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Katherine is the author of the critically-acclaimed YA contemporary novels, HOW TO BE BRAVE (2015) and THE BEST POSSIBLE ANSWER (2016), both from St. Martin’s Press/Griffin Teen. Katherine holds a B.A. in English Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.A. in English from the University of California, Irvine. She has worked as a middle, high school, and community college teacher for two decades, and she currently teaches creative writing, composition, and literature full-time at Pasadena City College. She's served as a mentor and on faculty for her local SCBWI chapter and as a board member for the Children's Literature Council of Southern California, and she is a proud team member of We Need Diverse Books. In 2004, she was the recipient of the Music Center’s Bravo Award in Los Angeles for creativity and innovation in teaching. Building upon her experience as a certified yoga teacher (RYT-200) and an ACE certified personal trainer, Katherine is currently pursuing a second Master's degree in Kinesiology, with a focus on Integrated Wellness. Katherine is interested in the stories we tell, the stories we are given, and the ways we can redefine our worlds by discovering which stories are true. She believes in working towards a future that is inclusive, empathetic, and full of love. Click here for answers to frequently asked questions. Connect with Katherine on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. |
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A Barnes & Noble Must-Read YA About Loss
A Barnes & Noble YA That Gets It Right: Mental Health Edition A Buzzfeed YA Book To Watch Chosen as one of the best YA Novels of November by Bustle.com An emotional contemporary YA novel about love, loss, and having the courage to chase the life you truly want. Reeling from her mother’s death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave – all the things she’s wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she’s always been afraid to do – including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most – and you learn that you’re stronger and braver than you ever imagined.
Click here for a Reading Guide and YOU ARE BRAVE sign. Perfect for classrooms and libraries! Praise for How to Be Brave: “Georgia’s realistically profane voice aptly captures her personality, carrying the novel; her traverse through grief and experimentation make for a believable and satisfying character arc. A thoughtful exploration of grief and life.” –Kirkus Reviews “Kottaras’s debut traces Georgia’s struggles and triumphs as she reluctantly sets out to fulfill her mother’s final wish for her to try new things and be fearless. Georgia’s Greek-American heritage offers a distinctive backdrop for the novel’s themes of emotional healing and self-discovery, while Georgia herself emerges as a realistically flawed and genuine protagonist.” –Publishers Weekly “The book’s strongest sections are the lyrical flashbacks that tell the story of her mother’s life and death, but Georgia’s struggles with weight and body image are also handled with care. A perfect book for anyone trying to figure out what they want their life to look like, and how to be brave enough to make that life a reality.” –Booklist “How to Be Brave is an exceptional novel that will hold the reader’s rapt attention from beginning to end. Deftly crafted and specifically recommended for your readers ages 12 to 17, How to Be Brave will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to school and community library YA Fiction collections.” –Midwest Book Review |
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One of Barnes & Noble’s Most Anticipated
Contemporary YAs of Fall 2016 One of Paste Magazine’s 10 Best New Young Adult Books of November 2016 “A sensitive novel about accepting imperfection.” -Kirkus Review Ultra-high-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has always had a plan—and no room to be anything less than perfect. But her quest for perfection comes to a screeching halt when her boyfriend leaks racy pictures of her to the entire school. Making matters worse, her parents might be getting divorced and now her perfect family is falling apart. For the first time, Viviana feels like a complete and utter failure. Then she gets a job working at the community pool, where she meets a new group of friends who know nothing about her past and make her want to do something she never thought she’d do again: trust. For the first time in her life, Viviana realizes she can finally be whoever she wants. But who is that? While she tries to figure it out, she learns something they never covered in her AP courses: that it’s okay to be less than perfect, because it’s our imperfections that make us who we are.
Praise for The Best Possible Answer:
“Vivi’s vividly portrayed panic attacks and pressure to succeed will speak to many readers. Supporting characters are also strong. A sensitive novel about accepting imperfection.” -Kirkus Review “Kottaras’ creative use of ‘College Admission Tips’ and tongue-in-cheek SAT questions at the start of each chapter adds a terrific satiric touch to the angst around all things college, and will speak to teens looking for a life amid the pressures and expectations of their high-school journey. A warmhearted and sensitive coming-of-age romance.” -Booklist “A complicated family drama about living with betrayal and learning how to open oneself again to love.” -Publisher’s Weekly “Vivi’s character development is complete as she grapples with her own mistakes and copes with anxiety… Kottaras realistically depicts the difficulties that working parents face… The side story of Professor Cox, who has schizophrenia, conveys the importance of advocacy for those who face mental illness.” – School Library Journal “Viviana has spent her entire life being perfect — from grades to dating — but when a series of unfortunate events unravel that perfection, she’s left wondering who she is. It’s an unlikely new job and an unlikely new beau that lead her down the path of self-discovery and she’s excited to find a version of herself that might just not be as perfect as she’d once thought. [An] emotional, personal story.” -Teen Vogue “With her follow up to the emotional How to Be Brave, Kottaras shows us a painful side of the overachieving-teen-whose-bubble-is-burst story…A powerful book about learning how to be imperfect.” –Paste Magazine |
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Get In Touch.
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In addition to being an acclaimed YA author, I’ve been a classroom teacher for over 18 years. I love speaking to groups – children, teens, and adults – and I’d love to visit yours! I am available for visits with schools, book clubs, home school groups, and libraries, Skype visits, writing workshops, conferences and book festivals.
For more information: School and site visits For rights and all other inquiries, please contact my literary agent, Jennie Kendrick at Red Fox Literary. I’ve answered some FAQs here. OTHERWISE, SEND ME A NOTE! |
Copyright 2019 by E. Katherine Kottaras