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Patricia McKissack facts for kids

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Patricia "Pat" McKissack
Patricia McKissack in 2012
Patricia McKissack in 2012
Born Patricia L'Ann Carwell
August 9, 1944
Smyrna, Tennessee
Died April 7, 2017
Bridgeton, Missouri
Period 1985-2017
Genre Children's literature, Biography, Historical fiction, Folktale
Spouse Fredrick McKissack

Patricia C. "Pat" McKissack (born August 9, 1944 – died April 7, 2017) was an amazing African American writer. She wrote over 100 books for children and young adults. Many of her stories shared important parts of history.

Some of her well-known books include A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl and Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba. She also wrote Flossie & the Fox and The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural. Her book What is Given from the Heart was published after she passed away.

Patricia McKissack lived in St. Louis. She often wrote books with her husband, Fredrick McKissack. Together, they won the Regina Medal in 1998. Fredrick passed away in 2013.

Patricia McKissack also helped the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. This group works to support reading, books, and libraries for kids. She used different names for her books, like L'Ann Carwell and Pat McKissack.

Patricia McKissack's Early Life and Family

Patricia L'Ann Carwell was born on August 9, 1944. Her parents were Robert and Erma Carwell. She grew up in Smyrna, Tennessee. Her mother loved to read her poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Her grandparents told her many stories. These stories often included her and her siblings, Nolan and Sarah.

Many of the tales she heard as a child became stories in her books. For example, her book Goin' Someplace Special (2000) shares her own experiences. In this book, she remembered her favorite childhood place. It was the Nashville Public Library. This library was special because it was not segregated. It was a place where Patricia always felt welcome. There, she learned to love reading.

Education and Marriage

Patricia McKissack went to Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial State University. This school is now called Tennessee State University. There, she met Fredrick McKissack, a friend from her childhood. They later got married. She earned an English degree in 1964. Fredrick studied civil engineering.

Patricia and Fredrick married on December 12, 1965. They soon started their family. After moving to Missouri, Patricia studied at Webster University. She earned a master's degree in child education. She then became an English teacher for junior high students.

In 1971, she realized she wanted to be an author. In 1980, Fredrick's business had problems. So, they decided to become full-time writers together. They continued writing as a team until Fredrick's death in 2013.

Family Collaborations

Patricia and Fredrick had three sons. Their oldest son, Fredrick McKissack, Jr., is also a writer. He worked with his mother on several books. One award-winning book was Black Diamond: The Story of the Negro Baseball Leagues (1994).

Her twin sons, Robert Lewis and John Patrick, also wrote with her. Robert co-wrote Itching and Twitching: A Nigerian Folktale (2003). John Patrick helped write The Clone Codes trilogy (2010, 2011, 2012). The McKissacks lived in a renovated home in the city for many years. In 1995, they moved to Chesterfield, Missouri.

Patricia and Fredrick McKissack wrote over 100 books together. They worked for more than 20 years. When Fredrick died, they were working on Let's Clap, Jump, Sing & Shout; Dance, Spin & Turn It Out!: Games, Songs & Stories From An African American Childhood (2017). Patricia finished this book by herself. She kept writing alone until she passed away. She died on April 7, 2017, at age 72.

Patricia McKissack's Writing Career

Patricia McKissack started her writing career in 1975. By 1980, she became a full-time author. Her family moved to St. Louis. There, she started a writing service. Her husband, Fredrick, also became interested in writing. He focused on researching non-fiction books.

One of their main goals was to teach children about African-American history. They wanted to share stories of important historical figures. Fredrick did most of the research. Patricia then wrote the stories based on his findings. They worked together to make history exciting for young readers. They strongly believed in the contributions of African Americans. This belief showed in many of their books.

Books and Themes

Patricia and Fredrick started writing books together in 1984. Their first joint book was a biography of Paul Laurence Dunbar. Patricia wrote many more biographies. Some were with Fredrick, and some were by herself. These books featured famous African American figures. They included Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, and Sojourner Truth.

McKissack mostly wrote non-fiction. She focused on topics like racism and African American history. Her first picture book, Flossie & the Fox, came out in 1986. This was followed by Mirandy and Brother Wind (1988). These books often featured Southern African American girls. They were written in an older style of language.

The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural (1992) is one of her most popular books. She wrote it from her childhood memories. It describes the 30 minutes before dark on a summer night. This was when her grandmother would tell spooky stories.

Awards and Recognition

Patricia and Fredrick worked together on many award-winning books. A Long Hard Journey: The Story of the Pullman Porter won the Coretta Scott King Award in 1990. Their book Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman also won the Coretta Scott King Award in 1993.

Patricia also received other important honors. These include a Newbery Medal runner-up award. She also won the National Council of Teachers of English's Orbis Pictus Award. Other awards include the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and an NAACP Image Award. After Fredrick's death, the McKissacks received the Coretta Scott King – Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement together.

Patricia McKissack's Awards

Patricia McKissack won many awards for her books. Here are some of them:

Besides these winners, six other books by McKissack were Coretta Scott King Honor Books. This means they were runners-up for the award.

Other notable recognitions:

Selected Books by Patricia McKissack

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