Kathleen Krull
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Krull is an author of children's books.
Krull was born in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
in 1952 and grew up in Wilmette, Illinois
. She graduated from Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, studied music at Northwestern University, and then earned a B.A. from Lawrence University
in Appleton, Wisconsin
, magna cum laude, majoring in English, minoring in music.
Krull worked as a children’s book editor for several companies in the Midwest. She worked at Western Publishing
from 1974 to 1979, where she edited and wrote books in the Trixie Belden
series. She moved to San Diego to work as a Senior Editor at Harcourt, editing such authors as Tomie dePaola, Eve Bunting, Patricia Hermes, Anne Lindbergh, Jane Yolen, Arnold Adoff, Amy Schwartz, Judy Delton, and Lael Littke. She left publishing in 1984 and began to establish herself as a children's book author.
She lives in San Diego with her husband, Paul Brewer, a children’s book illustrator and author. Her papers are cataloged at the University of Minnesota's Kerlan Collection.
In 2011 she won the Children's Book Guild of Washington D.C. Nonfiction Award, an honor presented annually to "an author or illustrator whose total body of work has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children."
Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1994.
V Is for Victory: America Remembers World War II, Knopf (New York, NY), 1995.
Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1995.
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman, illustrated by David Diaz, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1996.
Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1997.
Wish You Were Here: Emily's Guide to the Fifty States, illustrated by Amy Schwartz, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1997.
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), updated edition 2011.
They Saw the Future: Psychics, Oracles, Scientists, Inventors, and Pretty Good Guessers, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1999.
A Kid's Guide to America's Bill of Rights: Curfews, Censorship, and the 100-Pound Giant, illustrated by Anna DiVito, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1999.
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.
M Is for Music, illustrated by Stacy Innerst, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2003.
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2003.
The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Random House (New York, NY), 2004.
A Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull, illustrated by Jane Dyer, Walker (New York, NY), 2004.
Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King, illustrated by Eric Velasquez, Walker (New York, NY), 2005.
Pocahontas: Princess of the New World, illustrated by David Diaz, Walker (New York, NY), 2007.
Fartiste: An Explosively Funny, Mostly True Story, (with Paul Brewer) illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2008.
Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight, illustrated by Amy June Bates, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2008.
The Road to Oz: Twists, Turns, Bumps, and Triumphs in the Life of L. Frank Baum, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, Knopf (New York, NY), 2008.
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth, illustrated by Greg Couch, Knopf (New York, NY), 2009.
A Boy Named FDR: How Franklin D. Roosevelt Grew up to Change America, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Knopf (New York, NY), 2011.
Kubla Khan: Emperor of Everything, illustrated by Robert Byrd, Viking (New York, NY), 2010.
Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country), (with Paul Brewer) illustrated by Stacy Innerst, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Boston, MA), 2010.
Lives of the Pirates: Swashbucklers, Scoundrels (Neighbors Beware!), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Boston, MA), 2010.
The Brothers Kennedy: John, Robert, Edward, illustrated by Amy June Bates, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2010.
Big Wig: A Little History of Hair, illustrated by Peter Malone, Arthur A. Levine Books (New York, NY), 2011.
Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played with Puppets, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Random House (New York, NY), 2011.
"GIANTS OF SCIENCE" SERIES
Leonardo da Vinci, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2005.
Isaac Newton, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2006.
Sigmund Freud, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2006.
Marie Curie, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2008.
Albert Einstein, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2009.
Charles Darwin, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Penguin (New York, NY), 2010.
Benjamin Franklin, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Penguin (New York, NY), 2012.
Krull was born in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri
Fort Leonard Wood is a census-designated place in Pulaski County, Missouri, United States. The population was 13,667 at the 2000 census. It is named in honor of Major General Leonard Wood, who was awarded the Medal of Honor...
in 1952 and grew up in Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette, Illinois
Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district...
. She graduated from Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, studied music at Northwestern University, and then earned a B.A. from Lawrence University
Lawrence University
Lawrence University is a selective, private liberal arts college with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, in Appleton, Wisconsin. Lawrence University is known for its rigorous academic environment. Founded in 1847, the first classes were held on November 12, 1849...
in Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
, magna cum laude, majoring in English, minoring in music.
Krull worked as a children’s book editor for several companies in the Midwest. She worked at Western Publishing
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
from 1974 to 1979, where she edited and wrote books in the Trixie Belden
Trixie Belden
Trixie Belden is the title character in a series of 'girl detective' mysteries written between 1948 and 1986. The first six books were written by Julie Campbell Tatham, who also wrote the Ginny Gordon series, then continued by various in-house writers from Western Publishing under the pseudonym...
series. She moved to San Diego to work as a Senior Editor at Harcourt, editing such authors as Tomie dePaola, Eve Bunting, Patricia Hermes, Anne Lindbergh, Jane Yolen, Arnold Adoff, Amy Schwartz, Judy Delton, and Lael Littke. She left publishing in 1984 and began to establish herself as a children's book author.
She lives in San Diego with her husband, Paul Brewer, a children’s book illustrator and author. Her papers are cataloged at the University of Minnesota's Kerlan Collection.
Awards
Krull has written some 60 books, most notably biographies. Her award-winning titles include:- Lives of the Musicians (Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor Award, the PEN West Children’s Literature Award, Society of Children’s Book Writers’ Golden Kite Honor Award, Nonfiction Award from the Southern California Council on Literature for Children and Young People, ALA Notable Book, IRA Teacher’s Choice, Chicago Sun-Times’ “Best 100 Books of the Century”);
- Lives of the Presidents (New Jersey Garden State Children's Book Award, the Oregonian’s Best Children’s Books of the Year, Voya’s Best Nonfiction of 1998, ABC Booksellers Choice, IRA-CBC Children’s Choice);
- Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez (Pura Belpre Honor Book, ALA Notable Book, Jane Addams Picture Book Award, Christopher Award Honor Book, Americas Award, Southern California Children’s Booksellers Award, School Library Journal’s “Best Children’s Books,” Book Links "Lasting Connections");
- Wilma Unlimited (Jane Addams Picture Book Award, ALA Notable Book, Booklist Editor’s Choice, School Library Journal Best Books, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon, ABA’s Pick of the Lists, Parents' Choice Award);
- The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss (on the master lists for the Texas Bluebonnet Award, Utah Beehive Award, New York State Reading Association’s Charlotte Award, North Carolina Children’s Book Award, New Jersey Garden State Book Award, New Mexico Land of Enchantment Book Award); Fartiste, with Paul Brewer (NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing);
- The Boy Who Invented TV (NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book, Parents' Choice Silver Honor selection, Orbis Pictus Award finalist, Eureka! Silver Honor Book-- California Reading Association, on the Master List for the 2012 William Allen White Children's Book Awards); and
- Isaac Newton (BCCB Blue Ribbon, School Library Journal Best Book, Booklist “Top 10 Youth Biography,” ALA Notable Book, finalist for the Cybils Awards, a Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year).
In 2011 she won the Children's Book Guild of Washington D.C. Nonfiction Award, an honor presented annually to "an author or illustrator whose total body of work has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children."
Selected List of Works
Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1993.Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1994.
V Is for Victory: America Remembers World War II, Knopf (New York, NY), 1995.
Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1995.
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman, illustrated by David Diaz, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1996.
Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 1997.
Wish You Were Here: Emily's Guide to the Fifty States, illustrated by Amy Schwartz, Doubleday (New York, NY), 1997.
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), updated edition 2011.
They Saw the Future: Psychics, Oracles, Scientists, Inventors, and Pretty Good Guessers, illustrated by Kyrsten Brooker, Atheneum (New York, NY), 1999.
A Kid's Guide to America's Bill of Rights: Curfews, Censorship, and the 100-Pound Giant, illustrated by Anna DiVito, Avon Books (New York, NY), 1999.
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (and What the Neighbors Thought), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2000.
M Is for Music, illustrated by Stacy Innerst, Harcourt (Orlando, FL), 2003.
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, illustrated by Yuyi Morales, Harcourt (San Diego, CA), 2003.
The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Random House (New York, NY), 2004.
A Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull, illustrated by Jane Dyer, Walker (New York, NY), 2004.
Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King, illustrated by Eric Velasquez, Walker (New York, NY), 2005.
Pocahontas: Princess of the New World, illustrated by David Diaz, Walker (New York, NY), 2007.
Fartiste: An Explosively Funny, Mostly True Story, (with Paul Brewer) illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2008.
Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight, illustrated by Amy June Bates, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2008.
The Road to Oz: Twists, Turns, Bumps, and Triumphs in the Life of L. Frank Baum, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, Knopf (New York, NY), 2008.
The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth, illustrated by Greg Couch, Knopf (New York, NY), 2009.
A Boy Named FDR: How Franklin D. Roosevelt Grew up to Change America, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Knopf (New York, NY), 2011.
Kubla Khan: Emperor of Everything, illustrated by Robert Byrd, Viking (New York, NY), 2010.
Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country), (with Paul Brewer) illustrated by Stacy Innerst, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Boston, MA), 2010.
Lives of the Pirates: Swashbucklers, Scoundrels (Neighbors Beware!), illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (Boston, MA), 2010.
The Brothers Kennedy: John, Robert, Edward, illustrated by Amy June Bates, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2010.
Big Wig: A Little History of Hair, illustrated by Peter Malone, Arthur A. Levine Books (New York, NY), 2011.
Jim Henson: The Guy Who Played with Puppets, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher, Random House (New York, NY), 2011.
"GIANTS OF SCIENCE" SERIES
Leonardo da Vinci, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2005.
Isaac Newton, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2006.
Sigmund Freud, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2006.
Marie Curie, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2008.
Albert Einstein, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2009.
Charles Darwin, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Penguin (New York, NY), 2010.
Benjamin Franklin, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Penguin (New York, NY), 2012.