Karen Ackerman (born October 10, 1951,

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

) 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. In addition to conventional literary genres, modern children's literature is classified by the intended age of the reade ...

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 which are part of the larger ALA awards structure. * ''ALA Notable Books for Adu ...

, Children's Book Council/NCSS Notable Books in the Field of Social Studies, New York Library Best List, Horn Book's Best, and School Library Journal Best Books. Her picture-book '' Song and Dance Man'', illustrated by

Stephen Gammell Stephen Gammell (born February 10, 1943) is an American illustrator of children's books. He won the 1989 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing ''Song and Dance Man'' by Karen Ackerman. His illustrations in ''Where the Buff ...

, 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 '' Song and Dance Man'', illustrated by

, 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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ackerman, Karen 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