Katherine Applegate is more than just the author of fantastic children's books like "Home of the Brave," "The One and Only Ivan," the "Roscoe Riley Rules" series, and the hugely popular "Animorphs" series (which she wrote with husband Michael Grant).
What most people don't realize (although they might after reading "The One and Only Ivan") is that she is an animal lover and, to the chagrin of her husband, would have a house filled with animals if she could. Right now they have three rescue pets: a Chihuahua-Papillion mix with a deformed paw, a one-eyed Pug, and a cat.
For a while she did volunteer work with her lab, who was a certified CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and worked with autistic children. She'd love another big dog, but they don't have a backyard, so their little dogs will have to suffice for the present.
Applegate worked for a veterinarian in high school and wanted to be a vet. Unfortunately, that requires taking lots of science and she was much better at English. After exhausting many unskilled jobs after college, jobs like like waitressing and watering plants, she began to write.
Applegate is no different from many other authors in that she loves what she does. The best part of being an author? Getting to work in pajamas. Also, Applegate loves not having a boss as well as having the absolute freedom and independence to do what she wants and "getting paid for making stuff up."
Applegate and her husband love to travel. They have moved to almost every corner of the country (from Florida and North Carolina to Texas, Illinois, and Minnesota, and on west to California.) They also moved their house, children and pets to Italy for a year, where they lived in a small town outside of Florence.
She wrote "Home of the Brave" when she lived in Minneapolis and saw recent immigrants enduring the bitter cold of Minnesota's winter. She wondered how they could do it -- learn a new language, new foods, and even a new climate. That was her inspiration for Kek, the main character.
The idea for "The One and Only Ivan" was hatched when she first came across a New York Times article around twenty years ago. She cut it out and continued to follow the story. Later, when National Geographic aired a documentary on "The Urban Gorilla," she watched the "heartbreaking" footage.
In writing about Ivan, Applegate wanted to give him a chance to be the silverback gorilla he was meant to be, so she gave him an elephant to save. The story is one of the most beautifully written books ever published for middle grade readers.
While the plot is wonderfully conceived, the words are poetic and incredibly thoughtful. It's a story that will be read and reread by children and adults everywhere, and it's sure to become a classic.
In a way, the story transcends species. It's the story of an intelligent being who doesn't let life in a cement prison define him. It's the story of an intelligent being who, in spite of a life of deprivation, retains the capacity to love, to sacrifice for others, and to dream.
In short, it's a book that is destined to be an award-winning, best-selling staple in every child's library.
An interesting fact is that the character of the dog in the book, Bob, was based on her own dog Stan. The illustrator, who had never seen Applegate's dog and didn't know that Bob was Stan, drew a faithful image of Stan for the illustrations for Ivan. Life can be stranger than fiction.
Katherine Applegate seems to have it all. A successful career, a fabulous marriage, and two great children. The truth is that she works hard to maintain it all, but she feels happy to be doing what she loves best -- writing.
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