Deborah Hopkinson

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About Deborah Hopkinson

Deborah Hopkinson is as award-winning of picture books, fiction, and nonfiction for young readers. In 2013 she received a Robert F. Sibert Honor and YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award honor for Titanic: Voices from the Disaster.

She has won the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text twice, for A Band of Angels and Apples to Oregon. Sky Boys, How They Built the Empire State Building, was a Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor awardee. She lives near Portland, Oregon.

The Great Trouble, A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel won the OCTE Oregon Spirit Award and was named a Best Book of 2013 by School Library Journal and an Oregon Book Award finalist.

In 2017, Deborah's awards include the Leslie Bradshaw Oregon Book Award for Courage and Defiance; the Jane Addams Peace Association award for Steamboat School; and the Green Earth Environmental Stewardship Award for Follow the Moon Home, which was also a finalist for the Cook STEM prize. Her middle grade novel A Bandit's Tale, The Muddled Misadventures of a Pickpocket was a Charlotte Huck Recommended book for fiction.

Visit her on the web at www.deborahhopkinson.com and follow her on Twitter at @deborahopkinson.

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Author Updates

Books By Deborah Hopkinson

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How I Became a Spy: A Mystery of WWII London Feb 12, 2019

by Deborah Hopkinson

( 51 )

$9.99

From the award-winning author of The Great Trouble comes a story of espionage, survival, and friendship during World War II.

Bertie Bradshaw never set out to become a spy. He never imagined traipsing around war-torn London, solving ciphers, practicing surveillance, and searching for a traitor to the Allied forces. He certainly never expected that a strong-willed American girl named Eleanor would play Watson to his Holmes (or Holmes to his Watson, depending on who you ask).

But when a young woman goes missing, leaving behind a coded notebook, Bertie is determined to solve the mystery. With the help of Eleanor and his friend David, a Jewish refugee--and, of course, his trusty pup, Little Roo--Bertie must decipher the notebook in time to stop a double agent from spilling the biggest secret of all to the Nazis.

From the author of The Great Trouble, this suspenseful WWII adventure reminds us that times of war call for bravery, brains and teamwork from even the most unlikely heroes.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All May 1, 2018

by Schwartz & Wade , Candace Fleming , Stephanie Hemphill , Lisa Ann Sandell , Jennifer Donnelly , Linda Sue Park , Deborah Hopkinson

( 105 )

$9.99

Perfect for anyone fascinated by the Royal Wedding, Netflix's The Crown, or Wolf Hall, this is a pitch-perfect reimagining of the romance and tragedy of Henry VIII and his six wives, told from multiple points of view by some of your favorite authors.

If you were one of King Henry VIII's six wives, who would you be? Would you be Anne Boleyn, who literally lost her head? Would you be the subject of rumor and scandal like Catherine Howard? Or would you get away and survive like Anna of Cleves?

Meet them and Henry's other queens--each bound for divorce or death--in this epic and thrilling novel that reads like fantasy but really happened. Watch spellbound as each of these women attempts to survive their unpredictable king as he grows more and more obsessed with producing a male heir. And discover how the power-hungry court fanned the flames of Henry's passions . . . and his most horrible impulses.

Whether you're a huge fan of all things Tudor or new to this jaw-dropping saga, you won't be able to get the unique voices of Henry and his wives--all brought to life by seven award-winning and bestselling authors--out of your head.

This is an intimate look at the royals during one of the most treacherous times in history. Who will you root for and who will you love to hate?

ONE OF THE NYPL TOP TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

"Ambitious and exciting." --Bustle

"A clever, feminist reimagining of one of English history's most fascinating moments." --Refinery29

"These stories of love, lust, power and intrigue never fail to fascinate." --Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

Who's Who:

M. T. Anderson - Henry VIII
Candace Fleming - Katharine of Aragon, wife #1
Stephanie Hemphill - Anne Boleyn, wife #2
Lisa Ann Sandell - Jane Seymour, wife #3
Jennifer Donnelly - Anna of Cleves, wife #4
Linda Sue Park - Catherine Howard, wife #5
Deborah Hopkinson - Kateryn Parr, wife #6

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback

Titanic: Voices From the Disaster Jan 7, 2014

by Deborah Hopkinson

( 98 )

$4.99

Scheduled to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the TITANIC, a topic that continues to haunt and thrill readers to this day, this book by critically acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson weaves together the voices and stories of real TITANIC survivors and witnesses to the disaster -- from the stewardess Violet Jessop to Captain Arthur Rostron of the CARPATHIA, who came to the rescue of the sinking ship. Packed with heartstopping action, devastating drama, fascinating historical details, loads of archival photographs on almost every page, and quotes from primary sources, this gripping story, which follows the TITANIC and its passengers from the ship's celebrated launch at Belfast to her cataclysmic icy end, is sure to thrill and move readers.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Paperback , Audio CD

Dear America: Hear My Sorrow Jan 7, 2014

by Deborah Hopkinson

( 25 )

$6.99

Critically acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson's HEAR MY SORROW is now back in print with a beautiful new cover!

Fourteen-year-old Angela Denoto and her family have arrived in New York City from their village in Italy to find themselves settled in a small tenement apartment on the Lower East Side. When her father is no longer able to work as a hod carrier, Angela must leave school and find a job in a shirtwaist factory. Despite being disappointed that she had to give up her education, Angela is proud that she is able to help her family. But soon she begins to wonder about the steep price of the American dream, given the dangerous conditions at the factory. Set against the birth of the labor union movement in the early 1900s, Angela finds herself caught up in the drama and turmoil that erupts as the workers begin to strike, protesting the terrible conditions in the sweatshops. In the pages of her diary, Angela records the horrors of the Triangle Factory fire, along with the triumphs and sorrows of the labor movement.

Other Formats: Hardcover

Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific Sep 27, 2016

by Deborah Hopkinson

( 52 )

$10.99

Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific tells the incredible story of America's little known "war within a war" -- US submarine warfare during World War II.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US entered World War II in December 1941 with only 44 Naval submarines -- many of them dating from the 1920s. With the Pacific battleship fleet decimated after Pearl Harbor, it was up to the feisty and heroic sailors aboard the US submarines to stop the Japanese invasion across the Pacific.

Including breakouts highlighting submarine life and unsung African-American and female war heroes, award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson uses first-person accounts, archival materials, official Naval documents, and photographs to bring the voices and exploits of these brave service members to life.

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt (Reading Rainbow Books) Mar 25, 2015

by Deborah Hopkinson , James Ransome

( 123 )

$5.99

An inspiring tale of creativity and determination on the Underground Railroad from Coretta Scott King Award winner James Ransome and acclaimed author Deborah Hopkinson.

Clara, a slave and seamstress on Home Plantation, dreams of freedom—not just for herself, but for her family and friends. When she overhears a conversation about the Underground Railroad, she has a flash of inspiration. Using scraps of cloth from her work in the Big House and scraps of information gathered from other slaves, she fashions a map that the master would never even recognize. . . .

From the award-winning author-illustrator team of Deborah Hopkinson and James Ransome, this fictional tale of the Underground Railroad continues to inspire young readers 25 years after its original publication.

"Inspiring." —The New York Times

"A triumph of the human spirit." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

Other Formats: Hardcover , Paperback

What Is the Women's Rights Movement? (What Was?) Oct 16, 2018

by Deborah Hopkinson , Who HQ , Laurie A. Conley

( 106 )

$5.99

The story of Girl Power! Learn about the remarkable women who changed US history.

From Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to Gloria Steinem and Hillary Clinton, women throughout US history have fought for equality. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, women were demanding the right to vote. During the 1960s, equal rights and opportunities for women--both at home and in the workplace--were pushed even further. And in the more recent past, Women's Marches have taken place across the world. Celebrate how far women have come with this inspiring read!

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Library Binding , Paperback

The Great Trouble: A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel Sep 10, 2013

by Deborah Hopkinson

( 64 )

$7.99

The suspenseful tale of two courageous kids and one inquisitive scientist who teamed up to stop an epidemic.

“A delightful combination of race-against-the-clock medical mystery and outwit-the-bad-guys adventure.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred

Eel has troubles of his own: As an orphan and a “mudlark,” he spends his days in the filthy River Thames, searching for bits of things to sell. He’s being hunted by Fisheye Bill Tyler, and a nastier man never walked the streets of London. And he’s got a secret that costs him four precious shillings a week to keep safe. But even for Eel, things aren’t so bad until that fateful August day in 1854—the day the deadly cholera epidemic (“blue death”) comes to Broad Street.

Everyone believes that cholera is spread through poisonous air. But one man, Dr. John Snow, has a different theory. As the epidemic surges, it’s up to Eel and his best friend, Florrie, to gather evidence to prove Dr. Snow’s theory—before the entire neighborhood is wiped out.

“Hopkinson illuminates a pivotal chapter in the history of public health. . . . Accessible . . . and entertaining.” —School Library Journal, Starred

“For [readers] who love suspense, drama, and mystery.” —TIME for Kids

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Library Binding , Paperback , Audio CD

We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport (Scholastic Focus) Feb 4, 2020

by Deborah Hopkinson

( 3 )

$11.99

Ruth David was growing up in a small village in Germany when Adolf Hitler rose to power in the 1930s. Under the Nazi Party, Jewish families like Ruth's experienced rising anti-Semitic restrictions and attacks. Just going to school became dangerous. By November 1938, anti-Semitism erupted into Kristallnacht, the Night of Broken Glass, and unleashed a wave of violence and forced arrests.

Days later, desperate volunteers sprang into action to organize the Kindertransport, a rescue effort to bring Jewish children to England. Young people like Ruth David had to say good-bye to their families, unsure if they'd ever be reunited. Miles from home, the Kindertransport refugees entered unrecognizable lives, where food, clothes -- and, for many of them, language and religion -- were startlingly new. Meanwhile, the onset of war and the Holocaust visited unimaginable horrors on loved ones left behind. Somehow, these rescued children had to learn to look forward, to hope.

Through the moving and often heart-wrenching personal accounts of Kindertransport survivors, critically acclaimed and award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson paints the timely and devastating story of how the rise of Hitler and the Nazis tore apart the lives of so many families and what they were forced to give up in order to save these children.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Hardcover , Audio CD

Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building Nov 28, 2012

by Deborah Hopkinson , James E. Ransome

( 22 )

$6.99

This Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book and ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book provides a riveting brick-by-brick account of how one of the most amazing accomplishments in American architecture came to be. It’s 1930 and times are tough for Pop and his son. But look! On the corner of 34th Street and 5th Avenue, a building straight and simple as a pencil is being built in record time. Hundreds of men are leveling, shoveling, hauling. They’re hoisting 60,000 tons of steal, stacking 10 million bricks, eating lunch in the clouds. And when they cut ribbon and the crowds rush in, the boy and his father will be among the first to zoom up to the top of the tallest building in the world and see all of Manhattan spread at their feet.

Other Formats: Library Binding , Paperback

Who Was Charles Darwin? (Who Was?) May 19, 2005

by Deborah Hopkinson , Who HQ , Nancy Harrison

( 107 )

$5.99

As a young boy, Charles Darwin hated school and was often scolded forconducting “useless” experiments. Yet his passion for the natural world was so strong that he suffered through terrible seasickness during his five-year voyage aboard The Beagle. Darwin collected new creatures from the coasts of Africa, South America, and the Galapagos Islands, and expanded his groundbreaking ideas that would change people's understanding of the natural world. About 100 illustrations and a clear, exciting text will make Darwin and his theory of evolution an exciting discovery for every young reader.

Other Formats: Audible Audiobook , Library Binding , Paperback

A Band of Angels: A Story Inspired by the Jubilee Singers May 7, 2013

by Deborah Hopkinson , Raúl Colón

( 9 )

$8.99

A Band of Angels is fiction, but it is based on real events and people. The character of Ella was inspired by Ella Sheppard Moore, who was born February 4, 1851, in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was able to free himself and young Ella from slavery, but before he could buy freedom for Ella’s mother she was sold away. Ella was raised in Cincinnati, where she took music lessons. At fifteen, she was left penniless when her father died. She arrived at Fisk School in 1868 with only six dollars.

Fisk was opened in 1866 as a school for former slaves and began offering college classes in 1871. That year, in a desperate attempt to save Fisk from closing, a music teacher named George White set out with a group of students on a singing tour to raise money. Although at first they only sang popular music of the day, they soon became famous for introducing spirituals to the world.

Ella Sheppard was the pianist for the Jubilee Singers on their historic concert tours, which raised enough money to save the school and build Jubilee Hall, the first permanent structure in the South for the education of black students. Ella later married George Moore, had three children, and located her mother and a sister. She died in 1914. Today her great-granddaughter is a librarian at Fisk University who shares the history of the Jubilee Singers with visitors.

Although none graduated from Fisk, the original Jubilee Singers were recognized with honorary degrees in 1978. Today, Jubilee Singers at Fisk University continue to keep alive a rich musical tradition that includes such songs as “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Many Thousand Gone,” and “Go Down, Moses.”

Other Formats: School & Library Binding , Paperback

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