Katherine Paterson

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is publishing a monthly series of e-only essays to correspond with Katherine Paterson's two-year term as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature. The subjects of the essays include: writing and literature for young people, the wonder and imagination found within great books, common questions novice writers ask, and Katherine's own personal experiences throughout her historic career.

Having felt deprived all her life of schooling, friends, mother, and even her name by her twin sister, Louise finally begins to find her identity.

Jake and Rosa, two children, form an unlikely friendship as they try to survive and understand the 1912 Bread and Roses strike of mill workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

In a faraway country, a dying king reluctantly makes the vain Prince Raphael his heir-on one condition. In order to be crowned, Raphael must first marry a woman who is his equal in beauty, intelligence, and wealth. Once he is in charge, Raphael closes the schools and puts everyone to work so he can collect more taxes. Meanwhile, his wise men tremble from their wigs to their boot tips as they fail in one search after another for a woman who will be...

When Angel's self-absorbed mother leaves her and her younger brother with their poor great-grandmother, the eleven-year-old girl worries not only about her mother and brother, her imprisoned father, the frail old woman, but also about a mysterious man who begins sharing with her the wonder of the stars.

In 1899, ten-year-old Robbie, son of a preacher in a small Vermont town, gets himself into all kinds of trouble when decides to give up being Christian in order to make the most of his life before the end of the world.

The beloved author of Bridge to Terabithia and other classics of children's literature reveals the fascinating personal stories that have shaped her creative life. For nearly fifty years, Katherine Paterson's stories have captured readers young and old. From Bridge to Terabithia's Leslie Burke to the unforgettable Gilly Hopkins to countless others, her characters are woven into the memories of several generations. Paterson's writing has always explored...

Moving to an old Vermont farmhouse with his mom, his new stepfather and a new baby brother has been a terribly lonely experience for Josh Wilkinson. And to make things even worse, now the school bully and his gang have picked Josh as their main target. Then one day while trying to find his dog, Manch, in the woods behind his house, Josh discovers a secret. Manch and his friends can talk! Not only that, but they're also faced with a bully problem--a...