Karen Ackerman (born October 10, 1951,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

) is an American author of

children's book Children's literature or juvenile literature includes stories, books, magazines, and poems that are created for children. Modern children's literature is classified in two different ways: genre or the intended age of the reader. Children's ...

Background

She was born in

, and she graduated from Woodward High School in 1969.

Career

Ackerman's first children's book was published in 1982. She has since published over twenty-five books. Her books have won many awards including Parents' Choice, ABA Pick of the List,

ALA Notable Books American Library Association Notable lists are announced each year in January by various divisions within the American Library Association (ALA). There are six lists, part of the larger ALA awards structure. * ''ALA Notable Books for Adults'' (est ...

, Children's Book Council/NCSS Notable Books in the Field of Social Studies,

New York Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress) ...

Best List, Horn Book's Best, and School Library Journal Best Books. Her picture-book ''

Song and Dance Man ''Song and Dance Man'' is a children's picture book written by Karen Ackerman and illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Published in 1988 by Knopf Books, the book is about a grandfather who tells his grandchildren about his adventures on the stage. G ...

'', illustrated by Stephen Gammell, won the 1989

Caldecott Medal The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

.American Library Association
Caldecott Medal Winners, 1938 – Present
accessed May 27, 2009. The book was adapted into a children's theater production at the Sunset Playhouse in

Elm Grove, Wisconsin Elm Grove is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 6,524 at the 2020 census. Elm Grove was named as America's best suburb by Business Insider in October 2014. Geography Elm Grove is located at (43.047662, - ...

in 2019.

Awards

, 1989, for the book ''

'', illustrated by Stephen Gammell, Knopf, 1988

Bibliography

Picture books

*''Flannery Row.'' New York: Atlantic Monthly (1986) *''Song & Dance Man'' (1988) *''Theo's Vineyard'' (1989) *''Araminta's Paint Box'', illustrated by Betsy Lewin. (1990) *''The Banshee,'' illustrated by David Ray. New York: Philomel (1990) *''Just Like Max,'' illustrated by George Schmidt. New York: Knopf (1990) *''The Tin Heart'' (1990) *''Moveable Mabeline'' (1990) *''When Mama Retires.'' New York: Knopf (1992) *''I Know A Place'', illustrated by Deborah Kogan Ray. New York: Houghton Mifflin (1992) *''This Old House.'' New York: Atheneum (1992) *''By the Dawn's Early Light'', illustrated by Catherine Stock (1994) *''The Sleeping Porch,'' illustrated by Elizabeth Sayles. New York: Morrow (1995) *''Bingleman's Midway'', illustrated by Barry Moser. Honesdale: Boyds Mills Press (1995) *''In the Park With Dad: A Story for Kids Whose Parents Don't Live Together'' illustrated by Linda Crockett-Blassingame. Boston: Pauline Books and Media (1996) *''Walking With Clara Belle,'' illustrated by Debbie Mason. Boston: Pauline Books and Media (1996) *''Bean's Big Day'' (2004)

Fiction

*''The Leaves in October'' (1991) *''The Broken Boy.'' New York: Philomel (1991) *''The Night Crossing'' (1994)

References

1951 births Living people American children's writers Writers from Cincinnati 20th-century American women writers American women children's writers 21st-century American women writers Woodward High School (Cincinnati, Ohio) alumni {{US-child-writer-stub