New Releases by Katherine Paterson

The inspiring true story of how one visionary woman used children’s books to help heal a generation of Germany’s children after WWII and went on to set up the International Youth Library and International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Written by Katherine Paterson, the beloved and award-winning author of Bridge to Terabithia and many other children’s favorites. Jella Lepman was a woman who stood her ground, challenged convention, and worked fiercely to transform her biggest dreams into reality. In 1945, when Jella was tasked with what seemed like an insurmountable challenge―to create a haven of imagination and joy for the children of a Germany scarred by war—she turned to a steadfast companion: books. As a Jewish woman who had fled from the Nazis, Jella was determined to restore a sense of childhood to the young people who had only known conflict and violence. Despite constant obstacles, Jella persevered, and with the help of publishers and children from around the world, she amassed an extraordinary collection of 4,000 children’s books in pursuit of her mission to promote peace. The roving literary collection would eventually find a home as the International Youth Library in Munich, now with over 600,000 items, the largest collection of children’s books and materials in the world. Jella Lepman and Her Library of Dreams is a thrilling and heartfelt exploration of one woman’s extraordinary belief in the power of books to transform young lives. Perfect for readers who enjoy illustrated biography, true adventure nonfiction, and empowering stories of women in history, this makes an outstanding addition to classroom and home libraries. WORLD HISTORY FOR KIDS: This book reflects on the aftermath of WWII and its effect on children in Germany. By Jella Lepman’s inspiring example, readers will learn how working together and being part of a community can help bring peace after war, displacement, and loss. FASCINATING TRUE STORY: This picture book biography introduces a little-known historical figure who changed the world through children’s books. Anyone who loves history, biographies, or children’s literature will find themselves inspired by the life and work of Jella Lepman. IMPORTANCE OF BOOKS & LIBRARIES: Featuring inspiring illustrations of global cooperation, crates of international books being shipped to the library, and children in the harshest of conditions finding solace in reading, this book is perfect for celebrating librarians and their positive impact on young lives. It also highlights the ongoing work of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), a non-profit organization that represents an international network of people who are committed to bringing books and children together. Perfect for: Librarians, educators, and parents seeking engaging history and nonfiction books for kids Fans of true stories, biographies, and fascinating facts Anyone interested in learning about children’s literature and children''s book libraries Special occasion or thank you gift for teachers and librarians Fans of Katherine Paterson and her award-winning books, including Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, and The Great Gilly Hopkins

In a poignant and unflinching new realistic novel from the Newbery Medal–winning author of Bridge to Terabithia, a ten-year-old girl makes a deal with God for her father''s safe return from the Iraq War. Birdie has questions for God. For starters, why couldn’t God roll history back to September 10, 2001, and fix things—so the next day was an ordinary sunny day and not the devastating lead-in to two wars? Daddy has already been to Iraq twice. Now he’s going again, and Birdie is sure he’ll die. At the very least, she won’t see him again for a year, and everything will not be OK. (Why do grown-ups lie?) To save money, she, Mom, and baby Billy have moved to Gran’s, where shy Birdie must attend a new school, and no one but bossy Alicia Marie Suggs welcomes her. Doesn’t God remember how hard it was for Birdie to make friends at Bible Camp? Counselor Ron taught about Judgment there—and the right way to believe. Has Birdie been praying wrong? Why else would God break their bargain? Readers of all faiths and backgrounds, especially children of military families, will identify with and root for the unforgettable Birdie, given inimitable voice by a master storyteller.

Sing out, my soul, the wonder . . . Mary''s baby has arrived, and she can’t contain her joy! As Joseph sleeps, she examines her newborn’s tiny mouth, his wild hair, his little hands. Yet what’s most wondrous is that this child is not just Mary’s own but a gift that God has shared with everyone. Poetic text by Newbery Medalist Katherine Paterson and striking images by Lisa Aisato reveal the intimacy of that unforgettable night long ago, when the mother of Jesus was the first to welcome him into a world he would change forever. The Night of His Birth is a Junior Library Guild Selection. 2020 Moonbeam Children''s Book Award Winner - Gold Medalist, Holiday Category

In an engrossing historical novel, the Newbery Medal-winning author of Bridge to Terebithia follows a young Cuban teenager as she volunteers for Fidel Castro’s national literacy campaign and travels into the impoverished countryside to teach others how to read. When thirteen-year-old Lora tells her parents that she wants to join Premier Castro’s army of young literacy teachers, her mother screeches to high heaven, and her father roars like a lion. Nora has barely been outside of Havana — why would she throw away her life in a remote shack with no electricity, sleeping on a hammock in somebody’s kitchen? But Nora is stubborn: didn’t her parents teach her to share what she has with someone in need? Surprisingly, Nora’s abuela takes her side, even as she makes Nora promise to come home if things get too hard. But how will Nora know for sure when that time has come? Shining light on a little-known moment in history, Katherine Paterson traces a young teen’s coming-of-age journey from a sheltered life to a singular mission: teaching fellow Cubans of all ages to read and write, while helping with the work of their daily lives and sharing the dangers posed by counterrevolutionaries hiding in the hills nearby. Inspired by true accounts, the novel includes an author’s note and a timeline of Cuban history.

This Newbery Honor novel from bestselling author Katherine Paterson is soon to be a motion picture starring Kathy Bates, Octavia Spencer, Glenn Close, and Sophie Nélisse. Discover Gilly Hopkins in this new movie tie-in edition! Eleven-year-old Gilly has been stuck in more foster families than she can remember, and she''s disliked them all. She has a reputation for being brash, brilliant, and completely unmanageable, and that''s the way she likes it. So when she''s sent to live with the Trotters—by far the strangest family yet—she knows it''s only a temporary problem. Gilly decides to put her sharp mind to work and get out of there fast. She''s determined to no longer be a foster kid. Before long she''s devised an elaborate scheme to get her real mother to come rescue her. But unfortunately, the plan doesn''t work out quite as she hoped it would…

An ambitious Stone Age man demands a talisman that will harden his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against better judgement, the tribe''s magic man creates the flint heart, but the cruelty of it causes the destruction of the tribe. Thousands of years later, the talisman re-emerges to corrupt a boy''s father.

From her childhood in China to the moment she won her first National Book Award, literary icon Katherine Paterson shares the personal stories that inspired her children’s books. Told with her trademark humor and heart, Paterson''s tales reveal details about her life from her childhood with missionary parents, to living as a single woman in Japan, to raising four children in suburban Maryland with her minister husband. Read about the origins of such familiar characters as Leslie Burke and Janice Avery from Bridge to Terabithia, and go behind the scenes to the moments Katherine found out she won her many awards. Filled with personal photos and letters, this funny, heartwarming history from a legendary writer lets fans in on the making of literary classics.

A Stubborn Sweetness and Other Stories for the Christmas Season is a collection of modern-day short stories by Katherine Paterson, award-winning author of Bridge to Terabithia and The Great Gilly Hopkinsboth loved by children and adults for over twenty years. This compilation includes stories of real-life people such as a shopping mall''s night watchman, a lonely widower, a pregnant teenage runaway, a political prisoner in China, a grieving mother, and a privileged American, who have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas because of loss, pain, greed, or circumstances. Through unexpected and uplifting ways, each is reminded of the first Christmas story and the vision of hope and peace it offers the world. They realize that even in the darkness, the light and song of Christmas can be seen and heard. This heart-warming gift book, filled with stories of realistic people finding hope, courage, and faith amidst life''s circumstances, radiates the spirit of the season and reminds each of us what Christmas truly means. Originally written to be read during her church''s Christmas Eve service, this collection of holiday stories is perfect for individuals, families, and churches to read and share during the season.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In Brother Sun, Sister Moon, award-winning author Katherine Paterson re-imagines a hymn of praise originally written by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1224. Illuminated with the exquisite illustrations of cut-paper artist Pamela Dalton, this picture book offers a stunningly beautiful tribute to nature.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award Meli Lleshi is positive that her drawing of her teacher with his pelican nose started it all. The Lleshis are Albanians living in Kosovo, a country trying to fight off Serbian oppressors, and suddenly they are homeless refugees. Old and young alike, they find their courage tested by hunger, illness, the long, arduous journey, and danger on every side. Then, unexpectedly, they are brought to America by a church group and begin a new life in a small Vermont town. The events of 9/11 bring more challenges for this Muslim family--but this country is their home now and there can be no turning back.A compassionate, powerful novel by a master storyteller.

Katherine Paterson''s remarkable Newbery Medal-winning classic about a painful sibling rivalry, and one sister’s struggle to make her own way, is an honest and daring portrayal of adolescence and coming of age. A strong choice for independent reading, both for summer reading and homeschooling, as well as in the classroom, Jacob Have I Loved has been lauded as a cornerstone young adult novel and was ranked among the all-time best children''s novels in a survey published by School Library Journal. "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated . . ." With her grandmother''s taunt, Louise knew that she, like the biblical Esau, was the despised elder twin. Caroline, her selfish younger sister, was the one everyone loved. Growing up on a tiny Chesapeake Bay island, angry Louise reveals how Caroline has robbed her of everything: her hopes for schooling, her friends, her mother, even her name. While everyone pampers Caroline, Wheeze (her sister''s name for her) begins to learn the ways of the watermen and the secrets of the island, especially of old Captain Wallace, who has mysteriously returned after fifty years. The war unexpectedly gives this independent girl a chance to fulfill her dream to work on the water alongside her father. But the dream does not satisfy the woman she is becoming. Alone and unsure, Louise begins to fight her way to a place for herself outside her sister''s shadow. But in order to do that, she must first figure out who she is...

The timeless Newbery Honor Book from bestselling author Katherine Paterson about a wisecracking, ornery, completely unforgettable young heroine. Eleven-year-old Gilly has been stuck in more foster families than she can remember, and she''s hated them all. She has a reputation for being brash, brilliant, and completely unmanageable, and that''s the way she likes it. So when she''s sent to live with the Trotters—by far the strangest family yet—she knows it''s only a temporary problem. Gilly decides to put her sharp mind to work and get out of there fast. She''s determined to no longer be a foster kid. Before long she''s devised an elaborate scheme to get her real mother to come rescue her. Unfortunately, the plan doesn''t work out quite as she hoped it would... This classic middle grade novel has moved generations of readers and inspired a major motion picture starring Octavia Spencer, Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, and Danny Glover. The acclaim for the book included the National Book Award, the Christopher Award, and the Jane Addams Award. The joys and struggles of adoption, told in a real and accessible way, are beautifully expressed in Katherine Paterson''s The Great Gilly Hopkins. Don''t miss it!

The 40th anniversary edition of the classic Newbery Medal-winning title by beloved author Katherine Paterson, with brand-new bonus materials including an author''s note by Katherine herself and a foreword by New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo. Jess Aarons has been practicing all summer so he can be the fastest runner in the fifth grade. And he almost is, until the new girl in school, Leslie Burke, outpaces him. The two become fast friends and spend most days in the woods behind Leslie''s house, where they invent an enchanted land called Terabithia. One morning, Leslie goes to Terabithia without Jess and a tragedy occurs. It will take the love of his family and the strength that Leslie has given him for Jess to be able to deal with his grief. Bridge to Terabithia was also named an ALA Notable Children’s Book and has become a touchstone of children’s literature, as have many of Katherine Paterson’s other novels, including The Great Gilly Hopkins and Jacob Have I Loved.

2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award Rosa’s mother is singing again, for the first time since Papa died in an accident in the mills. But instead of filling their cramped tenement apartment with Italian lullabies, Mamma is out on the streets singing union songs, and Rosa is terrified that her mother and older sister, Anna, are endangering their lives by marching against the corrupt mill owners. After all, didn’t Miss Finch tell the class that the strikers are nothing but rabble-rousers—an uneducated, violent mob? Suppose Mamma and Anna are jailed or, worse, killed? What will happen to Rosa and little Ricci? When Rosa is sent to Vermont with other children to live with strangers until the strike is over, she fears she will never see her family again. Then, on the train, a boy begs her to pretend that he is her brother. Alone and far from home, she agrees to protect him . . . even though she suspects that he is hiding some terrible secret. From a beloved, award-winning author, here is a moving story based on real events surrounding an infamous 1912 strike.

A collection of nine Christmas stories.

The Boss''s Surprise Son

An abandoned boy turns to his only friend to help him make sense of his past, after a menacing stranger comes to town claiming to have been sent by his father.

In 1942 Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, living in exile after the Nazi invasion of her country, spent the summer in Lee, Massachusetts, with her daughter and granddaughters. The following is based on a true story.... It’s summertime in New England during World War II, and a boy named William likes to imagine at bedtime that he is a brave knight fighting great battles to end the war. But in the morning he is always just William again, not big enough to contribute to the war effort like the rest of his family. Then a real queen moves in just down the road: Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. William’s parents explain that the queen has been forced out of her country because of the war. Now William has his chance to do something. It may not be “war work” -- it’s more like peace work -- but that makes all the difference. Susan Jeffers’s dramatic illustrations portray the compelling contrast between William’simagination and the real events in the story, which are based on an actual incident in John Paterson’s childhood. Visually stunning, with an evocative, poignant telling, this is the picture-book art form at its finest.