Robin McKinley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robin McKinley
Robin McKinley
Born	Jennifer Carolyn Robin McKinley (1952-11-16) November 16, 1952 (age 72) Warren, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation	Writer
Period	1978–present
Genre	Children's fantasy novels, Bildungsroman, fairy tales
Notable works	The Hero and the Crown Deerskin Sunshine Beauty
Notable awards	Newbery Medal 1985 World Fantasy Award 1986
Spouse	Peter Dickinson ​ ​ (m. 1991; died 2015)​

Robin McKinley (born November 16, 1952) is an American author. She is well-known for her exciting fantasy novels and her unique retellings of classic fairy tales. Her book The Hero and the Crown, published in 1984, won the prestigious Newbery Medal. This award is given to the best new American children's book each year. In 2022, she was honored as the 39th Damon Knight Memorial SFWA Grand Master for her important contributions to science fiction and fantasy literature.

About Robin McKinley

Robin McKinley was born Jennifer Carolyn Robin McKinley on November 16, 1952, in Warren, Ohio. Her father, William McKinley, was an officer in the United States Navy. Her mother, Jeanne Turrell McKinley, was a teacher. Because her father's job required moving often, Robin grew up in many different places. She lived in California, New York, Japan, and Maine.

She attended Gould Academy, a special school in Bethel, Maine. Later, she went to college at Dickinson College and then Bowdoin College. She graduated from Bowdoin College in 1975 with very high honors. Robin McKinley now lives in the United Kingdom. She was married to author Peter Dickinson from 1991 until he passed away in 2015.

Her Writing Journey

After college, Robin McKinley stayed in Maine for several years. She worked as a research assistant and later in a bookstore. During this time, she finished her first book, Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. This book was quickly accepted by a publisher and became very popular. It was recognized as an American Library Association Notable Children's Book. It was also named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults.

What She Writes About

Robin McKinley writes many novels, mostly in the fantasy style. Several of her books are her own versions of classic fairy tales. These retellings often feature a strong female main character. These characters do not wait for someone to rescue them. Instead, they actively work to shape their own lives.

For example, Beauty and Rose Daughter are both her versions of Beauty and the Beast. Spindle's End tells the story of Sleeping Beauty. Deerskin and some stories in The Door in the Hedge are based on other old folktales. Besides adapting fairy tales, McKinley also wrote her own version of the Robin Hood story in her novel The Outlaws of Sherwood.

McKinley has also written two novels set in a made-up land called Damar. These books are The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown. Other stories, like those in A Knot in the Grain, are also set in Damar. Her standalone novels include Sunshine (2003), Dragonhaven (2007), and Shadows (2013).

Robin McKinley says she writes about strong heroines because she believes girls have great potential. She felt there were not enough fantasy stories with active, capable girls. According to a writer named Marilyn H. Karrenbrock, McKinley's female characters are not weak. They do not change who they are just to please someone else. But they also value love and duty. In her books, adventure and romance are built on ideas of loyalty, responsibility, and honor.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Robin McKinley has received many awards for her writing:

• 1983 Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword.
• 1985 Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown.
• 1986 World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology/Collection for Imaginary Lands, which she edited.
• 1998 Phoenix Award Honor Book for Beauty.
• 2004 Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature for Sunshine.
• 2022 Grand Master of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association.

Her Books

Children's Picture Books

• Rowan (1992), with pictures by Donna Ruff
• My Father Is in the Navy (1992), with pictures by Martine Gourbalt
• The Stone Fey (1998), with pictures by John Clapp

Books She Adapted

• Black Beauty Storybook Edition (1986), with pictures by Susan Jeffers. The original story was by Anna Sewell.
• The Light Princess (1988), with pictures by Katie Thamer Treheme. This was a chapter book based on a story by George MacDonald.
• Tales from the Jungle Book (1985), with pictures by Jos. A. Smith. This book included her versions of stories from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.

Standalone Novels

• Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast (1978)
• The Outlaws of Sherwood (1988)
• Deerskin (1993)
• Rose Daughter (1997)
• Spindle's End (2000)
• Sunshine (2003)
• Dragonhaven (2007)
• Chalice (2008)
• Pegasus (2010)
• Shadows (2013)

Novels in a Series

Damar Series

• The Blue Sword (1982)
• The Hero and the Crown (1984)

Some short stories also set in Damar include: "The Healer" (1982), "The Stagman" (1984), "The Stone Fey" (1998), and "A Pool in the Desert" (2004).

Collections of Stories

• The Door in the Hedge (1981)
  • "The Stolen Princess"
  • "The Princess and the Frog"
  • "The Hunting of the Hind"
  • "The Twelve Dancing Princesses"
• Imaginary Lands (1986), which she edited and contributed to.
• A Knot in the Grain and Other Stories (1994)
  • "The Healer"
  • "The Stagman"
  • "Touk's House"
  • "Buttercups"
  • "A Knot in the Grain"
• Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits (2004), written with Peter Dickinson.
• Fire: Tales of Elemental Spirits (2009), also written with Peter Dickinson.

Other Books She Contributed To

Robin McKinley has also had her stories appear in other collections, such as:

• Elsewhere, Volume II (1982)
• Elsewhere, Volume III (1984)
• Faery! (1985)
• Dragons and Warrior Daughters: Fantasy Stories by Women Writers (1989)
• Masterpieces of Fantasy and Wonder (1989)
• Spells of Enchantment: The Wondrous Fairy Tales of Western Culture (1991)
• Silver Birch, Blood Moon (1999)
• The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror: Sixteenth Annual Collection (2003)
• Lightspeed Magazine, Issue 45 (February 2014)

Nonfiction Works

Book Introductions

• Imaginary Lands (1986)
• Oz: The Hundredth Anniversary Celebration (2000) by Peter Glassman
• The Phoenix and the Carpet (2012), by E. Nesbit