The Great Gilly Hopkins

Katherine Paterson (born October 31, 1932) is an American author best known for her children's novels, including the Newbery Medal-winning Bridge to Terabithia (1977). Born in China to Presbyterian missionary parents, she spent her early childhood there before returning to the United States, later working as a missionary in Japan, and winning numerous awards such as two Newbery Medals, two National Book Awards, the Hans Christian Andersen Award (1998), and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2006).