A Little More
About the Author

For students assigned to write about a children’s book author, Kate Hannigan answers a few frequently asked questions:

Q: Were you once a kid?

A: Yes! I was once a real live child like YOU, as the photos show. I loved to play, play, play, whether it was sports on a team (basketball, softball, soccer) or with tiny action figures in my yard or dollhouse. I spent my days riding my bike all over my neighborhood and running wild outside. Occasionally I tried to bake birthday cakes for my family, but it usually ended in a mess.

Q: What made you want to write books?

A: I love the way stories connect us and help us really see each other. Something special happens when we talk with another person about a story—what made us laugh or want to cry. When I write a book, it’s my small way of reaching out and forming a connection with someone.

Q: Did you read a lot when you were young?

A: I liked to read the same book over and over again: Island of the Blue Dolphins. I think that’s what hooked me on historical fiction! But I wasn’t a strong reader or writer—that came over time. So if you’re not either, don’t worry, it will come with time for you too!

Q: Did you have a dog when you were a child?

A: I constantly begged my parents for a dog, putting it on every Christmas list and wishing for one at every birthday. But I didn’t get a pup until I became a grownup. Now I play outside every day just like I did when I was young, only I do it with my very own dog, a suspiciously smart Border collie named Kevin.

Q: How many books have you written?

A: I’ve written many stories that have not been made into books. So I’m incredibly thankful for the ones that have been published and can be found in bookstores and libraries! My next book, Number 14, is a picture book biography titled Rachel Carson's Wonder-Filled World, and it comes out on March 11, 2025.

Q: Are your books any good?

A: I hope you will be the judge of that! I try to make my books interesting and hope that readers learn a little something along the way. Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine, about the inventor and entrepreneur Josephine Cochrane—the pride of Shelbyville, Illinois!—was named to the 2024 Illinois Reads list of recommended books, and another "inventor" book, Blips on a Screen, about the origins of video gaming, has been nominated to the 2025 Illinois Bluestem Award list. I love reading about WW2, and my graphic novel World War II: Fight on the Home Front was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. And my historical mystery The Detective's Assistant was awarded the prestigious Golden Kite Award for best middle-grade and twice optioned for film.

Q: Where do you live?

A: I live near Lake Michigan on the South Side of Chicago.