Description: "In this memoir, we learn the origins of Paterson's characters and storylines and share in her unexpected literary acclaim. We see the intimate moments of family, creativity, and faith that come together for a life well lived"--
Brief description:
Katherine Paterson is the beloved author of many books for young readers, including Bridge to Terabithia, The Great Gilly Hopkins, Jacob Have I Loved, The Master Puppeteer, and the Christmas books A Stubborn Sweetness and The Night of His Birth. She has been honored with nearly every major award for children's literature, including the Newbery Medal, a Newbery Honor, the National Book Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, and more than one hundred other awards and honors. She was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2000 and served as the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature in 2010-2011. Katherine Paterson lives in Vermont.
Review Quotes:
Praise for Stories of My Life
"This book is a valentine. It is Katherine's valentine to her parents and to her children. It is her valentine to life and to stories. It is her valentine to us." -from Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo's foreword
"'Sometimes I can't believe my own life, ' writes Paterson in these autobiographical stories about her missionary parents, her childhood in China and the U.S., and her career--first as a missionary herself and, after marriage and motherhood, as one of the most decorated authors in children's literature. . . . What absolutely shines through is Paterson's warm, self-effacing humor, and the extraordinary humility of a writer who has won two National Book Awards, two Newbery Medals, and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal. Like Mark Twain, to whom she is distantly related, Paterson is a true American treasure." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Honest, flecked with good humor, and heartrending." -The Horn Book
"This set of personal tales offers the same openness and vibrant detail that helped Paterson garner Newbery Medals and National Book Awards. . . . For those of us never invited to dinner in Paterson's undoubtedly welcoming home, this book allows us to at least imagine the stories we might hear while doing the dishes." -School Library Journal
"Paterson's legions of fans, young and old, will welcome this peek into her life and process." -Kirkus Reviews
"Paterson's life story is full of adventures. . . . A highly recommended read." -Book Page