Karen Hesse grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. From an early age she dreamed of being a professional writer and after 30 years, the dream came true. Along the way she found work as a waitress, a nanny, a librarian, an agricultural labourer, a secretary and a proofreader (plus a lot of other things). In 1998 she won the Newbery Medal for her novel
Out of the Dust.
Karen says she loves writing and can't wait to get to her keyboard every morning. She loves hiking and reading too, and spending time with her family and friends. She lives in Vermont, USA.
