Bio

Watch this video interview with Kate Klise.

Kate Klise's previous books, created with her sister, illustrator M. Sarah Klise, have won numerous awards, including the California Young Readers Medal. Deliver Us From Normal, the touching story about an eleven-year-old boy growing up in family that to him feels anything but normal, is her first solo novel and a departure from the more whimsical graphic novels she creates with her sister.

Deliver Us From Normal came about because Kate wanted to write a more serious novel about a big, “beautifully chaotic” family. “The older I get, the more I appreciate the idea of being thrown together with a group of people you might have a lot in common with, or nothing at all,” she says. “You don't have the option of doing anything other than making your family relationships work–forever. I like that. I like that there's no love as fierce as the love you feel for your family; that there's no one you feel more protective of than the very same people who can drive you crazy.”

Kate chose a male narrator because she felt it freed her to be more emotionally honest. “Writing from Charles's point-of-view made it clear from the beginning that while this is a very personal story, it isn't only my story,” she says. “I hope it touches on something more universal: the idea of growing up and finding your own personal truth in the world.”

In addition to writing books for young readers, Kate also works as a correspondent for People magazine. Her recent assignments have included stories about Brad Pitt, Nelly, and the BTK serial killer in Wichita.

Kate Klise lives and writes on her 40-acre farm in a valley just north of Norwood, Missouri.

Visit Kate Klise and her sister, illustrator Sarah Klise's Web site.