🎂 Katherine Applegate (1956– )
An American children’s literature writer, born in Michigan, she is known for her unique animal perspective, environmental themes, and humanistic care, and is a leading figure in contemporary children’s literature.
Her representative works The One and Only IvanThe One and Only Ivan, 2012) Inspired by the real story of gorillas, it explores animal rights and freedom. 2013 Newbery Medal(Newbery Medal).
Applegate co-wrote it with her husband “Deformed” series (Animorphs, 1996–2001) Blending science fiction with moral dilemmas, it has sold over 35 million copies worldwide. Her “Endling” trilogy (2018–2020), which explores themes of extinction and hope, was adapted into a Disney+ film.
Her works have been published in China, including Monster Guardian (Willodeen) and The One and Only Ruby (The One and Only Ruby).
👉 Katherine Applegate — Wikipedia
Johanna Hurwitz (born 1937)
An American writer born in New York, she is a representative of realistic children’s literature, having written over 70 books. She is known for her gentle humor and delicate observation of everyday life.
Her “Riverside Children” series (Riverside Kids) depicts the friendship and growth of city children, such as “Busy Nora” (Busybody Nora, 1976), which showcases the humor and authenticity of the childhood world through everyday adventures.
Hurwitz’s works have been widely included in the American elementary school reading system and translated into multiple languages, influencing the European and Asian markets.
👉 Johanna Hurwitz — Wikipedia
📘 CookiesCookie) Publishing and the “age rating” controversy
On October 9, 2008, the famous British writer Jacqueline WilsonJacqueline Wilson published the novel CookieCookie), illustrated by Nick Sharratt.
Wilson is known for her “gritty realism”. Her works often feature 11- or 12-year-old girls as the protagonists, and directly address issues such as domestic violence, school bullying and poverty.
Beauty Cookson, the protagonist of “Cookie”, suffers bullying at school and is emotionally controlled by her father at home. Her self-awakening and growth demonstrate the courage of children’s literature in facing “adult reality”.
📚 When the book was published, the British publishing industry was in the midst of a heated debate about age-banding for children’s books. The publisher, Doubleday, labeled Cookies “9+,” but Wilson strongly opposed this practice, believing that “age should not be a boundary for reading.“
This debate became a representative event in the conflict between the commercialization of children’s literature and creative freedom in British publishing history.
👉 Jacqueline Wilson — Wikipedia
🕊️ The attack on Malala: From tragedy to global education movement
On October 9, 2012, Pakistani education activist Malala YousafzaiMalala Yousafzai was shot while walking home from school. Fifteen years old, she was targeted by the Taliban for her advocacy for girls’ right to education.
Miraculously, she survived and continued to speak out peacefully, becoming a global symbol of equal education rights. Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the youngest winner in history.
📖 Malala’s teenage memoir, co-authored with Patricia McCormick
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the WorldI Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World)
She wants middle school students around the world to understand education, faith, and courage through her perspective. She emphasized, “I don’t want people to remember the girl who was shot by the Taliban, but the girl who fought for education.”
👉 Malala Yousafzai — Wikipedia
Further reading
- The One and Only Ivan — Katherine Applegate
- Busybody Nora —Johanna Hurwitz
- Cookie — Jacqueline Wilson
- I Am Malala — Malala Yousafzai