Author: Karen Hesse

Karen Hesse is an award-winning author of many childrens literature and young adult books.  She was born in 1952 and grew up in the town of Baltimore, Maryland.  While growing up she realized that she had a way with words and enjoyed writing very much.  It was said that she would hide in her closet after school and write poetry in a notebook for hours.  She got her inspiration and support from her fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Datnoff, who instilled the belief that she could and would become a professional writer some day.  In 1969 she attented Townson State College in hopes of being a theater major but just two semesters later she transfered to the University of Maryland.  There she recieved her B.A. in English along with two minors in Psychology and Anthropology.   She has dabbled in many different job areas including being a book reviewer, waitress, typsetter, advertising secretary, proofreader, agricultural laborer, substitue teacher, and mental-health-care-provider.  During her work in all these jobs she claims she never lost focus from writing poetry, stories, and books.
She later went on to write and publish 18 books which have been translated into several different languages such as Chinese and Spanish.  She also recieved awards and honors including the International Reading Association Children's Book of the Year, National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Award, and Best Books for Young Adults and Notable Books selections.
I have never heard of Karen Hesse until I started researching for this project and I was amazed at some of the work she has accomplished.  I think that her story is inspirational in that she never gave up her dream of being a writer and looked to those who gave her support and hope and ultimately reached her utmost goal in life.  I was very impressed with her writing skills and story line in many of her books.  She uses her excellent writing abilities to convey messages that challenge the readers.  She has stated that her books are absolutly suitable for young readers because they provide substance and a chance for the reader to relate outside ideas and concepts to what is being read.  Something that I picked up on as I read some of her work.

I particulary liked the book Lavender becuase it tackled a topic that many young children may be facing; the fear of change.  Codie has a very strong relationship with her aunt Alix but her aunt is now pregnant and Codie fears that aunt Alix will no longer have time for her.  I thought that this was a great book that can show kids that change is sometimes wonderful which, I know from experience, is something that many children have problems with.  The storyline also encounters the importance of family and this was something that I was able to easily relate to and something that children will be able to relate to also.
A lot of Karen Hesse's books would be very beneficial to use in the classroom for children in 4th-6th grade.  Her books tackle concepts that deal with the dust bowl, being human, the importance of family, and other historical issues.  Any of her books could be the center of a unit and much discussion could be held from the content of them.

Information from:
http://www.edupaperback.org/showauth.cfm?authid=56
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/contributor.jsp?id=3214