The World in 1492

African American children's author with his wife Patricia -- to be distinguished from his son Fredrick L. McKissack, Jr. who also wrote some books with his mother.

Jean Fritz wrote Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?, a lively look at American history for young readers. She had a knack for bringing historical figures and events to life in a way that made them relatable and fun.

Katherine Paterson is the author of more than 40 books, including 18 novels for children and young people. She has twice won the Newbery Medal, for Bridge to Terabithia in 1978 and Jacob Have I Loved in 1981. The Patersons have four grown children and seven grandchildren. Katherine currently resides in Vermont with her faithful dog, Pixie.

Margaret Mahy (born in Whakatane, New Zealand) is a well-known New Zealand author of children's and young adult books. While the plots of many of her books have strong supernatural elements, her writing concentrates on the themes of human relationships and growing up. Her books "The Haunting" and "The Changeover" both received the Carnegie Medal of the British Library Association. She has written a little less than 50 novels, including the recent "Alchemy" in 2002. Among her children's books,...

African American children's writer