Author Fred McKissack Dies at age 73: Award-winning author Fred McKissack died of heart failure on April 28, 2013; he was 73 years of age. Co-writing with wife and partner Patricia, the McKissacks created more than 100 books for young people on the African-American experience. Educated as a civil engineer, Fred began to collaborate with Patricia (a teacher and author) in the 1980’s earning the Coretta Scott King Award for A Long Hard Journey: the Story of the Pullman Porter (1990), and Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters (1995).
Australian Author Gregory Rogers Dies: Gregory Rogers, Australia’s first Carnegie Medal Winner (for Way Home by Libba Hathorn, 1994), died from cancer in April 2013 at age 55. His most recent work was the wordless graphic novels The Boy, the Bear, the Ballad, the Bard (2004), Midsummer Knight (2007), and Hero of Little Street (2012).
Kate DiCamillo Awarded the Kerlan: Author Kate DiCamillo will be awarded the 2013 Kerlan Award from the University of Minnesota Libraries on June 8, 2013. The Kerlan Award is presented annually “in recognition of singular attainments in creation of children’s literature…” Previous winners include Walter Dean Myers, Katherine Patterson, Jean Craighead George, Lois Lowry, and Karen Hesse. DiCamillo’s work includes the Newbery Medal winning The Tale of Despereaux (2003), Newbery Honor book Because of Winn Dixie (2000), the “Mercy Watson” and “Bink and Gollie” series, and several other novels.
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