Patricia C. McKissack Books In Order

Publication Order of The Clone Codes Books

Publication Order of Miami Jackson Books

Publication Order of My Story Books

Publication Order of Scraps of Time Books

Publication Order of Patricia C. McKissack Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Patricia C. McKissack Chapter Books

Publication Order of Patricia C. McKissack Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Picture Books

Publication Order of Dear America Books

Publication Order of The Royal Diaries Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Patricia C. McKissack was a renowned American writer, who was famous for writing children’s books. She had written several widely successful book series in her career such Dear America, The Clone Codes, Scraps of Time, Messy Bessey, Miami Jackson, etc. Throughout the course of her career, author McKissack had written more than 100 books. Some of the most popular ones include Color Me Dark, Look to the Hills, The Royal Diaries, A Slave Girl, The Great Migration North, French Slave GIrl, etc. McKissack was born on August 9, 1944, and died on April 7, 2017. She was the winner of the Regina Medal along with her husband named Frederick McKissack. They had won this award in 1998. Frederick breathed his last in April 2013. He was working in the United States Marine as a civil engineer prior to his marriage with McKissack. But, after the marriage, he gave up his military career and started writing full time.

In addition to writing children’s stories, McKissack was a member on the board of National Children’s Book & Literacy Alliance, a non-profit organization that worked for literacy, libraries, and literature. Besides writing under her original name, McKissack was known to use several pen names like Pat McKissack, Patricia McKissack, and L’Ann Carwell for writing different types of novels. At the time of McKissack’s birth, her parents, Emma and Robert Carwell, were working as civil servants. Her mother was driving force who inspired her to take up writing as a career. McKissack’s mother used to read poetry to her, while her grandparents used to tell her different types of exciting stories.

The stories that she used to hear from her father mostly include her name and that of her siblings, Sarah and Nolan. All the stories that McKissack heard from her family members contained brave and smart characters, who inspired McKissack to develop the characters of her stories with similar qualities. Author McKissack spent her earlier years growing up in the south. When she was writing her 2000 book called Going Someplace Special, McKissack remembered the place that she liked to visit the most, that is, the Public Library of Nashville. This was her favorite place because she was always welcome there and where she developed an interest in reading. A number of the stories that McKissack heard from her parents and grandparents as a child, were later developed into stories by her as a writer for young adults and children.

When McKissack was studying at the Tennessee State University, she came across her childhood friend and future husband Frederick McKissack. She completed her graduate degree in English in 1964. At the same time, Frederick earned his civil engineering degree. The two were married in 1965 and began their family immediately after. For a brief period later, she lived in Missouri and studied at the Webster University. She obtained her master’s degree in the subject of child education. After this, she worked as a teacher of English at a junior high school. It was in 1971 that McKissack realized her real interest was in becoming an author. So, she gave up teaching altogether and started writing on a full-time basis.

McKissack collaborated with Frederick for the first time to write a novel in 1984. It was a Paul Lawrence Dunbar biography, who was the favorite poet of her mother. After this, McKissack wrote several more biographies. McKissack had started her literary career on the professional level in 1975. Most of her initial works were nonfiction. She used to focus on social issues like racism very much. McKissack switched to writing the first picture book, Fossie and the Fox, when she had already 20 nonfiction novels. The book was rejected by Ann Schwartz, a Dial Press editor, saying that it was very long. McKissack didn’t want to shorten the manuscript, but was forced to reduce it to 6 pages in order to get it accepted for publishing. Frederick and McKissack remained writing partners throughout their lives. They spent 20 years of their lives working together. McKissack had won many accolades and recognitions throughout the courses of her career, including the Coretta Scott Award, Newbery Medal, Boston Globe Award, NAACP Image Award, Virginia Hamilton Lifetime Achievement Award, etc. McKissack’s twin sons are fully grown. They are holding respectable positions in the fields of journalism and writing. McKissack used to enjoy spending time with her grandchildren during her spare times. She loved growing roses in her garden.

A very popular book series written by author Patricia C. McKissack is known as The Clone Codes series. It consists of three books in total, published between 2010 and 2012. This series is set in a highly advanced technological 22nd century. McKissack has depicted that clones and cyborgs are treated as slaves and a secret abolition movement is started to obtain their freedom. The debut book of this series is entitled ‘The Clone Codes’. It was published by the Scholastic Press in 2010. The central character of this book is shown as Leanna. The book’s story begins by introducing Leanna as a 13-year-old girl. Following the end of Cyborg Ward, Earth peace sustains on Earth for over a hundred years. In 2170, the situation turns volatile again when history begins to repeat itself. In spite of the political and technological advancements, cyborgs & clones are forced to like slaves. To fight for their freedom, an abolitionist movement is set in motion. Leanna’s whole life is turned into chaos when she comes to know that her mother is a part of the movement undertaken by Liberty Bell. This book provides a quick and enjoyable read with elements of history to the readers of middle age groups.

Another exciting novel of this series is called ‘The Visitors’. The Scholastic Press released this novel too in 2012. In this book, author McKissack has provided a stunning conclusion to the trilogy series. The novel’s plot opens up by showing that the Topas Corporation is responsible for the production of clones. But, this organization is suspected of using a wicked operation system. Other than the authorized officials of Topas, no one else is allowed to enter inside. The clones and the officials are the only ones to know what is actually happening inside the walls of the world’s most powerful and largest cloning company. In the meantime, Leanna Deberry is labeled as a fugitive along with her cyborg named Houston Ye and a clone named Carlos. A huge reward is set as a bounty on their heads for capturing them alive. Leanna works out with the cyborg and the clone to reveal the wrongdoings in the Topas cloning company and the mass slavery of the clones & cyborgs. This book too provides an interesting read to the children along with exciting twists and turns. This novel was also appreciated for its interesting set of characters and futuristic elements.