About K.A. Holt, Author, Speaker, Poet

Bio:

Kari Anne Holt has dedicated her writing career to making sure kids (and adults) understand that anyone can be the main character of a book, and everyone deserves to see themselves reflected on the page. From her award-winning middle grade novels-in-verse, Ben Bee and the Teacher Griefer, Redwood & Ponytail, Knockout, House Arrest, and Rhyme Schemer, to her prose novels From You to Me and Gnome-a-geddon, to her picture book, I Wonder, illustrated by Kenard Pak, KA Holt’s readers will discover main characters who struggle, celebrate, wonder and grow in ways both new and familiar.

Short Bio:

Kari Anne Holt is the award-winning author of many middle grade novels-in-verse including Ben Bee and the Teacher Griefer, Redwood & Ponytail, Knockout, House Arrest, and Rhyme Schemer. She is also the author of From You to Me, Gnome-a-geddon, and several other books for young readers, including I Wonder, a picture book illustrated by Kenard Pak. Kari Anne lives in Austin, TX.

Awards

Redwood and Ponytail

2021 Rhode Island Middle School Book Award List Nominee
2020 Bank Street Best Books of the Year
2020 Spirit of Texas (SPOT) Reading List Nominee
2020 NCTE Notable Poetry Books Selection
2020 Odyssey Award Honor Recording
2020 ALSC Notable Recordings
2020 Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Title
2020 Rainbow Booklist Selection
2019 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best

Knockout

2020 Spirit of Texas Reading List Nominee
2019 NCTE Notable Poetry Books Selection
2019 Indiana Library Federation Read-Alouds Too Good to Miss
2019 Bank Street Best Books of the Year Selection
2019 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Selection (FL)
2018 New York Public Library Best Books for Kids
2018 Nerdy Book Club’s Nerdie

I Wonder

2020 selection for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
2019 Kids’ Indie Next List, Fall

Rhyme Schemer

2015 NCTE Notable Children’s Book in the Language Arts
2015 Bank Street Best Books of the Year Selection
2016-2017 Kentucky Bluegrass Award Grades 6-8 Selection
2016-2017 NYC Reads 365 Selection
2017 Indiana Library Federation Read-Alouds Too Good to Miss Selection

Brains For Lunch: a zombie novel in haiku

2011 Texas Library Association’s Annotated Lone Star Reading List
2011 School Library Journal Halloween Treat

House Arrest

2019-2020 Land of Enchantment Reading List Selection (NM)
2019-2020 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award Nominee
2019-2020 Oregon Battle of the Books Middle Grade Nominee
2018-2019 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee (IN)
2018 Golden Sower Award Winner (NE)
2018 Indiana Library Federation Read-Alouds Too Good to Miss Selection
2017-2018 MASL Mark Twain Award Finalist (MO)
2017-2018 Georgia Children’s Book Award Nominee
2017-2018 South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee
2017-2018 Virginia Readers’ Choice Award Selection
2017 Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominee
2017 Nene Book List Nominee (HI)
2017 Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee (MD)
2017 Chicago Battle of the Books Selection
2017 Mississippi Magnolia Award Winner
2017 WRSA Just One More Page! Reading List Selection (WI)
2016-2017 Spirit of Texas Reading Program Selection
2016-2017 NYC Reads 365 Selection
2016 Bank Street Best Books of the Year Selection
2016 Maine Student Book Award Selection
2016 Global Read Aloud Program Finalist
2016 ILA/CBC Children’s Choice Selection
2016 Golden Archer Award Nominee (WI)
2016 NCTE Notable Poetry Book
2016 ILA Young Adults’ Choice
2015 Cybils Award Finalist
2015 Writer’s League of Texas Middle Grade and YA Finalist

Mike Stellar: Nerves of Steel:

2014 Connecticut Library Association Nutmeg Book Award Nominee
2013 Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominee
2009 Scholastic.com Great Summer Read for Tweens
2009 Random House Fresh Fiction from New Voices, summer