Authors ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

Karen Hesse

Karen S. Hesse is a highly acclaimed poet and author, best known for her work in children's fiction and historical fiction. She was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1952 and had a challenging upbringing, living in row houses with minimal privacy. These early experiences have significantly influenced her writing, which often explores themes of hardship, resilience, and the human spirit.

Hesse's work has been widely recognized for its literary merit. Her novel, "Out of the Dust," published in 1997, won the prestigious Newbery Medal and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. This remarkable achievement is a testament to Hesse's ability to create compelling narratives that resonate with readers of all ages. The novel, set in the dust bowl era of the 1930s, tells the story of a young girl's struggle to survive and find hope in the face of adversity.

In 2002, Hesse was honored with a MacArthur Fellowship, a prestigious award given to individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work. This recognition further solidified Hesse's reputation as a leading voice in children's and young adult literature. Her other notable works include "Letters from Rifka," "The Music of Dolphins," and "Bridge to Terabithia," which she co-authored with Katherine Paterson. Hesse's ability to weave historical context with compelling storytelling has made her a beloved author among readers and critics alike.
Standalone Novels
# Title Year
1 Wish on a Unicorn 1991
2 Letters from Rifka 1992
3 Phoenix Rising 1994
4 A Time of Angels 1995
5 The Music of Dolphins 1996
6 Out of the Dust 1997
7 Just Juice 1998
8 The Stowaway 2000
9 Witness 2000
10 Young Nick's Head 2001
11 Aleutian Sparrow 2003
12 Brooklyn Bridge 2008
13 Safekeeping 2012
Chapter Books
# Title Year
1 Lavender 1993
2 Sable 1994
Picture Books
# Title Year
1 Poppy's Chair 1993
2 Lester's Dog 1993
3 Come On, Rain! 1999
4 The Cats In Krasinski Square 2004
5 Spuds 2008
6 My Thumb 2016
7 Night Job 2018
8 Nights with Dad 2018
9 Granny and Bean 2022
Non-Fiction Books
# Title Year
1 A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin 1999
2 The Young Hans Christian Andersen 2005
Dear America Books
# Title Year
1 When Will This Cruel War Be Over?: The Civil War Diary of Emma Simpson, Gordonsville, Virginia, 1864 1996
2 A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower, 1620 1996
3 Winter Of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary Of Abigail Jane Stewart 1996
4 I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl, Mars Bluff, South Carolina, 1865 1997
5 A Picture Of Freedom 1997
6 Early Sunday Morning: the Pearl Harbor Diary of Amber Billows, Hawaii, 1941 1998
7 Dreams in the Golden Country: The Diary of Zipporah Feldman, a Jewish Immigrant Girl, New York City, 1903 1998
8 West to a Land of Plenty: The Diary of Teresa Angelino Viscardi 1998
9 Standing in the Light: The Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan, Delaware Valley, Pennsylvania, 1763 1998
10 A Line in the Sand: The Alamo Diary of Lucinda Lawrence 1998
11 Stationery Pack 1998
12 Voyage on the Great Titanic: The Diary of Margaret Ann Brady, R.M.S. Titanic 1912 1998
13 The Great Railroad Race 1999
14 My Heart is on the Ground 1999
15 The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl 1999
16 A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin 1999
17 Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, the Great Migration North 2000
18 A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska, Lattimer, Pennsylvania, 1896 2000
19 My Secret War: The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck, Long Island, New York 1941 2000
20 One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping: The Diary of Julie Weiss, Vienna, Austria to New York 1938 2000
21 Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift, Indianapolis, Indiana 1932 2001
22 Valley of the Moon: The Diary of María Rosalía de Milagros, Sonoma Valley, Alta Valley, California, 1846, 2001
23 My Face to the Wind: The Diary of Sarah Jane Price, a Prairie Teacher, Broken Bow, Nebraska 1881 2001
24 When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer 2002
25 My Secret War : The World War II Diary of Madeline Beck 2002
26 A Time for Courage: The Suffragette Diary of Kathleen Bowen, Washington, D.C. 1917 2002
27 Where Have All the Flowers Gone? 2002
28 Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: The Diary of Bess Brennan, The Perkins School for the Blind, 1932 2002
29 Survival in the Storm: The Dust Bowl Diary of Grace Edwards, Dalhart, Texas 1935 2002
30 So Far From Home: the Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill Girl, Lowell, Massachusetts, 1847 2003
31 Love Thy Neighbor: The Tory Diary of Prudence Emerson 2003
32 Land of the Buffalo Bones: The Diary of Mary Ann Elizabeth Rodgers, An English Girl in Minnesota 2003
33 All the Stars in the Sky 2003
34 Seeds of Hope: The Gold Rush Diary of Susanna Fairchild, California Territory 1849 2003
35 Look to the Hills: The Diary of Lozette Moreau, a French Slave Girl, New York Colony 1763 2004
36 Hear My Sorrow: The Diary of Angela Denoto, a Shirtwaist Worker, New York City 1909 2004
37 I Walk in Dread: The Diary of Deliverance Trembley, Witness to the Salem Witch Trials, Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1691 2004
38 The Fences Between Us: The Diary of Piper Davis, Seattle, Washington, 1941 2010
39 Like the Willow Tree 2011
40 Cannons at Dawn 2011
41 With the Might of Angels: The Diary of Dawnie Rae Johnson, Hadley, Virginia, 1954 2011
42 Behind the Masks: The Diary of Angeline Reddy, Bodie, California, 1880 2012
43 Down the Rabbit Hole, Chicago, Illinois, 1871: The Diary of Pringle Rose 2013
44 A City Tossed and Broken: The Diary of Minnie Bonner, San Francisco, California, 1906 2013
Karen Hesse Anthologies
# Title Year
1 The Stone Lamp 2003
2 What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur 2011