Biography

Linda Sue Park

(photo by Sonya Sones)

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Linda Sue Park is the author of many books for young readers, including the 2002 Newbery Medal winner A Single Shard and the New York Times bestseller A Long Walk to Water. Her most recent title is Prairie Lotus, a historical fiction middle-grade novel. When she’s not writing, speaking, teaching, or caregiving for her two grandchildren, she spends most of her time on equity/inclusion work for We Need Diverse Books and the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. She is also on the advisory board of the Rabbit hOle national children’s literature museum project.

Linda Sue has served as a panelist for several awards and grants, including the Kirkus Prize, the National Book Award, the PEN Naylor grant, and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award. In her travels to promote reading and writing, she has visited more than 30 countries and 49 states. Linda Sue knows very well that she will never be able to read every great book ever written, but she keeps trying anyway.

FAST FACTS:

Born: 1960, in Urbana Illinois, to parents who had immigrated from Korea.
One brother, one sister.
Grew up in Park Forest, Illinois. Attended Blackhawk Elementary, Indiana Elementary, O.W. Huth Junior High, Rich South High School
College: Stanford University, B.A. in English
Graduate degrees: Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland & Birkbeck College, Higher Diploma in Anglo-Irish Literature. University of London, M.A. in Modern British Literature.
Married. Two children. Two grandchildren.
Interests: Food & cooking, travel, movies, knitting, baseball, snorkeling.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION IN LIST FORM:

Family:

Parents, Korean immigrants, naturalized U.S. citizens

Siblings: One brother and one sister

Spouse: Ben Dobbin, from Dublin, Ireland

Children: One boy and one girl

Grandchildren: One boy and one girl

Schools I’ve attended, with memorable teachers:

In Illinois:

Blackhawk Elementary, Park Forest 1965-1966

kindergarten with Mrs. French, who let me read as much as I wanted

Indiana Elementary, Park Forest 1967-1971

fifth grade, Mrs. Gilchrist, who read aloud every day
sixth grade, Mrs. McElroy, who made grammar fun and science fascinating

O.W. Huth Upper Grade Center, Matteson 1971-1973

Rich South High School, Richton Park 1973-1977

Freshman English, Mrs. Merritt, who encouraged me to write
Freshman Algebra, Mr. Caudill, whom I loved even though I hated math

Stanford University, Palo Alto, California. B.A. English 1977-1981

writing classes with Brett Singer and Stephanie Vaughn, poetry with Corey Wade

Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. H.Dip, Anglo-Irish Literature 1983-1984

literature classes with Brendan Kennelly, Terence Brown, David Norris

Birkbeck College, London, England. M.A. Modern British Literature 1986-1988

Libraries that have saved me, where I have been a regular patron

Park Forest Public Library, Park Forest, Illinois

Clapham Library, Clapham, London, England

Brooklyn Public Library, Main branch, Brooklyn, NY

Brighton Memorial Library, Rochester, NY

I have also done research in the ‘old’ British Library Reading Room (now the British Museum Reading Room) and at the Beinecke Rare Books Library at Yale University. Probably my favorite library to hang out in is the Long Room at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland.