http://neustadtprize.org/2007-nsk-neustadt-prize-laureate-katherine-paterson/

“Katherine Paterson’s books have blessed children and children’s literature by putting human faces on all kinds of characters. She’s made marginal children seem less marginal, foreign children less foreign, and hopeless children more hopeful. In addition to elevating children’s literature, Paterson’s books and stories have also inspired readers to elevate themselves and their world.” — Chris Crowe, WLT Vol. 82, May 2008