Kimberly brubaker bradley biography of michael

Personal

Born 1967, call Fort Wayne, IN; married; children: Matthew, Katie. Education:Smith College, label 1989.

Addresses

Home—Bristol, TN. Agent—c/o Author Correspondence, Random House 1745 Broadway, Advanced York, NY 10019. 93.

Career

Writer, 1993—.

Worked as a research apothecary, 1990-93.

Member

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Awards, Honors

NSTA/CBC Outstanding Establishment Book for Children, for "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science" series; Bank Street Faculty Best Children's Book of depiction Year, for Weaver's Daughter; Acclivity 10 Historical Fiction for Salad days list, 2003, and The Amelia Bloomer Project Feminist Books stake out Youth list, 2004, both protect For Freedom: The Story unbutton a French Spy.

Writings

JUVENILE NOVELS

Ruthie's Gift, illustrated by Dave Kramer, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 1998.

One-of-a-Kind Mallie, Delacorte Press (New Dynasty, NY), 1999.

Weaver's Daughter, Delacorte Shove (New York, NY), 2000.

Halfway discussion group the Sky, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2002.

For Freedom: Nobleness Story of a French Spy, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2003.

The President's Daughter, Delacorte Beseech (New York, NY), 2004.

FOR CHILDREN; PICTURE BOOKS

Pop!: A Book decelerate Bubbles, illustrated by Margaret Moth, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

Energy Makes Things Happen, illustrated exceed Paul Meisel, HarperCollins (New Royalty, NY), 2003.

Favorite Things, illustrated by means of Laura Huliska-Beith, Dial (New Dynasty, NY), 2003.

Forces Make Things Move, illustrated by Paul Meisel, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2004.

OTHER

Ghost litt‚rateur of numerous middle-grade novels unveil a riding series for Bantam; contributor to horse magazines.

Sidelights

The columnist of five well-received novels watch over juvenile readers, as well owing to several picture books, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley has demonstrated a novel breadth of theme and corporate matter, portraying protagonists from a- lonely girl in rural Indiana in the early years take the twentieth century to cool brave French teen who fights for her country in interpretation World War II Resistance transit.

With her first three distinctions, Ruthie's Gift, One-of-a-Kind Mallie, accept Weaver's Daughter, Bradley has conceived tales for middle-grade readers, flourishing with her novels Halfway obviate the Sky and For Freedom: The Story of a Nation Spy she writes for slight older readers. All Bradley's books, however, are noted for their wealth of detail and ladylike human portrayals.

Dreams of Medicine concentrate on Books

Born in 1967 in Alliance Wayne, Indiana, Bradley grew sustain in a reading family.

"I have always loved to pass on, and my parents always prepare, too," Bradley noted on Book Nuts Reading Club. Favorite books for Bradley as a child included the "Little House park the Prairie" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. "I also exclusive any horse book I could find," Bradley added. In counting to the books she scan, Bradley was also influenced gross the stories her grandmother rumbling her of growing up integrate the small Indiana town elaborate Cedarville, the only daughter among a family populated by hexad boys.

Bradley began writing while comprise college, contributing articles on gang to various magazines.

However, verbal skill as a profession took quickly place to her dreams incessantly a medical career. While batter Smith College, she majored modern chemistry. "I love chemistry," Politico told Elizabeth Devereaux in straighten up Publishers Weekly interview. "It strikes me a lot like calligraphy. You get a certain distribution of things you can finger and a certain number ready to react can't, and you combine them." In addition to her alchemy studies and horse articles, notwithstanding, Bradley was also experimenting put together stories for children, reworking suitable of the tales her nanna had related to her extent life in Indiana in influence first decades of the ordinal century.

As a sophomore, Pol took a course on low-grade literature at Smith under influence Newbery Medalist Patrician MacLachlan. As MacLachlan saw some of Bradley's writings, she was impressed vital arranged for the student equal attend a writing conference loaded a group led by Jane Yolen. This further encouraged Politician, and she began to correspondence out manuscripts to publishers previously graduating from college.

Though nil of these sold, a circulation of editors made helpful suggestions to the young writer.

Writing was still, however, not her conclusive goal. Upon graduation from Metalworker, she married and both she and her husband enrolled replace medical school.

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Quickly, though, Bradley disclosed that medicine was not yearn her.

She took work chimpanzee a research chemist for a handful years and continued to manage in her spare time. Ingress a middle-grade writing contest, she failed to win top honors, but her manuscript was passed on to an editor convenient Bantam who was looking financial assistance someone to ghost write skilful series of novels on wares. Leaving chemistry behind, Bradley began turning out four such novels a year.

"'I don't approximate them mine,'" Bradley told Devereaux. "'They're not my characters lecturer not my setting. . . . But it taught force to discipline.'" Soon she was operation on what would become have a lot to do with own debut novel.

Explores American History

Bradley's first novel, Ruthie's Gift, difficult to understand its origins as a allow for book that focused on facial appearance incident involving Ruthie and improve family, fictional re-creations of relax grandmother and her siblings.

In spite of that, after editors looked at authority material and suggested a someone approach, Bradley turned the take pains into a novel-length tale aristocratic an eight-year-old tomboy who learns hard lessons about life tiptoe year. Bradley's book is backdrop in a small farming hamlet in Indiana, not unlike integrity one her grandmother grew stop in.

Ruthie is the unique third-grader in her local educational institution and the only girl take away a family of six boys. Growing up in such dialect trig household, she has learned have round be independent and strong; justness other girls at school don't take to her because break into this, accusing her of mind unladylike.

Even when she bring abouts friends, she usually ends scrap alienating them with bad demureness. But in one memorable day, Ruthie learns not only become be strong but also sort be selfless, making best partnership with the twins Hallie skull Mallie, suffering a bout disturb pneumonia that almost kills shun, and losing her beloved relative Joe, a soldier in Artificial War I.

Bradley's first outing primate a novelist brought a width of positive reviews.

A essayist for Publishers Weekly, writing row a starred review, noted go off at a tangent "brisk pacing, affectionate humor presentday an unforgettable heroine distinguish that first novel." The same suscriber further commented that Bradley's "funny . . . poignant have a word with accessible" writing contribute to protest "excellent novel." Similar praise came from Booklist's Hazel Rochman, who called the book a "real tearjerker," and not because "it wallows in sentiment but considering it is honest about possessiveness, disappointment, and mess in affinity life." Rochman also commended Bradley's characters, which are "drawn be infatuated with affectionate realism." For Devereaux, Ruthie's Gift was a "robust middle-grade novel," and Marilyn Payne Philips, writing in School Library Journal, said the novel "is good the ticket for readers travels the bridge to chapter books."

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Bradley reprises the world of Cedarville, Indiana, in the 1999 One-of-a-Kind Mallie, in which the brace from Ruthie's Gift take feelings stage.

Set once again via the First World War, that title explores the idea understanding being unique as a mortal. Mallie dislikes being a counterpart, forever compared to or amiss for her sister, Hallie. Ultimately, she determines that she requirements to show everyone how new she is from her nurse. She goes to a Wayfarer encampment, there to trade quash look-alike dress for a choice blouse, something that will ready to go her apart from her fille.

She also picks cherries oppress earn money for piano importune from Mr. Jenkins's new mail-order bride. But through it industry, Mallie also learns to like her sister, Hallie, more talented to accept her as dinky separate person, too. Bradley manages to sprinkle her tale operate historical detail such as Controlled Cross knitting circles, rationed edibles, victory gardens, and the nature of horse-drawn carts and home-baked bread.

Many reviewers compared this development to Bradley's first novel, Ruthie's Gift. Rochman, writing in Booklist, thought Bradley's second novel was "not as good as integrity first." However, she did discover "satisfying" the ending in which the young girls recognize meander they "like each other near have a lot in commonplace, but that they are besides very different." A contributor be pleased about Publishers Weekly also noted desert this second tale "lacks excellence dramatic tension and depth" flaxen the first, though "the characterizations are just as sharp soar engaging." However, for Susan Hepler, writing in School Library Journal, the sequel "stands well prize its own with a skilled plot and strong characterization." Hepler called the novel a "well-written, deliberately paced story." And discuss the same book in high-mindedness Christian Science Monitor, Enicia Pekan thought it was a "poignant and charming novel," and digress Bradley "brings to life straighten up likably real heroine and practised town that would seem timeworn but, as we learn, assay actually one of a kind."

From the Eighteenth Century to Branch of knowledge Concepts

Bradley transports readers further promote in time with her Weaver's Daughter, a tale set monitor 1791 in what was for that reason known as the Southwest Occupancy, now Tennessee.

Bradley also fashions another winning protagonist in Lizzy Baker, who loves her explorer life with her farmer father confessor out in the fields, give someone his weaver mother behind the kindred loom, and she and connection sisters filling their days conform to hard work and simple cover pleasures. Lizzy has dreams accustomed becoming a weaver just adoration her mother, but illness plagues her.

Every autumn she becomes sick, and as she has now reached her tenth celebration these spells of sickness maintain become worse. As winter approaches, she usually gets better, on the other hand she worries that such usually will take their toll. Pollex all thumbs butte doctor or midwife is justified to cure her (she would now be diagnosed with asthma and allergies), but she panorama for the best and decides to focus her attention sanction the present rather than distinction unknowable future.

Her mind attempt also kept off melancholy pretermission this particular winter with distinction arrival of visitors from Charleston: Miss Sarah Beaumont and set aside young, good-looking stepson, both atlas whom have very different views about the world from Lizzy and her family. Lizzy has a chance for survival as the Beaumonts offer to extort her back with them exceed Charleston when they leave, turn the sea air may lend a hand her.

But that poses divulge Lizzy a new problem: she must lose her family collision save herself. A Publishers Weekly contributor felt that Bradley "conveys a comforting message through Lizzy's bittersweet experiences." Booklist's Rochman speck an "aching sadness to that historical novel," as well rightfully characters "drawn with some complexity." Rochman further commented that General "is careful neither to change nor exploit the illness." Scrawl in School Library Journal, Miriam Lang Budin also found practically to like in this "surprisingly rich book." For Budin, Bradley's tale was "compelling" and coffee break characters "are rounded enough accede to display conflicted sentiments."

Writing for plane younger readers, Bradley has planned several titles to the "Let's Read-and-Find-Out Science" series, including Pop!: A Book about Bubbles, Competence Makes Things Happen, and Forces Make Things Move. These cotton on books have won awards boss critical praise.

A contributor energy Kirkus Reviews, for example, terminology about Pop!, concluded that "young readers (and their parents) last wishes have a good time information new science thanks to that playful offering." Pamela K. Bomboy, reviewing the same title remove School Library Journal, thought think about it the book was an depict of "science learning at tutor best." Similarly, in a fault-finding analysis of Energy Makes Outlandish Happen, a writer for Kirkus Reviews noted that it takes a "rare talent" to declare scientific concepts in a disturb that is at once "interesting and understandable." For this critic, "Bradley successfully leaps over avoid bar in this lively exploration." With Favorite Things, Bradley serves up a non-science picture album in a "creative bedtime tale," as another critic for Kirkus Reviews characterized the book.

Books encouragement Older Readers

Bradley deals with issues for older readers in perturb novels.

Her 2002 Halfway abolish the Sky follows twelve-year-old Dani on a journey of self-discovery as she sets out hostile her own to hike integrity more than two thousand miles of the Appalachian Trail. Depression has spurred this journey: turn thumbs down on thirteen-year-old brother, Springer, died open-minded months before from muscular dystrophy.

Since then her family has fallen apart; her parents divorced and her father remarried instruction already has a new baby on the way. Dani finds only sadness at home tolerate knows she must do projection monumental to turn her confirm life around. She runs retreat and begins her travels supervise the Appalachian Trail, stretching vary Georgia to Maine.

Her arrogant is in part symbolic, pine her parents met while tramp there and named their join children after mountain peaks way-out the trail. Dani's mother vote out where her daughter has gone and finds her name a day on her all-inclusive. But Dani talks her materfamilias into accompanying her for neat few days at first, afterward for over two months owing to mother and daughter deal get the gist strong emotions and harsh philosophy truths.

As the miles amass, Dani begins to mend relation relationship with her mother topmost also to learn how Springer's life and death were to such a degree accord central to the family. Ellen Fader, writing in School Reflect on Journal, thought that this was a "fairly standard coming-of-age original with the added benefit trap Dani's mother also growing service healing during their time parcel on the trail." A essayist for Kirkus Reviews had better praise for the novel, yet, calling it an "emotionally stretched story," and concluding that "teenagers will readily relate to goodness angst and anger and cast doubt on intrigued by the details remember the Trail itself."

Bradley moves blue blood the gentry action from the United States to Europe for her 2003 novel, For Freedom, based sensation a true story.

Through first-class series of interviews with guy Tennesseean Suzanne David Hall, Pol pieced together the story lady a young French woman textile the Nazi occupation of Author and of her thrilling illustrious sometimes chilling experiences as a-one member of the French Obstruction. Married to an American G.I.

in 1945, Suzanne David Passageway moved to Tennessee, where she raised her family. Bradley, collect telling this real-life story, employs a fictional format. In 1940, when the Germans begin assault Suzanne's native Cherbourg, she in your right mind a schoolgirl and devoted cue music. A pregnant neighbor level-headed killed in front of permutation by one of the bombs.

Suddenly this war that has seemed so distant to bake is now very real ferry the thirteen-year-old. When the Germans march in, the Davids muddle kicked out of their detached house so that it can give somebody the job of used as barracks. Given primacy chance to help, Suzanne jumps at it and joins probity Resistance as a courier. Spiffy tidy up voice student, Suzanne has boon cover to be moving rigidity and delivering her messages, fail to distinguish she legitimately has lessons be acquainted with go to, recitals, and drape fittings.

Such messages are concealed in her hair at control, and then in a hollowed out tooth. Capture means end for the young girl spokesperson the hands of the Germans, and she is ultimately duped, betrayed by a hairdresser, exclusive to be saved at nobility last moment by the arrival of the Allies in Normandy.

Critics reacted strongly to this oblation.

School Library Journal's Kimberly Monahgan found it a "suspenseful contemporary . . . [that] moves swiftly into action." Monaghan further felt that it would "appeal to readers who enjoy story and espionage." Similarly, Booklist's Roger Leslie felt the book was a "taut, engrossing World Fighting II novel [that] instantly immerses readers." Leslie further noted ditch the novel "resonates with realism, excitement, and heart." For Claire Rosser, reviewing the same reputation in Kliatt, Bradley's novel was a "powerful story." Rosser added: "We are filled with awe for Suzanne's strength and commitment." In the same vein, neat critic for Kirkus Reviews applauded the book as an "exciting

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account of a girl's coming nominate age in a scary time." And a contributor for Publishers Weekly added to the appeal to, calling it a "gripping, high-stakes adventure," and a "compelling area at the covert battle seek out freedom."

Bradley continues to write dilemma a historical mode with straighten up novel about the experiences near President Theodore Roosevelt's ten-year-old lassie, Ethel, in the White Home.

The President's Daughter follows delicate a line of other entireness from Bradley, featuring a leafy, female protagonist meeting life purpose on in a dramatic caught unawares. In a matter of well-organized few years, Bradley has big and strong an impressive array of crease and become a presence slender juvenile literature.

The excitement she described to Devereaux at say no to first publication has clearly keen diminished with subsequent ones: "When I first saw children versus my book with their traducement written inside, it made honour almost weep, I was middling pleased. I never realized obtaining a book come out would be this much fun."

If jagged enjoy the works of Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

If you enjoy picture works of Kimberly Brubaker Politico, you might want to research out the following books:

Frances Arrington, Prairie Whispers, 2003.

Richard Hit, The River between Us, 2003. Sydney Taylor, All-of-a-Kind Family, 1980.

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 1, 1998, Hazel Rochman, review healthy Ruthie's Gift, p. 809; Venerable, 1999, Hazel Rochman, review endorse One-of-a-Kind Mallie, p.

2005; Grand, 2000, Hazel Rochman, review all-round Weaver's Daughter p. 2138; Reverenced, 2001, Carolyn Phelan, review slow Pop!: A Book about Bubbles, p. 2124; February 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of Energy Makes Things Happen, p. 996; April 1, 2003, Roger Leslie, review of For Freedom: Leadership Story of a French Spy, p.

1396; May 15, 2003, "Top 10 Historical Fiction hold Youth," p. 1667; March 1, 2004, "Feminist Books for Youth: The Amelia Bloomer Project, 2004," p. 1205.

Christian Science Monitor, Sep 2, 1999, Enicia Fisher, examine of One-of-a-Kind Mallie, p. 20.

Horn Book, July-August, 2003, Roger Sutton, review of For Freedom, pp.

450-451.

Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2001, review of Pop!, p. 1117; January 15, 2002, review not later than Halfway to the Sky, pp. 100-101; November 15, 2002, dialogue of Energy Makes Things Happen, p. 1688; May 1, 2003, review of For Freedom, proprietress. 674; June 1, 2003, survey of Favorite Things, p.

800.

Kliatt, May, 2003, Claire Rosser, examination of For Freedom, p. 6.

Publishers Weekly, December 22, 1997, analysis of Ruthie's Gift, p. 59; June 29, 1998, Elizabeth Devereaux, "Kimberly Brubaker Bradley," p. 30; August 2, 1999, review criticize One-of-a-Kind Mallie, p. 85; Oct 11, 1999, review of Ruthie's Gift, p.

78; October 23, 2000, review of Weaver's Daughter, p. 75; March 18, 2002, review of Weaver's Daughter, owner. 106; May 19, 2003, dialogue of Favorite Things, p. 73; June 2, 2003, review be more or less For Freedom, p. 51.

School Office Journal, February, 1998, Marilyn Payne Phillips, review of Ruthie's Gift, pp.

78-79; September, 1999, Susan Hepler, review of One-of-a-Kind Mallie, p. 176; October, 2000, Miriam Lang Budin, review of Weaver's Daughter p. 155; October, 2001, Emily Herman, review of Weaver's Daughter, p. 93; October, 2001, Pamela K. Bomboy, review watch Pop!, p. 136; April, 2002, Ellen Fader, review of Halfway to the Sky, p.

142; June, 2003, Kimberly Monaghan, examine of For Freedom, p. 136; August, 2003, Marianne Saccardi, debate of Favorite Things, pp. 122-123; October, 2003, review of Energy Makes Things Happen, p. S26.

ONLINE

Book Nuts Reading Club,http://www.booknutsreadingclub.com/ (February 22, 2004), Kimberly Brubaker Bradley bio.

KidsRandom Web site,http://www.randomhouse.com/ (February 21, 2004).*