Kathleen Krull facts for kids

Kathleen Krull (born April 15, 1952 – died January 15, 2021) was a talented American author. She wrote many books for children and young adults. Before becoming a full-time writer, she also worked as a book editor.

Early Life and Education

Kathleen Krull was born in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri in 1952. She grew up in Wilmette, Illinois. She went to Regina Dominican High School, an all-girls school.

After high school, she studied music at Northwestern University. Later, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974 from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. She majored in English and also studied music.

Career as an Author and Editor

Kathleen Krull started her career working as an editor for children's books. She worked for different companies in the Midwest. From 1974 to 1979, she was at Western Publishing. There, she edited and wrote books for the popular Trixie Belden series. For these books, she used a special pen name, Kathryn Kenny. A pen name is a fake name authors use.

Later, she moved to San Diego and became a senior editor at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. As an editor, she helped many famous authors make their books ready for publishing. Some of these authors included Tomie dePaola and Jane Yolen.

In 1984, Kathleen Krull decided to focus on her own writing. She left her editing job to become a full-time children's book author. She wrote many books about history, biographies, and other interesting topics for young readers.

One of her special projects was working with Jill Biden on a book called Joey: The Story of Joe Biden. This book was released in August 2020. Jill Biden is the wife of former U.S. President Joe Biden.

Personal Life

Kathleen Krull lived in San Diego with her husband, Paul Brewer. They were married in 1989. Paul Brewer is also a children's book illustrator and author. Kathleen Krull passed away in January 2021 after battling cancer.

Selected Books by Kathleen Krull

Kathleen Krull wrote many popular books. Here are some of her well-known works:

• Lives of the Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (and What the Neighbors Thought), 1993.
• Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought), 1994.
• Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolph Became the World's Fastest Woman, 1996. This book tells the story of Wilma Rudolph, an amazing Olympic runner.
• Lives of the Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (and What the Neighbors Thought), 1995.
• Lives of the Athletes: Thrills, Spills (and What the Neighbors Thought), 1997.
• Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought), updated edition 2011.
• Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, 2003. This book is about Cesar Chavez, a leader who fought for farmworkers' rights.
• The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss, 2004. This book explores the childhood of the famous Dr. Seuss.
• Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape King, 2005. This book is about the famous escape artist, Harry Houdini.
• Fartiste: An Explosively Funny, Mostly True Story, (with Paul Brewer) 2008.
• Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country), (with Paul Brewer) 2010.
• Lives of the Pirates: Swashbucklers, Scoundrels (Neighbors Beware!), 2010.
• The Beatles Were Fab (and They Were Funny) co-authored with Paul Brewer, 2013.

Giants of Science Series

Kathleen Krull also wrote a special series of books called "Giants of Science." These books tell the life stories of important scientists.

• Leonardo da Vinci, 2005.
• Isaac Newton, 2006.
• Sigmund Freud, 2006.
• Marie Curie, 2008.
• Albert Einstein, 2009.
• Charles Darwin, 2010.
• Benjamin Franklin, 2012.