Kit Pearson
Encyclopedia
Kathleen Margaret Pearson (born 30 April 1947) is a Canadian
writer
and winner of numerous literature awards. Pearson is perhaps best known for her linked novels The Sky Is Falling (1989), Looking at the Moon (1991), and The Lights Go On Again (1993), published in 1999 as The Guests of War Trilogy, and Awake and Dreaming
(1996) which won the Governor General's Award
.
Pearson was born in Edmonton, Alberta
and spent her childhood between that city and Vancouver
, British Columbia
. As a high-school student, she returned to Vancouver to be educated at Crofton House School
. She obtained a degree in English Literature at the University of Alberta
. In 1975, she began her Library degree at the University of British Columbia
and took her first jobs in that field in Ontario
. She later obtained an M.A. at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature
in Boston
. Returning to Vancouver, she completed her first novel "The Daring Game" which was published by Penguin Books
.
Pearson now lives in Victoria
, British Columbia
, a few blocks from Ross Bay Cemetery
, one of the settings in Awake and Dreaming.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and winner of numerous literature awards. Pearson is perhaps best known for her linked novels The Sky Is Falling (1989), Looking at the Moon (1991), and The Lights Go On Again (1993), published in 1999 as The Guests of War Trilogy, and Awake and Dreaming
Awake and Dreaming
Awake and Dreaming is a children's novel by Canadian author Kit Pearson. It was first published in 1996. The book follows an impoverished, introverted nine-year-old girl named Theo Caffrey, who dreams of living with a "real" family.- Plot summary :...
(1996) which won the Governor General's Award
Governor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
.
Pearson was born in Edmonton, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and spent her childhood between that city and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. As a high-school student, she returned to Vancouver to be educated at Crofton House School
Crofton House School
Crofton House School, located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a private, non-denominational girls' day school.-History:Crofton House School was founded in 1898 by the Gordon sisters, Miss Jessie Gordon and Miss Mary Gordon, in their father's home on Georgia Street with just four girls...
. She obtained a degree in English Literature at the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
. In 1975, she began her Library degree at the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
and took her first jobs in that field in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. She later obtained an M.A. at the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature
Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature
The Simmons College Center for the Study of Children's Literature is an academic program at Simmons College specializing in the critical study of children's literature. The program was founded in 1977, and was the first program in the United States to offer a master's degree in the...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. Returning to Vancouver, she completed her first novel "The Daring Game" which was published by Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
.
Pearson now lives in Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, a few blocks from Ross Bay Cemetery
Ross Bay Cemetery
Ross Bay Cemetery is located at 1516 Fairfield Road in Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island, Canada.-History:The cemetery was opened in 1873. The 27.5 acre cemetery is part of a public park and its south side faces Ross Bay on the Pacific Ocean...
, one of the settings in Awake and Dreaming.
Awards
- Governor General's AwardGovernor General's AwardThe Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
for Awake and Dreaming - Vicky Metcalf AwardVicky Metcalf AwardThe Vicky Metcalf Award is awarded to a writer whose body of work has been "inspirational to Canadian youth." It is one of the top awards for Canadian children's writers. The award was named after Vicky Metcalf...
for a body of work - Mr. Christie's Book Award, for The Sky is Falling
- The "Vlag en Wimpel" prize for the DutchNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
edition of The Sky is Falling. - Canadian Library AssociationCanadian Library AssociationThe Canadian Library Association is a national, predominantly English-language association which represents 57,000 library workers across the country. It also speaks for the interests of the 21 million Canadians who are members of libraries...
Children's Book of the Year Award, for A Handful of Time and The Sky is Falling - Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction, for The Sky is Falling and The Lights Go On Again