1932 - Born 1930's - Childhood 1940's - Teenage 1940's - College 1950's - Moved 1962 - Married 1964 - 1st Book 1970's - Kids 2000 - Now

 
 
 

During the year 1932 Katherine Paterson was born.
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    As a child Katherine wanted to be a movie star or a missionary. She didn't even consider writing for a living, even though she loved to read. Her favorite authors were A.A. Milne, Beatrix Potter, Kenneth Graham, Kipling, Stevenson, Kate Seredy, Robert Lawson, Dickens, and Louisa May Alcott. Her favorite books were The Secret Garden, The Yearling, and Heidi.
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    Even though she stayed in China until she was 7, by the time she was 18 she had moved 18 times. Katherine's parents were missionaries, and moved around quite often.
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She went to college at King College in Bristol, Tennessee for 4 years. After that, she went for 2 years of graduate school in Richmond, Virginia. Then she worked as a teacher in Virgina.
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    Katherine wanted to move to back to China, but travel was closed to Americans. A Japanese friend convinced her to go to Japan instead. Katherine was afraid of the Japanese, but she came to love Japan as much as China.
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    Katherine married a minister named John in 1962.
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    Her first books take place in Japan, for instance The Mast Puppeter.
If you have read some of Katherine's early books you would know she loves Japan.
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She has four children, two adopted, and two her own.
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She is happily married, and still writing!!!
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