Katherine Womeldorf Paterson (born October 31, 1932)[1] is an American writer best known for children's novels, including Bridge to Terabithia.

She is one of four people to win the two major international awards; for "lasting contribution to children's literature" she won the biennial Hans Christian Andersen Award for Writing in 1998[2][3] and for her career contribution to "children's and young adult literature in the broadest sense" she won the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award from the Swedish Arts Council in 2006, the biggest monetary prize in children's literature.

She overcame these challenges and, in 1954, graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English from King College in Bristol, Tennessee.

Paterson began her professional career in the Presbyterian Church in 1964 by writing curriculum materials for fifth and sixth graders.

It is a work of historical fiction, set in the Japanese medieval period; it is based on Paterson's studies in Japan.

In her 2007 NSK Prize Lecture at the University of Oklahoma, Paterson said she has spent the last "more than forty years" of her life as a writer, and her books seem "to be filled with heroes of the most unlikely sort.

[20] On April 28, 2005, Paterson dedicated a tree in memory of Lisa Hill (her son David's childhood friend who became the inspiration for Bridge to Terabithia) to Takoma Park Elementary School.

Citing Bridge to Terabithia in particular, the committee noted that "Paterson's unflinching yet redemptive treatment of tragedy and loss helped pave the way for ever more realistic writing for young people.

Paterson's protagonists are usually orphaned or estranged children with only a few friends who must face difficult situations largely on their own.

[2][3][4] The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award is the highest honor from US professional librarians for contributions to American children's literature.

Paterson's 1980 novel, Jacob Have I Loved, was adapted into a 1989 made-for-television film by the Public Broadcasting Service as part of their children's anthology series WonderWorks .

Her short story "Poor Little Innocent Lamb" was adapted into the 2002 television film Miss Lettie and Me.