Uma Krishnaswami is an Indian author of picture books and novels for children and is a writing teacher. She is "recognized as a major voice in the expanding of international and multicultural young adult fiction and children's literature."[1]
Uma Krishnaswami | |
|---|---|
 Reading at the 2014 Gaithersburg Book Festival | |
| Born | 1956 |
| Occupation | Writer, writing teacher |
| Period | 1990s–present |
| Genre | Children's literature, picture books, non-fiction |
| Website | |
| umakrishnaswami | |
Biography edit
Krishnaswami was born in 1956 in New Delhi, India. She received a degree in political science, and a master's degree in social work from the University of Delhi. [2] In 1979, she moved to the United States where she received an additional graduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park.[3] [4] She then moved to Aztec, New Mexico where she lived for many years.[5] She now lives in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and she is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada and an Overseas Citizen of India. [6]
Her first published story appeared in Children's World, a magazine published in India, when she was thirteen.[7] Her stories and poems have been published in Cricket, Highlights and Cicada.[1] Her award-winning books, which include middle grade novels, picture books, early readers, and non-fiction are published in English, Hindi, Tamil and twelve other languages.[8][9]
In 2011 Krishnaswami appeared at the National Book Festival which is organized by the Library of Congress. [10]
Chachaji's Cup, one of Krishnaswami's picture books, was adapted into a musical and performed in several theaters in both New York City and California.[11] [12] [13]
Krishnaswami has taught writing to adults and children for years, and for over ten years she was the writer in residence at the Aztec Ruins National Monument.[14][15] She is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and CANSCAIP.[16] She also taught writing classes online through Writers on the Net.[17] She currently teaches in the MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program at Vermont College of Fine Arts.[18]
Awards edit
- 1997 Scientific American Young Readers Award for The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha[19]
- 2005 Notable Book For a Global Society (International Literacy Association) for Naming Maya[20]
- 2013 Crossword Book Award (Children's Literature) for Book Uncle and Me[21]
- 2011 Scholastic Asian Book Award for Book Uncle and Me[22]
- 2017-2018 Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh[23]
- 2017 USBBY Outstanding International Books List for Book Uncle and Me[24]
- 2022 Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Best Books of the Year List for Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World[25][26]
- 2022 Bank Street Children's Book Committee's Best Books of the Year List for Two at the Top: A Shared Dream of Everest[27][28]
Bibliography edit
Middle Grade and Chapter Books edit
- Threads of Peace: How Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. Changed the World (2021)
- Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh (2017)
- Book Uncle and Me (2012, 2016)
- The Problem with Being Slightly Heroic (2013)
- The Grand Plan to Fix Everything (2011)
- Naming Maya (2004)
Picture books edit
- Two at the Top: A Shared Dream of Everest (2021)
- Bright Sky, Starry City (2015)
- The Girl of the Wish Garden: A Thumbelina Story (2013)
- Out of the Way! Out of the Way! (2010)
- Remembering Grandpa (2007)
- Bringing Asha Home (2006)
- The Closet Ghosts (2006)
- The Happiest Tree (2005)
- Monsoon (2003)
- Chachaji's Cup (2003)
Early readers edit
Retold story collections edit
- The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha (2006, 1996)
- Shower of Gold: Girls and Women in the Stories of India (1999)
- Stories of the Flood (1994)
Short fiction edit
- "Chandra," in The Poetry of US published by National Geographic Kids (2018)
- "The Gift," in Period Pieces (2003)
- "Going to Kashi," in Soul Searching (2002)
Nonfiction edit
- Beyond the Field Trip : Teaching and Learning in Public Places (2002)
- No Joke! Humor and Culture in Middle-Grade Books in The Horn Book Magazine Family Reading (May/June 2012 issue)
- Why Stop at Windows and Mirrors? Diverse Books Act as Prisms for Readers in The Horn Book Magazine (Jan/Feb 2019 issue)
Co-authored edit
- Many Windows : Six Kids, Five Faiths, One Community. Written with Rukhsana Khan and Elisa Lynn Carbone (2008)
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Uma Krishnaswami and International Imaginings." Journal of Children's Literature. Fall 2006. p 60-65. Frederick Luis Aldama.
- ^ "Encyclopedia.com 'Something About the Author: Uma Krishnaswami'".
- ^ "Interview with Uma Krishnaswami". www.papertigers.org. May 2006. Archived from the original on 15 June 2006.
- ^ "Encyclopedia.com Something About the Author: Uma Krishnaswami".
- ^ Acknowledgements in The Broken Tusk: Stories of the Hindu God Ganesha Broken Tusk, 2006
- ^ "Vermont College of Fine Arts 'VCFA faculty Uma Krishaswami'".
- ^ "Uma Krishnaswami: 2011 National Book Festival". Library of Congress.
- ^ "WorldCat Identities Uma Krishaswami".
- ^ "Picture Books - Out of the Way! Out of the Way!: Tulika Books Publishers India". www.tulikabooks.com. Archived from the original on 7 May 2010.
- ^ "Uma Krishnaswami: 2011 National Book Festival". Library of Congress.
- ^ "New York City Children's Theater 'About Tea with Chachaji' 2012".
- ^ "Backstage Magazine 'Tea with Chachaji' Aug 15, 2012".
- ^ "Denver Casado Composer & Lyricist website 'Tea with Chachaji'".
- ^ "Writers.com/Writers on the Net". www.writers.com. Archived from the original on 20 December 2004.
- ^ "Aztec Ruins National Monument Teacher Resources". Archived from the original on 28 December 2006.
- ^ "Uma Krishnawami". CANSCAIP members. Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers (canscaip.org). Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ "Uma Krishnaswami | Vermont College of Fine Arts". www.vermontcollege.edu. Archived from the original on 1 August 2009.
- ^ "Vermont College of Fine Arts 'VCFA faculty Uma Krishaswami'".
- ^ "The Children's Book Guild of Washington D.C." www.childrensbookguild.org. Archived from the original on 21 August 2003.
- ^ "IRA Children's Literature and Reading SIG Projects - NBGS 2005 List - Multicultural Literature".
- ^ "'Popular choice' ruled at book awards". Times of India. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2013.
- ^ "Grand Prize Winner".
- ^ "2017-2018 Awards Winners".
- ^ "School Library Journal Presenting the 2017 USBBY Outstanding International Books List".
- ^ "Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year".
- ^ Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year 2022 https://s3.amazonaws.com/bankstreet-wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/BBL-2022-Five-to-Nine-for-web.pdf
- ^ "Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year 2022".
- ^ Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year 2022 https://s3.amazonaws.com/bankstreet-wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/BBL-2022-Five-to-Nine-for-web.pdf
