Paterson, << PAT uhr suhn, >> Katherine (1932-…), is an American author of children’s books. She won the 1978 Newbery Medal for Bridge to Terabithia (1977). This novel tells about a friendship between a boy and girl from different cultural backgrounds and the imaginary kingdom they create. Paterson won the 1981 Newbery Medal for Jacob Have I Loved (1980), a story about the rivalry between twin sisters.
Paterson’s other novels include The Master Puppeteer (1976); Come Sing, Jimmy Jo (1985); Park’s Quest (1988); Lyddie (1991); Jip: His Story (1996), which won the 1997 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction; Preacher’s Boy (1999); Bread and Roses, Too (2006); The Day of the Pelican (2009); and Birdie’s Bargain (2021). These works deal with moral issues and family life. Many of the main characters in these novels are young artists or strong thinkers.
Paterson also wrote a picture book, Brother Sun, Sister Moon (2011), adapted from a poem by Saint Francis of Assisi. Katherine and her husband, John Paterson, collaborated on the fantasy novel The Flint Heart (2011). A selection of her autobiographical short stories was published as Stories of My Life (2014).
Paterson was born on Oct. 31, 1932, in China, where her father was a missionary. She served as a missionary in Japan from 1957 to 1962. She received the 1988 Regina Medal for her contributions to children’s literature. In 2010, the Librarian of Congress appointed Paterson to a two-year term as National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. The position involves traveling and speaking to groups of children, parents, and teachers to promote the joy of reading. In 2013, Paterson received the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (now called the Children’s Literature Legacy Award). The award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made an important contribution to literature for children.
