Katherine Paterson's international fame rests not only on her widely acclaimed novels but also on her efforts to promote literacy in the U.S. and abroad. A two-time winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award, she was the 1998 recipient of the Hans Christian Andersen Medal and was recently given the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts by her home state of Vermont. Her latest novel for Clarion was The Same Stuff as Stars. She lives in Barre, Vermont, where part of this story takes place. Katherine Paterson is the recipient of the 2006 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, which celebrates her life's work.