Karen Hesse is the author of many books for young people, including Out of the Dust, winner of the Newbery Medal,Letters from Rifka, Brooklyn Bridge, Phoenix Rising, and Lavender. She has received honors including the Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, the Christopher Award, and the MacArthur Fellowship "Genius" Award, making her only the second children's book author to receive this prestigious grant. Born in Baltimore, Hesse graduated from the University of Maryland. She and her husband Randy live in Vermont.