Karen Hesse

Karen Hesse is a celebrated children’s author and one of the very best historical fiction writers today. As a child growing up in Baltimore, Maryland, she faced illness, family problems, and feelings of isolation. Escaping her problems through books and writing, she earned positive reinforcement from teachers and her neighborhood librarian. Awaiting the birth of her first child years later, she began reading children’s literature, inspired especially by the works of Katherine Paterson. This biography traces the inspirational process behind such works as her Newbery Medal-winner Out of the Dust.