Stacey Lee facts for kids

Stacey Heather Lee is an American author who writes books for young adults. She is well-known for her novels Under a Painted Sky and Outrun the Moon. Her stories often mix history with modern times, and sometimes include a touch of magic.

About Stacey Lee

Stacey Lee is a fourth-generation Chinese-American. This means her family has lived in America for many generations. Her mother's family first came to America in the 1800s. However, they were not allowed to stay because of a law called the Chinese Exclusion Act. This law stopped many Chinese people from entering the country.

Stacey's father moved to San Francisco in 1953. Stacey grew up in southern California with her two sisters. She wrote her first book when she was only nine years old. She always knew she wanted to be a writer.

Education and Career

Stacey went to the UCLA for college. She also earned a law degree from UC Davis School of Law. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked as a lawyer for a few years in Silicon Valley. This area is famous for its technology companies.

Stacey is also involved with a non-profit group called We Need Diverse Books. A non-profit organization works to help others and doesn't aim to make money. She is a legal director and one of the people who started this group. Their goal is to make sure books show many different kinds of people and experiences.

Stacey is married and has two children, a daughter and a son.

Stacey Lee's Books

Stacey Lee writes exciting stories that often explore history and different cultures.

Under a Painted Sky

Her first book, Under a Painted Sky, came out in 2016. It tells the story of a Chinese-American girl and an African-American girl. They travel along the Oregon Trail during the gold rush period. Stacey was inspired to write this book because of her own family's history in the 1800s.

Outrun the Moon

Her second book, Outrun the Moon, was also published in 2016. This story takes place during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It follows a Chinese-American teenager who is trying to escape poverty. Stacey used her family history again for this novel. She even visited places like Chinatown and the Golden Gate Park to research her story.

Luck of the Titanic

In May 2021, Stacey's book Luck of the Titanic was released. This novel is about a Chinese teenager who secretly boards the RMS Titanic. She has to sneak on because of the Chinese Exclusion Act, which was still in place.

Winston Chu Duology

Stacey Lee is also writing a new series called the Winston Chu Duology. The first book, Winston Chu Versus the Whimsies, is expected in 2022. This series is based on amazing Chinese mythology. It will be published by Rick Riordan Presents, a special imprint known for fantasy books inspired by myths.

Awards and Recognition

Stacey Lee has won several awards for her wonderful books.

Awards Won

• 2016 Crystal Kite Award for Under a Painted Sky
• 2016-2017 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Outrun the Moon
• 2017 PEN Center USA Literary Award for Young Adult for Outrun the Moon

Nominations

• 2017-2018 Missouri Gateway Readers Award for Under a Painted Sky