Karen Hesse (Studies in Young Adult Literature): 19 - Hardcover

This volume from the Scarecrow Studies in Young Adult Literature series is a lively and informative introduction to Hesse and her work. The author does a good job of discussing Hesse as both a person and a writer. Using stories from Hesse's life and quotations from many sources, Oliphant-Ingham presents the portrait of a disciplined professional writer who cares deeply about the impact of her work on her readers. She also does a nice job of discussing Hesse's entire creative process from discovering an idea, to crafting the story, and to the intense work of researching and revising. A well-documented volume with a useful chronology, it is a very readable book of biography and criticism that could be used by teachers and librarians as well as middle school and high school students looking for material about Hesse, her works, and her life as a writer.--VOYA

Oliphant-Ingham (secondary education, U. of Mississippi) offers a biocritical review of contemporary American author Karen Hesse, who won the Newberry Medal in 1998 and a "Genius" fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation--one of only two such fellowships that has been given to writers for children or adolescents. Coverage includes a concise biographical overview of Hesse's life, how she evolved into a writer of works for children and young adults, descriptions and analyses of her books, and themes in her writing. For teachers, librarians, and teen readers.--Reference and Research Book News

Featuring strong, independent female teen protagonists, Hesse's books are based on the lives of real people in historical settings, dealing with tough issues of responsibility, integrity, loyalty, commitment, and prejudices in friendships and family. Hesse's teenage protagonists face decisions and challenges that cause inner turmoil; this turmoil and the ways they choose to overcome it cause each character to grow in her thinking about and reacting to life's situations. Interviews with Hesse and her publisher with details about how she writes, researches, creates book topics and characters, and weaves real-life experiences into all of her stories are included.