Patricia McKissack

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Patricia C. McKissack (''née'' Carwell; August 9, 1944 – April 7, 2017) was a prolific African American children's writer. She was the author of over 100 books, including Dear America books ''A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl;'' ''Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love'', ''The Great Migration North''; and ''Look to the Hills: The Diary of Lozette Moreau, a French Slave Girl''. She also wrote a novel for The Royal Diaries series: ''Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba''. Notable standalone works include ''Flossie & the Fox'' (1986), ''The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural'' (1992), and ''Sojourner Truth: Ain't I a Woman?'' (1992). ''What is Given from the Heart'' was published posthumously in 2019.

McKissack lived in St. Louis. In addition to her solo work, McKissack co-wrote many books with her husband, Fredrick, with whom she also co-won the Regina Medal in 1998. Fredrick died in April 2013 at the age of 73.

Patricia McKissack was also a board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance, a national not-for-profit that actively advocates for literacy, literature, and libraries.

She also published under the names '''L'Ann Carwell, Pat McKissack, and Patricia C. McKissack'''.