Christina Soontornvat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christina Soontornvat
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Soontornvat at the 2023 Texas Book Festival
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| Born | 1980 (age 44–45) |
| Occupation | Author |
| Education | Trinity University (BS) University of Texas at Austin (MS) |
| Period | 2016–present |
| Genre | Children's and young adult fiction |
Christina Soontornvat (Thai: คริสติน่า สุนทรวัฒน์) is a talented American author. She was born in 1980. Christina is also an educator and a mechanical engineer. She has won several important awards for her books. In 2021, she received two Newbery Honor awards. These were for her children's books A Wish in the Dark (a fiction story) and All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team (a true story). She earned another Newbery Honor in 2023 for her middle grade novel "The Last Mapmaker".
About Christina Soontornvat's Early Life and Schooling
Christina Soontornvat was born in 1980. Her father, Amnaj Soontornvat, was a business owner from Thailand. Her grandfather, Saengchai Sunthornwat, was a well-known broadcasting executive in Thailand.
Christina went to Weatherford High School in Weatherford, Texas. She graduated from high school in 1998. She then went to Trinity University. In 2002, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. Later, in 2007, she received a Master of Science degree in science education. She earned this from the University of Texas at Austin.
Christina Soontornvat's Writing Journey
Before becoming a writer, Christina Soontornvat worked at a science museum. This experience likely helped her with her nonfiction writing.
In 2020, Christina wrote two popular children's books. These were A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team. All Thirteen tells the amazing true story of the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue. In an interview, Christina shared that she wanted to tell the story from a Thai point of view. She also wanted to teach people more about Thailand.
Both of these books won a Newbery Honor in 2021. This was a very special achievement. Christina became only the third author ever to win two Newbery awards in the same year. The other authors were Meindert DeJong in 1954 and E. L. Konigsburg in 1968. Christina is also the first author to win two Newbery awards in the same year for both a fiction book (A Wish in the Dark) and a nonfiction book (All Thirteen).
Christina also helped organize a special event called the Everywhere Book Fest. She worked with other writers, Ellen Oh and Melanie Conklin. The festival took place on May 1–2, 2020. It was created because many book festivals were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Christina and Ellen Oh were supposed to speak at the Tucson Festival of Books, which was canceled. The Everywhere Book Fest included live and pre-recorded talks from authors. Over 43,000 people watched the event online.
Her Life Today
Christina Soontornvat lives in Austin, Texas. She lives there with her husband and their two children.
