Applegate, Katherine (Alice) 1956-
APPLEGATE, Katherine (Alice) 1956-
(K. A. Applegate, Katherine Kendall)
PERSONAL: Born 1956, in MI. Hobbies and other interests: Playing the cello, travel, reading, gardening, her pet cats.
ADDRESSES: Home—Minneapolis, MN. Agent—c/o Scholastic Inc., 555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012. E-mail—kaapplegate@scholastic.com.
CAREER: Freelance writer.
AWARDS, HONORS: Cited among "best new children's book series," Publishers Weekly, 1997.
WRITINGS:
"ANIMORPHS" JUVENILE SERIES; UNDER NAME K. A. APPLEGATE
The Invasion, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1996.
The Visitor, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1996.
The Message, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1996.
The Encounter, Demco Media (Madison, WI), 1996.
The Predator, Apple (New York, NY), 1996.
The Capture, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Stranger, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Alien, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Secret, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Android, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Forgotten, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Reaction, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Andalite Chronicles, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Change, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
The Unknown, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The Warning, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The Underground, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The Hork-Bajir Chronicles, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The Escape, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The Decision, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The Departure, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The Discovery, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The Threat, Demco Media (Madison, WI), 1998.
The Solution, Demco Media (Madison, WI), 1999.
The Pretender, Demco Media (Madison, WI), 1999.
The Suspicion, Demco Media (Madison, WI), 1999.
The Extreme, Little Apple (New York, NY), 1999.
The Attack, Apple (New York, NY), 1999.
The Exposed, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
The Experiment, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
The Sickness, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
The Reunion, Apple (New York, NY), 1999.
The Illusion, Apple (New York, NY), 1999.
The Conspiracy, Apple (New York, NY), 1999.
Enter the Enchanted, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
Visser (companion book to The Hork-Bajir Chronicles), Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
The Separation, Gareth Stevens (Milwaukee, WI), 2000.
The Proposal, Gareth Stevens (Milwaukee, WI), 2000.
The Prophecy, Gareth Stevens (Milwaukee, WI), 2000.
The Mutation, Gareth Stevens (Milwaukee, WI), 2000.
The Arrival, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Deception, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Diversion, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Ellimist Chronicles, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Familiar, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Hidden, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Journey, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Other, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Resistance, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Return, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Revelation, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
The Test, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2000.
The Unexpected, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2000.
The Weakness, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2000.
The Absolute, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2001.
The Answer, Apple (New York, NY), 2001.
The Beginning, Apple (New York, NY), 2001.
The Sacrifice, Apple (New York, NY), 2001.
"ANIMORPHS MEGAMORPHS" JUVENILE SERIES
The Andalites Gift, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1997.
Animorphs in the Time of the Dinosaurs, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
Elfangor's Secret, Apple (New York, NY), 1999.
Back to Before, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
"BOYFRIENDS AND GIRLFRIENDS" YOUNG ADULT SERIES; REPRINTED AS "MAKING OUT" SERIES
Zoey Fools Around, Harper (New York, NY), 1994.
Don't Tell Zoey, Flare (New York, NY), 1996.
Zoey Speaks Out, Flare (New York, NY), 1996.
Kate Finds Love, Flare (New York, NY), 1997.
Never Trust Lara, Flare (New York, NY), 1997.
Jake Finds Out, Flare (New York, NY), 1998.
Nina Won't Tell, Flare (New York, NY), 1998.
Ben's in Love, Flare (New York, NY), 1998.
What Zoey Saw, Flare (New York, NY), 1998.
Claire Gets Caught, Flare (New York, NY), 1998.
Lucas Gets Hurt, Flare (New York, NY), 1998.
Aisha Goes Wild, Flare (New York, NY), 1999.
Zoey Plays Games, Flare (New York, NY), 1999.
Nina Shapes Up, Camelot (New York, NY), 1999.
Ben Takes a Chance, Flare (New York, NY), 1999.
Claire Can't Lose, Flare (New York, NY), 1999.
Aaron Lets Go, Flare (New York, NY), 1999.
Who Loves Kate, Flare (New York, NY), 1999.
Lara Gets Even, Flare (New York, NY), 1999.
Two-Timing Aisha, Flare (New York, NY), 1999.
Zoey Comes Home, Avon (New York, NY), 2000.
Zoey's Broken Heart, HarperCollins Publishers (New York, NY), 2000.
"EVERWORLD" YOUNG ADULT SERIES; UNDER NAME K. A. APPLEGATE
Search for Senna, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
Land of Loss, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
Enter the Enchanted, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
Realm of the Reaper, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
Discover the Destroyer, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2000.
Brave the Betrayal, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2000.
Fear the Fantastic, Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
Inside the Illusion, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2000.
Understand the Unknown, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2000.
Entertain the End, Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 2001.
"REMNANTS" JUVENILE SERIES; UNDER NAME K. A. APPLEGATE
Them, Apple (New York, NY), 2001.
Destination Unknown, Apple (New York, NY), 2001.
The Mayflower Project, Apple (New York, NY), 2001.
Isolation, Apple (New York, NY), 2002.
Nowhere Land, Apple (New York, NY), 2002.
No Place like Home, Apple (New York, NY), 2002.
Mother, May I?, Apple (New York, NY), 2002.
Breakdown, Apple (New York, NY), 2002.
Mutation, Apple (New York, NY), 2002.
Survival, Apple (New York, NY), 2003.
Dream Storm, Apple (New York, NY), 2003.
Lost and Found, Apple (New York, NY), 2003.
Begin Again, Apple (New York, NY), 2003.
Aftermath, Apple (New York, NY), 2003.
"SUMMER" SERIES
June Dreams, Archway (New York, NY), 1995.
July's Promise, Archway (New York, NY), 1995.
August Magic, Archway (New York, NY), 1995.
Beaches, Boys, and Betrayal, Archway (New York, NY), 1996.
Sand, Surf, and Secrets, Archway (New York, NY), 1996.
Rays, Romance, and Rivalry, Archway (New York, NY), 1996.
Christmas Special Edition, Archway (New York, NY), 1996.
Spring Break Reunion, Archway (New York, NY), 1996.
BY L. E. BLAIR; TEXT BY KATHERINE APPLEGATE
Horse Fever ("Girl Talk" series), Western Publishing (Racine, WI), 1991.
Family Rules ("Girl Talk" series), Western Publishing (Racine, WI), 1991.
Randy's Big Dream, Western Publishing (Racine, WI), 1992.
Randy and the Great Canoe Race, Western Publishing (Racine, WI), 1992.
Randy and the Perfect Boy, Western Publishing (Racine, WI), 1992.
Randy's Big Chance, Western Publishing (Racine, WI), 1992.
OTHER
(Under pseudonym Katherine Kendall) The Midas Touch (adult romance novel), Harlequin Books (New York, NY), 1988.
The Story of Two American Generals: Benjamin O. Davis Jr. and Colin L. Powell (juvenile nonfiction), Dell (New York, NY), 1992.
Disney's The Little Mermaid: The Haunted Palace, illustrated by Philo Barnhart, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1993.
Disney's The Little Mermaid: King Triton, Beware!, illustrated by Philo Barnhart, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1993.
Disney's Christmas with All the Trimmings: Original Stories and Crafts from Mickey Mouse and Friends, illustrated by Phil Wilson, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1994.
The Boyfriend Mix-Up, illustrated by Philo Barnhart, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1994.
Sharing Sam (young adult novel), Bantam (New York, NY), c. 1995.
Disney's Tales from Agrabah: Seven Original Stories of Aladdin and Jasmine, illustrated by Fred Marvin and Jose Cardona, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1995.
(With Nicholas Stephens) Disney's Climb Aboard if You Dare! Stories from the Pirates of the Caribbean, illustrated by Roberta Collier-Morales, Disney Press (New York, NY), 1996.
Listen to My Heart ("Love Stories Super" series), Bantam (New York, NY), 1996.
Jack Rabbit and the Beanstalk (picture book), illustrated by Holly Hannon, Inchworm Press (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), 1997.
Escape (picture book; "Magic School Bus" series), Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1998.
The First Journey ("Animorphs Alternamorphs" series), Scholastic, Inc. (New York, NY), 1999.
The Next Passage ("Animorphs Alternamorphs" series), Apple (New York, NY), 2000.
Author of many other juvenile novels, including installments in the "Changes Romance" series, the "Ocean City" series, and the "Sweet Valley Twin" series.
ADAPTATIONS: The "Animorphs" books have been adapted as a television series for Nickelodeon.
SIDELIGHTS: Katherine Applegate, who also writes as K. A. Applegate, has written over one hundred books. While her publications include a romance for the Harlequin line, she has aimed most of her writing at middle-grade readers, penning some titles for the popular "Sweet Valley Twins" series and authoring several books featuring Disney characters. Applegate's most successful venture in juvenile fiction, however, has been her creation of the "Animorph" series. These books, about young adolescents given the power by aliens to "morph" themselves into various animals, have rivaled R. L. Stine's "Goosebumps" series in popularity. Applegate has completed many titles either in the "Animorph" series or related to it; among them are The Visitor, The Invasion, The Message, The Alien, Animorphs Underground, and Animorphs in the Time of the Dinosaurs. According to Sally Lodge in Publishers Weekly, by the late 1990s the series "reside[d] at the top" of that publication's "children's paperback series bestseller list, where booksellers predict it [would] roost for the foreseeable future."
During an interview in Publishers Weekly, Applegate told Lodge where her idea for the "Animorph" books originated. "I grew up loving animals and lived with the usual suburban menagerie of dogs, cats, and gerbils," she confided. "I really wanted to find a way to get kids into the heads of various species and decided that a science-fiction premise was the way to do this." She worked up a plan for an entire series—which she initially called "The Changelings"—and submitted it, with rough drafts of chapters for several different novels, to Scholastic, Inc. Picked up by the New York publisher, Applegate's "Animorphs" series received heavy promotion from Scholastic, Inc., and the firm gave the books eye-catching, die-cut covers. But Jean Feiwel, a vice president at Scholastic, Inc., credited Applegate's skill in bringing to life the series' main concept for the success of "Animorphs." Feiwel explained to Publishers Weekly that the concept "is absolutely unbelievable but utterly possible. The notion of kids' morphing is also close to adolescent body changes in some ways. It is out of their control," the Scholastic, Inc. staffer continued, "but becomes something quite fabulous—which is what you like to think happens in the process of growing up." Feiwel also noted that while the protagonists of "Animorphs" "may go off to defend the earth against aliens, at the end of the day they still have math homework to do."
One of the earliest novels in the "Animorph" series, The Message, centers on a young woman named Cassie and her decision that she and her friends should change into dolphins in order to come to the rescue of one of the alien groups—the Andalites—who gave them their powers. They must save this victim from another race of aliens, the Yeerks, who wish to invade Earth. Linda Bindner, reviewing The Message for School Library Journal, had a mixed reaction. Though she felt that the adolescent characters were of the stock variety, Binder praised the authenticity of Cassie's feelings when faced with the responsibility for her friends' safety during the adventure. Bindner also judged that "the descriptions of becoming and living as dolphins and other animals are impressive."
Before embarking on the "Animorphs," Applegate authored a nonfiction work aimed at young people interested in the achievements of African Americans. The Story of Two American Generals: Benjamin O. Davis Jr. and Colin L. Powell examines two African Americans who became pioneers in the U.S. Armed Forces. Sheilamae O'Hara, who critiqued the volume for Booklist, found it to be somewhat lacking. Though providing basic facts about its two subjects, O'Hara lamented that The Story of Two American Generals contains "one-dimensional portraits . . . the humanity never comes through."
Applegate was also selected to write the first novel in Harper's "Boyfriends and Girlfriends" series, Zoey Fools Around. Zoey Fools Around is composed of both a normal third-person narrative, and what a Publishers Weekly contributor described as "autobiographical fragments" from Zoey herself. Zoey, a senior in high school, has a longtime boyfriend named Jake; they are awaiting their graduation on a small island off the coast of Maine. The balance of the relationships between Zoey, Jake, and their circle of friends is upset when Lucas Cabral returns to their high school after spending two years in a juvenile facility because of his part in a alcohol-related accident that caused the death of Jake's older brother.
Zoey Fools Around also features a subplot revolving around an African-American girl named Aisha, who is frightened of proceeding in a relationship with a boy who might prove her romantic destiny. Complicating matters further is a villainess named Claire, who, in the words of the Publishers Weekly reviewer, "is more unhappy and confused than evil." The reviewer cited "better-than-average character development" in predicting that Zoey Fools Around would be "likely to hook its intended audience."
Another of Applegate's young adult efforts is Sharing Sam. In this novel, Allison is just starting to get to know Sam, the new guy who rides his own Harley Davidson motorcycle to their school in Florida, when she learns that her longtime best friend Izzy has developed brain cancer. Izzy only has a few months of life left to her, and when she begins expressing interest in Sam, Allison decides to put her own desires on hold in favor of making her friend's last days as happy as possible.
Allison manages to talk Sam into dating Izzy; meanwhile, Sam is dealing with the aging process in his much-loved grandfather and trying to face their inevitable parting. A contributor to Publishers Weekly praised Sharing Sam, observing that "this hokey plot gains some substance from the thoughtful characterizations and the logical, not entirely strife-free way in which the premise is developed."
Applegate discussed her feelings about writing for middle graders with Lodge, calling her audience "the best readers on the planet. They are open-minded, imaginative and willing to embrace ideas." She also revealed that she enjoys the challenges presented to her by "Animorphs," because "a series writer has to develop plotting and pacing that become a well-oiled machine. You don't have the luxury of spending a year on a book and absolutely cannot indulge in writer's block. Yet I knew," Applegate continued, "I had to write in perfect language and choose just the right images, to make sure that my middle readers fell in love with the characters and returned again and again."
BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 1992, Sheilamae O'Hara, review of The Story of Two American Generals: Benjamin O. Davis Jr. and Colin L. Powell; p. 1532; March 15, 1995, Frances Bradburn, review of Sharing Sam, p. 1321; January 1, 1996, Frances Bradburn, review of See You in September, p. 813.
Horn Book, January-February, 1998, Christine Heppermann, "Invasion of the 'Animorphs,'" p. 53.
Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 2004, review of Sharing Sam, p. 127.
Kliatt, March, 1995, p. 8; November, 1995, p. 21.
Publishers Weekly, February 28, 1994, review of Zoey Fools Around, p. 89; December 19, 1994, review of Sharing Sam, p. 55; July 10, 1995, review of July's Promise, p. 59; November 3, 1997, Sally Lodge, "Scholastic's Animorphs Series Has Legs," p. 36; February 16, 1998, pp. 178-188; June 21, 1999, review of Search for Senna, p. 69; February 15, 2004, Rebecca Platzner, review of Sharing Sam, p. 1050.
Resource Links, December, 1999, "Animorphs Science Fiction Series: Depart," p. 37.
School Librarian, August, 1997, p. 157; winter, 1999, review of The Unknown and The Escape, p. 208.
School Library Journal, February, 1995, Judy R. Johnston, review of Sharing Sam, p. 112; June, 1997, Linda Bindner, review of The Message, p. 114; March, 1996, Susan W. Hunter, review of Sharing Sam, p. 218; June, 1997, p. 114.
Voice of Youth Advocates, February, 1996, p. 368; April, 1996, p. 21; April, 1997, p. 21; April, 1999, review of The Hork-Bajir Chronicle, p. 44.
ONLINE
Kidsreads.com—K. A. Applegate,http://www.kidsreads.com/ (February 1, 2003).
Scholastic.com—K. A. Applegate,http://www.scholastic.com/ (March 8, 1999; February 1, 2003).*