PATERSON, Katherine

Born 31 October 1932, Qing Jiang, Jiangsu, China

Daughter of George R. and Mary Goetchius Womeldorf; married John B. Paterson, 1962; children: Elizabeth, John Jr., David, Mary

One of the foremost contemporary writers of children's books, Katherine Paterson has won numerous awards; they include two Newbery Medals, for Bridge to Terabithia (1972, 1977) and Jacob Have I Loved (1980), and two National Book awards, for The Master Puppeteer (1976) and The Great Gilly Hopkins (1978). She also lectures and writes extensively about the importance of excellence in children's literature.

Paterson draws greatly from her own childhood experience to create multifaceted, realistic characters. Born in China, with the outbreak of war in 1941 she and her missionary parents fled to North Carolina. At the age of twelve, she was labeled an outcast by her peers because she spoke with a British accent, wore clothes from the missionary barrel (which some of the children recognized as their own contributions), and had peculiar mannerisms. She was painfully shy, and because of her parents' work, she had to move 18 times during her growing-up years. She turned to books and her own elaborate fantasies for comfort.

Although Paterson suffered some lonely years as a child of missionary parents, she became a missionary herself. After graduating from King College (B.A., 1954), she earned an M.A. from the Presbyterian School of Christian Education (1957) and served from 1957 to 1961 in Japan. There she studied at the Naganuma School of the Japanese Language in Kobe. When she returned to the United States, she earned an M.R.E. (1962) from Union Theological Seminary.

Paterson's deep interest in the culture and history of Japan inspired her first three novels for children, The Sign of the Chrysanthemum (1973), Of Nightingales That Weep (1974), and The Master Puppeteer. Despite her ability to capture the feel of Japanese culture and conventions, critics felt she did not find her true voice and style until she began to write contemporary novels set in the U.S.

Paterson never planned on becoming a writer. She said: "When I finally began to write books, it was not so much that I wanted to be a writer but that I loved books and wanted somehow to get inside the process, to have a part in their making." One of her college professors noted her tendency to conform her writing style to that of the author they happened to be studying, a habit that turned out to be a great asset; critics note Paterson's ability to modify her writing style to create the appropriate mood for a piece. She believes that "the very language, the metaphors, must belong to the world of the story." In The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks (1990, turned into a musical play 1999), Paterson displays this talent through the economy of language and clarity appropriate for a traditional tale.

Paterson also draws from the experiences of her four children for her writing. She was moved to write the highly praised Bridge to Terabithia when her son David's close friend was killed by lightning. She said, "I seem to be in tune with the questions my children and their friends are asking. Is there any chance that human beings can learn to love one another? Will the world last long enough for me to grow up in it? What if I die?" Critics note the sensitivity and honesty with which she explores these questions in her writing.

Paterson's talents as a writer for children are also reflected in her essays for adults collected in The Gates of Excellence (1981, reprinted 1988), and The Spying Heart: More Thoughts on Reading and Writing Books for Children (1989), which were combined under the title A Sense of Wonder: On Reading and Writing Books for Children (1995), as well as her Library of Congress lecture in November 1988, Stick to Reality and a Dream: Celebrating America's Young Readers (1990). She is noted for her candor and humor when speaking about her own experiences as well as for her stimulating and challenging scholarly opinions about children's literature.

In the late 1990s, Paterson continued writing delightful tales at a brisk pace, averaging at least one per year. Taking on the historical was Parzival: The Quest of the Grail Knight (1998) and two more seasonal gifts for parents and children alike: Marvin's Best Christmas Present Ever (1997) and A Midnight Clear: Stories for the Christmas Season (1995, 1998).

Other Works:

Who Am I? (1966, 1992). Justice for All People (1973). To Make Men Free (1973). Angels and Other Strangers: Family Christmas Stories (1979, published in England as Star of Night, 1980 and 1991). The Crane Women (translated by Paterson, 1981). Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom (1983). Come Sing, Jimmy Jo (1985, 1994). Consider the Lilies: Plants of the Bible (with J. Paterson, 1986, 1998). Park's Quest (1988). Lyddie (1991, 1995). The Smallest Cow in the World (1991, 1995). The King's Equal (1992, 1999). The Big Book for the Planet (1993). The Lure of Story (1993). Flip-Flop Girl (1994). The Angel and the Donkey (1996). Jip: His Story (1996, 1998). Celia and the Sweet, Sweet Water (1998). Images of God (1998). Still Summoned By Books (1998). Preacher's Boy (1999).

Stories have appeared in numerous anthologies, including: A Newbery Christmas: Fourteen Stories of Christmas by Newbery Award-Winning Authors (1991, 1998), When I Was Your Age: Original Stories About Growing Up (1996, 1999), Miracles of Christmas (1997), Home for Christmas: Stories to Warm the Heart by O. Henry, George MacDonald, Katherine Paterson & Others (1998), Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers (1999).

Bibliography:

Bloom, H., ed., Women Writers of Children's Literature (1998). Cary, A., Katherine Paterson (1997). Fisher, B. E., "Social Influences on the Writing of Marion Dane Bauer and Katherine Paterson" in Language Arts (1999). Fohey, C. A., "Overcoming Egocentrism: The Hope in Three Novels by Katherine Paterson" (thesis, 1990). Knight, K. F., A Study of the Revision Process as It Is Revealed in the Manuscripts of Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins (dissertation, 1995). Mahmoud, L., ed., Books Remembered: Nurturing the Budding Writer (1997). Schmidt, G. D., Katherine Paterson (1994). Worlds of Childhood: The Art and Craft of Writing for Children (1998).

Reference works:

CLR (1984). CANR (1990). CLC (1980, 1984). DLB (1986). SATA (1988).

Other references:

ALAN Review (Spring 1997). Bookbird (1998). Booklist (April 1999). Horn Book (January 1991). School Library Journal (May 1998). Theology Today (1998). Writer (August 1995). Zena Sutherland Lectures, 1983-1992 (1993).

—DIANE E. KROLL,

UPDATED BY SYDONIE BENET