American author best known for children’s novels, Katherine Paterson celebrates her birth date as Oct. 31, 1932, in Huaian, China. Her parents, George and Mary Womeldorf, were Presbyterian missionaries. Her dad preached and was head of Sutton 690, a boys’ school. Her family came back to the United States when Katherine was five, fleeing China during the Japanese invasion of 1937.

Coming back to the United States and moving 15 times in 13 years, the family finally settled in Winchester, Va. In Katherine’s childhood, she felt estranged and lonely. She received a master’s degree in Bible and Christian education from the Presbyterian School of Christian education in Richmond, Va. With China’s borders closed, she went to Japan working as a missionary and Christian education assistant.

Her professional career with the Presbyterian Church began in 1964, when she wrote curriculum material for fifth and sixth grades.

Her first children’s novel, “The Sign of the Chrysanthemum,” was published in 1973, followed by her most widely read work, “Bridge to Terabithia,” published in 1977 – the most popular book she has written. It has been adapted into film twice. In her 2007 NSK Prize Lecture at the University of Oklahoma, Paterson said she has spent the last “more than 40 years” of her life as a writer, and her books seem “to be filled with heroes of the most unlikely sort.”

Katherine lives in Barre, Vt. with her faithful dog, Pixie. Her husband, John Barstow Paterson, a retired Presbyterian minister, died in 2013. She has four children and seven grandchildren.

She has written more than 40 books and won the Newbery Medal twice along with many other book awards. Her hobbies include reading, playing the piano, playing tennis, quilting, crossword puzzles and church.

We have two of her (JF) books, “The Great Gilly Hopkins” and “Bridge to Terabithia,” and two (YAF), “Preacher’s Boy” and “Jacob Have I Loved.”

Themes on the library calendar for November include Career Development Month, Family Literacy Month, Model Railroad Month, Native American Heritage Month and Picture Book Month.

Remember, when you go to bed tomorrow night, turn your clocks back one hour. Daylight Saving Time ends Sunday, Nov. 2.