Linda Sue Park, Korean American author of children's fiction, has been an avid reader and writer her entire life. In fact, she began poetry and story writing before kindergarten — at the age of four. Growing up outside of Chicago, one could often find this notorious bookworm grazing the pages of Nancy Drew, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and E. L. Konigsburg. At the age of nine, Park had her first publication — a haiku — in Trailblazer magazine. She received a one dollar check for her hard work, which she gave to her father for Christmas. To this day, the un-cashed check is still framed above his desk.
Park advanced through school with several other publications. She attended Stanford University, where she earned a degree in English and competed on the gymnastics team. Upon graduation, she was a public relations writer for a major oil company. Although it was an outlet to write, she was not satisfied with her profession. However, it taught her how to be more of a professional writer.
Two years later, Linda Sue Park and her future husband packed their bags and moved to Dublin, and later to London. In Europe, she earned advanced degrees in literature at Trinity College and the University of London. Happily married with two children, Park worked at an advertising agency, then became an ESL teacher to college students, and later worked as a food journalist. Throughout her busy life and many job changes, her love of writing flourished.
Park's husband's career relocated the family to the United States, where she continued to teach ESL — something she still does to this day. She also had this great idea of writing her first children's book — Seesaw Girl. Her work mainly focuses on historical fiction. Seesaw Girl, Kite Fighters, A Single Shard (2002 Newbery Medal winner), Project Mulberry, Bee-Bim Bop, and Archer's Quest all delve in to the Korean culture and history — embroidery, kite fighting, celadon pottery, silkworms, and Korean food.
Books by This Author
Project Mulberry
Free spirited Julia and her inquisitive friend Patrick are raising silk worms for the county fair — a project that's a little too 'Korean' for all-American Julia's tastes. The story, heavily influenced by first-generation American Park's youth, is framed by entertaining 'conversations' between author and protagonist. A fun and funny story about prejudice, acceptance, and how to find a good source of Mulberry leaves.
Seesaw Girl
Jade longs to see the world beyond the walls of her family's household. But Jade lives in 17th century Korea, where girls and women are restricted. When she figures out a way to get to the outside world, Jade's observations and experiences reveal a different time and place, but also dreams and wishes that contemporary readers will recognize.
Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo
Like haiku, sijo — a little known, brief poetic form from Korea — looks at everyday activities from breakfast to the weather. Sophisticated illustrations complement the seemingly simple language to delight readers and listeners.
The One Thing You'd Save
When a teacher asks her class what one thing they would save in an emergency, some students know the answer right away. Others come to their decisions more slowly. And some change their minds when they hear their classmates' responses. A lively dialog ignites as the students discover unexpected facets of one another — and themselves. With her ear for authentic dialog and knowledge of kids' priorities and emotions, Linda Sue Park brings the varied voices of an inclusive classroom to life through carefully honed, engaging, and instantly accessible verse.
When My Name Was Keoko
Siblings Sun-hee and Tae-yul take turns narrating this story of Japan's occupation of Korea during WWII. As the occupation intensifies, Koreans are forced to change their names and forbidden from speaking their language, and members of the Kim family struggle to retain their personal and cultural identities.
Yum! Yuck! A Foldout Book of People Sounds
No matter where they're from, people the world over share many emotions — though the way those feelings are expressed sounds a bit different in different places. In this companion to Mung-Mung, the sounds humans make when happy or exasperated are shown through clear illustration and interesting sounds.
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