| Laurie Halse Anderson | |
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| Born | Laurie Beth Halse October 23, 1961 Potsdam, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Nationality | United States |
| Period | 1992—present |
| Genres | Young-adult fiction, historical fiction, picture books for young readers |
| Notable work(s) | Speak (1999) Fever, 1793 (2000) Catalyst (2002) Twisted (2007) Wintergirls (2009) |
| Notable award(s) | Margaret A. Edwards Award 2009 Speak 2009 Fever, 1793 2009 Catalyst |
| Children | 4 |
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Laurie Halse Anderson (born Laurie Beth Halse on October 23, 1961 in Potsdam, New York)[1] is an American author who writes for children and young adults.
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Anderson was born October 23, 1961, in the northern New York town of Potsdam. Her father was a Methodist minister who wrote poetry on the side, and as a girl Anderson loved to play with his typewriter. She once commented, "I decided to become a writer in second grade. My teacher, Mrs. Sheedy-Shea, taught us how to write haiku. The giant light bulb clicked on over my head: 'Oh, my goodness! I can do this!' I hope every second grader learns how to write haiku."
Anderson began her career as a freelance journalist, and worked for a time at The Philadelphia Inquirer.[2] In 1999, Farrar, Straus and Giroux published what is arguably Anderson's most famous novel so far, Speak, which won numerous awards and was a The New York Times best seller.[3] Speak was adapted into a film in 2004, starring Kristen Stewart in the lead role of Melinda Sordino. Anderson's novel, Speak, became a finalist for the prestigious National Book Award. That 1999 novel won an array of honors for Anderson, the author of three earlier picture books for younger readers, for its searing portrayal of a fourteen-year-old girl who becomes mute after a sexual assault. The paperback version was published in 2001 by Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Publishing. Speak has been translated into 16 languages.
The following year, Anderson's Fever, 1793, a historical fiction novel set in Philadelphia during the Yellow Fever epidemic, was published by Simon and Schuster. Fever, 1793 received two starred reviews, many state and national awards, and was a Publishers Weekly Bestseller.[4] In May 2004, the Gifford Family Theatre, in Syracuse, New York, held their premier stage play adapted from the novel.[5]
In 2002, Anderson saw her next young adult novel, Catalyst, set in the same high school as Speak, and featuring cameo appearances from the earlier book's characters, published by Penguin, under the Viking imprint. Catalyst became a Barnes & Noble Best Teen Book of 2002, an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults, and was nominated for many state awards.[6]
A historical fiction picture book, Thank You, Sarah! The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving was also published in 2002. Thank You, Sarah received two starred reviews, several state award nominations and was named to the ALA Amelia Bloomer List and the Junior Library Guild Selection.[7]
Anderson published Prom in 2005, which appeared on The New York Times best seller list during early 2005,.[3] Prom received three starred reviews, was nominated for several state awards and received national recognition from the American Library Association and the International Reading Association.[8]
Twisted, was released in the spring of 2007 by Viking. This being Anderson's fourth YA novel, it has won awards such as the National Awards: ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2008, ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults 2008, International Reading Association Top Ten of 2007, and New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age, and also became a The New York Times best seller.
In 2008, Anderson published another historical fiction book, a narrative about a teenage Revolutionary War-era slave, entitled Chains. The novel, the first in a trilogy dubbed Seeds of America, was awarded the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.[9]
Anderson's most recent young adult novel, Wintergirls, was released in March 2009. The novel tells the story of two girls suffering from anorexia, one of whom is dead when the novel opens. Wintergirls has received five-star reviews, many nominations for state awards, has been named an ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults, was a Junior Library Guild Selection[10] and debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list.[11] Wintergirls has been published in over 15 different countries.
The second novel in the Seeds of America trilogy, Forge, was released in October, 2010, by Simon and Schuster. In the short time since its release, Forge has received three starred reviews and has become a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Kirkus Best Book for Teens: Historical Novels 2010, The Horn Book Fanfare List Best Book of 2010 and a YALSA 2011 Best Books for Young Adults.[12]
In January, 2009, Anderson was awarded the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award for Catalyst, Fever 1793, and Speak.[13]