachers to introduce and discuss

different themes found in Bridge to Terabithia The Stories of Katherine Paterson:

Interdisciplinary Teaching Units and the Development of Social Skills http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search This is article detailing units for the books The Great

Gilly Hopkins, Jacob Have I Loved, and Bridge to Terabithia

Middle School English http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/curric/middle/eng/6.html This provides links to lesson plans and activities for

Lyddie and Park’s Quest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=9xj8ITyKQaQ

Annenberg Channel. Interactive Workshop- In Search of a Novel. Annenberg Foundation, 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.

Beyond Books. Beyond Books- Reading Between the Line. Apex Learning Inc, 2007. Web. 30 March 2011.

Leonardi, Roy & Leonardi, Bonnie. “The Stories of Katherine Paterson: Interdisciplinary Teaching Units and the Development of Social Skills.” (2000): 1-22. ERIC. Web. 30 March 2011.

Martin, Phillip. Katherine Paterson- Bridge to Terabithia, Lyddie. Phillip Martin, 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.

Network for Instructional TV. TeachersFirst- Katherine Paterson. Network for Instructional TV, 2006. Web. 30 March 2011.

.

Otis, Rebecca. Lyddie by Katherine Paterson. Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site, 2010. Web. 30 March 2011.

Paterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. New York: HarperCollins, 1977.

Paterson, Katherine. The Great Gilly Hopkins. New York: HarperCollins, 1978.

Paterson, Katherine. Jacob Have I loved. New York:

HarperCollins, 1980.

Paterson, Katherine. Lyddie. New York: Penguin Books, 1990.

Paterson, Katherine. Official Website of Katherine Paterson. Katherine Paterson, 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.

Resource Materials & Technology Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Bridge to Terabithia. Resource Materials & Technology Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 7 February 2008. Web. 30 March 2011.

Scholastic Inc. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. Scholastic Inc, 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.

Scholastic Inc. Katherine Paterson. Scholastic Inc, 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.

Sutton, Rodger. “An Interview with Katherine Paterson.” Horn Book Magazine (2010): 10-14. EBSCOhost. Web. 30 March 2011.

TeacherVision. Teacher’s Guide: Bridge to Terabithia. Family Education Network , 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.

University of Missouri. Literature: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson. University of Missouri, 27 January 2011. Web. 30 March 2011.

Web English Teacher. Katherine Pattern @ Web English Teacher. Web English Teacher, 28 December 2010. Web. 30 March 2011