The first author since 1954 to receive two Newbery Honors in one year and the only author to receive the Newbery Honor for both fiction and nonfiction in a single year Three-time Newbery Honor recipient, The Kirkus Prize for Young People’s Literature, Walter Dean Myers Honor, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, Sibert Honor for Nonfiction, YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Finalist, Orbus Pictus Honor for Nonfiction, Jane Addams Peace Association Book Award Winner, Texas Institute of Letters Book Award Winner, Bank Street College Book Award Winner, named a Best Book of the Year by The Washington Post, School Library Journal, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and The New York Public Library She currently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two daughters.Ĭhristina is represented by Stephanie Fretwell-Hill of the Red Fox Literary Agency and Mary Pender at United Talent Agency. She is passionate about STEM (science, technology engineering, and math) and loves learning new things. She spent a decade working in the science museum field, where she designed programs and exhibits to get kids excited about science. in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Science Education. In addition to being an author, Christina holds a B.S. She is very proud of both her Thai and her Texan roots, and makes regular trips to both Weatherford and Bangkok to see her beloved family members (and eat lots and lots of Thai food!). She travels all over the world to speak to children, writers, and educators about her love of reading and writing.Ĭhristina grew up behind the counter of her parents’ Thai restaurant in a small Texas town with her nose stuck in a book. Christina has received three Newbery Honor awards for her books for middle grade readers, and her nonfiction account of the Thai Cave Rescue, All Thirteen, was also awarded the Kirkus Prize for Young People’s Literature. She is the author of the beloved Diary of an Ice Princess chapter book series and the bestselling graphic novel, The Tryout, illustrated by Joanna Cacao. Her picture books include The Ramble Shamble Children, illustrated by Caldecott Honoree Lauren Castillo, and To Change a Planet , illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Belle.

150-word Bio:Ĭhristina Soontornvat is the award-winning author of over a dozen books for children of all ages. She is a three-time Newbery Honor recipient, most recently for The Last Mapmaker, which was also named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times. Her many works for children include picture books, chapter books, and the bestselling graphic novel, The Tryout. Christina Soontornvat is an award-winning author, engineer, and STEM educator.

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