Linda Sue Park Biography
Linda Sue Park is an American with a Korean descent author who published her first novel, Seesaw Girl, in 1999. Sue has written six children’s novels and five picture books.
Park’s work achieved prominence when she received the prestigious 2002 Newbery Medal for her novel A Single Shard. She has written the ninth book in the 39 Clues series, Storm Warning, published on May 25, 2010.
Linda Sue Park Age
She was born on March 25, 1960, in Urbana, Illinois and was raised outside Chicago.
Linda Sue Park Family
Sue is the daughter of Eung Won Ed, a computer analyst, and Susie Kim, a teacher. Her parents were Korean immigrants who moved to the United States in the 1950s; they were among the first wave of Koreans to migrate to America following World War II (1939–1945).
Linda Sue Park Education
After graduating from high school she attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, where she majored in English. She also obtained advanced degrees in literature from Trinity College in Ireland and also from the University of London.
Linda Sue Park Relationship | Spouse
She got married to Ben Dobbin in 1984.
Linda Sue Park Children
Her children’s result is under review.
Linda Sue Park Career
Linda Sue Park began writing when she was in kindergarten and became a professional writer when she published her first poem at age nine. She went on to become a journalist, a food critic, and an English teacher, but Park did not test her hand at writing fiction until she was in her mid-thirties, at the same time that she began to explore her Korean heritage in earnest.
Her research resulted in a treasure trove of children’s books, each of which delves into a different piece of Korean history. In 2002 Park was awarded the Newbery Medal for her third novel, A Single Shard, which follows the adventures of a twelfth-century orphan named Tree-ear.
The Newbery is awarded by the American Library Association and is given to the most distinguished American children’s book published in the previous year. Park became the first Korean American to take home the honor.
Sue Park Nationality
Sue’s nationality is American.
Linda Park Net Worth
Her net worth result is under review.
Sue Park Themes
Park is best known for her historical fiction. With the publishing of three picture books and two novels, all of Park’s books center upon Korean history and Korean culture. Her first three novels are set in ancient or medieval Korea. However, her fourth novel, When My Name Was Keoko, is about the more recent history of the Japanese occupation of Korea during World War II. Project Mulberry occurs in a contemporary setting outside Chicago.
Park’s book, Archer’s Quest, introduces a historical figure into modern times. Park shares her passion for baseball in her book, Keeping Score. Park’s book, A Long Walk to Water, features family friend Salva Dut and his childhood experience growing up in Sudan as well as another character, Nya who spends her entire day gathering and transporting water to her family.
Park researched her Korean heritage for her books, demonstrated by historical details within the story along with sections for author’s notes and bibliographies. Her topics feature characteristic elements of Korean culture, including embroidery (Seesaw Girl); kite fighting (The Kite Fighters); celadon pottery (A Single Shard); silkworms (Project Mulberry); Korean food (Bee-Bim Bop); and archery (Archer’s Quest). She also continues to publish poetry.
Linda Park Interviews
“An Interview with Linda Sue Park”
“Linda Sue Park: Bookfest 02”, A Library of Congress video webcast
“Linda Sue Park Q & A”
“Linda Sue Park’s Interview Transcript from Scholastic
“An Interview With Linda Sue Park”, The Alsop Review
“Linda Sue Park”, DownHome Books
“Author Update: Linda Sue Park”
Sue Park Awards
-Newbery Medal, 2002, for A Single Shard
-New York Public Library Best Books designation, for Bee-bim Bop! and Project Mulberry
-Jane Addams Peace Prize Honor Award, 2003
-American Library Association (ALA) Best Books for Young Adults designation, 2004, both for When My Name Was Keoko
-Chicago Tribune Young-Adult Fiction Prize, 2005, for Project Mulberry
-ALA Notable Children’s Books designation, 2006, for Yum! Yuck!
-Nominated for various state reading association awards lists.
Linda Park Bibliography
-Seesaw Girl (1999)
-The Kite Fighters (2000)
-A Single Shard (2001)
-When My Name Was Keoko (2002)
-Project Mulberry (2005)
-Archer’s Quest (2006)
-Click: One novel ten authors, chapter one (2007)
-Keeping Score (2008)
-Storm Warning (2010), 39 Clues series
-A Long Walk to Water (2010)
-The Chronicles of Harris Burdick (2011), contributor, Illus. by Chris Van Allsburg
-Trust No One (2012), 39 Clues series
-Forest of Wonders (2016), Wing and Claw trilogy, Illus. by Jennifer Black Reinhardt
-Cavern of Secrets (2017), Wing and Claw trilogy, Illus. by Jim Madsen
-Beast of Stone (2018), Wing and Claw trilogy, Illus. by Jim Madsen
Sue Park Twitter
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