Kate Messner

Kate Messner (born 1970 or 1971) is an American children's author. She has written over seventy books, which have sold over five million copies in over a dozen languages. She primarily writes picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels.

Messner was born in 1970 or 1971,¹ and grew up in Medina, New York as the youngest of four children.²³ When growing up, Messner loved "everything by Beverly Cleary", especially the Ramona books.⁴

Messner graduated from Medina High School in 1988.³ She then went on to attain a bachelor's degree in journalism at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications.¹² She worked as an intern at a TV station in the summer following her freshman year. She spent seven years as a TV news reporter and producer, before pursuing a master's degree in education. She spent fifteen years as a middle school English teacher, with her first published books being written during this time.¹⁵⁶ She obtained a National Board Certification in 2006.⁷

She lives on the New York side of Lake Champlain with her family.¹⁸ She has a 29-year-old son and a 24–25-year-old daughter.⁹¹⁰ Her husband is part of a group that offers to help start up businesses in Vermont.¹¹

Messner started her writing career in 2009 with the middle grade novel The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z,¹² which won an E. B. White Read Aloud Award in 2010.¹³ Over the course of her writing career, she has written over seventy books, which have sold over five million copies in over a dozen languages.⁶ She won the Empire State Award for Excellence in Literature for Young People in 2022.³

In 2011, Messner published the picture book Over and Under the Snow.¹⁴ The book won a Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text,¹⁵ and was named a Notable Children's Book by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).¹⁶ It received seven sequels.

In 2016, she published a middle grade novelThe Seventh Wish,¹⁷ which was met with controversy for depicting opioid addiction.⁷ The week of its release, she was disinvited from a school talk, had her books sent back from the school, and was told by a librarian at another school that her book would not appear in their collection.In

In 2019, Messner published The Brilliant Deep.¹⁸ The novel was well received by critics. The ALSC named it on their annual list of Notable Children's Books,¹⁹ and it won the year's Green Earth Book Award.²⁰

Her 2021 picture book Dr. Fauci, a biography of Anthony Fauci,²¹ reached the New York Times Children's Picture Book Best Seller List on July 18, 2021.²²

She is the head a three-year-long multi-author project titled The Kids of Mrs. Z's Class, an eighteen-book series about the children of one elementary school class.²³ Each author creates a character who would serve as the lead of their book and features as a secondary character in the rest of the books of the series. Messner wrote the first book, Emma McKenna, Full Out, which was released in 2024.²⁴ She will also write the final book, which has not yet been published.

In 2025, she published The Trouble with Heroes,²⁵ which she wrote while climbing all 46 Adirondack Mountains over the course of eight years.²⁶

In 2026, she published her first graphic novel, Camp Monster, with art by Falynn Koch,²⁷ who also illustrated five books in Messner's History Smashers series.²⁸²⁹ It is the first in a series.

• The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. Bloomsbury Children's Books. September 1, 2009. ISBN 978-0802798428.
• Sugar and Ice. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. December 7, 2010. ISBN 978-0802720818.³⁰
• Eye of the Storm. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. February 28, 2012. ISBN 978-0802723130.
• Wake Up Missing. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. September 10, 2013. ISBN 978-0802723147.³¹³²
• All the Answers. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. January 27, 2015. ISBN 978-1619633742.³³
• The Seventh Wish. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. June 7, 2016. ISBN 978-1619633766.
• The Exact Location of Home. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. September 12, 2017. ISBN 978-1681195483.³⁴³⁵
• Breakout. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. June 5, 2018. ISBN 978-1681195360.³⁶³⁷
• Chirp. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. February 4, 2020. ISBN 978-1547602810.³⁸³⁹
• The Trouble with Heroes. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. April 29, 2025. ISBN 978-1547616398.⁴⁰

• Capture the Flag. Scholastic Press. July 1, 2012. ISBN 978-0545419741.⁴¹⁴²
• Hide and Seek. Scholastic Press. April 1, 2013. ISBN 978-0545419758.⁴³
• Manhunt. Scholastic Press. July 1, 2014. ISBN 978-0545419772.

• Marty McGuire. Illustrated by Brian Floca. Scholastic Press. May 1, 2011. ISBN 978-0545142465.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁴⁴
• Marty McGuire Digs Worms!. Illustrated by Brian Floca. Scholastic Press. April 1, 2012. ISBN 978-0545142472.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁴⁵
• Marty McGuire Has Too Many Pets!. Illustrated by Brian Floca. Scholastic Press. April 28, 2015. ISBN 978-0545535601.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁴⁶

• Rescue on the Oregon Trail. Scholastic Press. January 6, 2015. ISBN 978-0545639149.⁴⁷
• Danger in Ancient Rome. Scholastic Press. June 30, 2015. ISBN 978-0545639187.⁴⁸
• Long Road to Freedom. Scholastic Press. December 29, 2015. ISBN 978-0545639217.
• Race to the South Pole. Scholastic Press. June 28, 2016. ISBN 978-0545639255.
• Journey Through Ash and Smoke. Scholastic Press. January 31, 2017. ISBN 978-0545909785.
• Escape from the Great Earthquake. Scholastic Press. June 27, 2017. ISBN 978-0545909839.
• D-Day: Battle on the Beach. Scholastic Press. January 30, 2018. ISBN 978-1338133905.
• Hurricane Katrina Rescue. Scholastic Press. June 26, 2018. ISBN 978-1338133950.
• Disaster on the Titanic. Scholastic Press. January 29, 2019. ISBN 978-1338133981.⁴⁹
• Night of Soldiers and Spies. Scholastic Press. July 9, 2019. ISBN 978-1338134018.
• Escape from the Twin Towers. Scholastic Press. February 4, 2020. ISBN 978-1338537949.
• Attack on Pearl Harbor. Scholastic Press. July 21, 2020. ISBN 978-1338537963.⁵⁰

• Emma McKenna, Full Out. Illustrated by Kat Fajardo. Algonquin Young Readers. April 30, 2024. ISBN 978-1523525713.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

• How to Save an Otter. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. October 21, 2025. ISBN 978-1547616428.⁵¹
• How to Save an Owl. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. October 21, 2025. ISBN 978-1547616466.
• How to Save a Tortoise. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. March 3, 2026. ISBN 978-1547616497.⁵²

• Sea Monster's First Day. Illustrated by Andy Rash. Chronicle Books. June 22, 2011. ISBN 978-0811875646.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁵³
• Sea Monster and the Bossy Fish. Illustrated by Andy Rash. Chronicle Books. August 1, 2013. ISBN 978-1452112534.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• How to Read a Story. Illustrated by Mark Siegel. Chronicle Books. May 5, 2015. ISBN 978-1452112336.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• Tree of Wonder: The Many Marvelous Lives of a Rainforest Tree. Illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. Chronicle Books. August 11, 2015. ISBN 978-1452112480.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁵⁴⁵⁵
• Rolling Thunder. Illustrated by Greg Ruth. Chronicle Books. August 25, 2017. ISBN 978-0545470124.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁵⁶
• The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World's Coral Reefs. Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe. Chronicle Books. May 8, 2018. ISBN 978-1452133508.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)²⁰
• Insect Superpowers. Illustrated by Jillian Nickell. Chronicle Books. November 5, 2019. ISBN 978-1452139104.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁵⁷
• How to Write a Story. Illustrated by Mark Siegel. Chronicle Books. July 7, 2020. ISBN 978-1452156668.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁵⁸
• The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents. Illustrated by Adam Rex. Chronicle Books. March 24, 2020. ISBN 978-1452174884.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁵⁹⁶⁰
• Sloth Wasn't Sleepy. Illustrated by Valentina Toro. Sounds True. January 12, 2021. ISBN 978-1683645467.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• Dr. Fauci: How a Boy from Brooklyn Became America's Doctor. Illustrated by Alexandra Bye. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. June 29, 2021. ISBN 978-1665902434.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• Only the Best: The Exceptional Life and Fashion of Ann Lowe. Co-written by Margaret E. Powell. Illustrated by Erin Robinson. Chronicle Books. October 18, 2022. ISBN 978-1452161600.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁶¹
• Once Upon a Book. Illustrated by Grace Lin. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. February 7, 2023. ISBN 978-0316541077.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁶²⁶³
• The Scariest Kitten in the World. Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. August 29, 2023. ISBN 978-0374390051.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁶⁴
• The Next Scientist: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of the World’s Great Scientists. Illustrated by Julia Kuo. Chronicle Books. August 27, 2024. ISBN 978-1452176963.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁶⁵⁶⁶
• First Ascent: The Epic Yosemite Rock-Climbing Rivalry of Royal Robbins and Warren Harding. Illustrated by Stevie Lewis. Yosemite Conservancy. August 5, 2025. ISBN 978-1951179335.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁶⁷⁶⁸
• The Whale's Tale and the Otter's Side of the Story. Illustrated by Brian Biggs. Clarion Books. April 21, 2026. ISBN 978-0063372627.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁶⁹
• Axolotl-Ella. Illustrated by Lian Cho. Ten Speed Young Readers. June 2, 2026. ISBN 978-0593837993.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁷⁰

• Over and Under the Snow. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books. October 9, 2011. ISBN 978-0811867849.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books. March 3, 2015. ISBN 978-1452119366.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• Over and Under the Pond. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books. March 7, 2017. ISBN 978-1452145426.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁷¹
• Over and Under the Rainforest. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books. August 11, 2020. ISBN 978-1452169408.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁷²
• Over and Under the Canyon. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books. September 7, 2021. ISBN 978-1452169392.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁷³⁷⁴
• Over and Under the Waves. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books. September 13, 2022. ISBN 978-1797203478.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• Over and Under the Wetland. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books. August 13, 2024. ISBN 978-1797210872.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁷⁵
• Over and Under the Coral Reef. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. Chronicle Books. August 26, 2025. ISBN 978-1797225357.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

• Fergus and Zeke. Illustrated by Heather Ross. Candlewick Press. June 13, 2017. ISBN 978-0763678463.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁷⁶⁷⁷
• Fergus and Zeke at the Science Fair. Illustrated by Heather Ross. Candlewick Press. September 18, 2018. ISBN 978-0763678470.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁷⁸
• Fergus and Zeke and the Field Day Challenge. Illustrated by Heather Ross. Candlewick Press. April 14, 2020. ISBN 978-1536202021.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁷⁹
• Fergus and Zeke and the 100th Day of School. Illustrated by Heather Ross. Candlewick Press. December 14, 2021. ISBN 978-1536213003.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁸⁰
• Fergus and Zeke for President. Illustrated by Heather Ross. Candlewick Press. May 23, 2023. ISBN 978-1536218312.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁸¹
• Fergus and Zeke and the Great Farm Field Trip. Illustrated by Heather Ross. Candlewick Press. May 7, 2024. ISBN 978-1536227611.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁸²

• Solve This! Forensics. Co-written by Anne Rupert. National Geographic Children's Books. March 17, 2020. ISBN 978-1426337444.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁸³

• Real Revision: Authors' Strategies to Share with Student Writers. Stenhouse Publishers. June 28, 2011. ISBN 978-1571108562.
• 59 Reasons to Write. Stenhouse Publishers. January 28, 2015. ISBN 978-1625310033.

• The Mayflower. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Random House. July 7, 2020. ISBN 978-0593120316.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁸⁴⁸⁵
• Women's Right to Vote. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Random House. July 7, 2020. ISBN 978-0593120347.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• Pearl Harbor. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Random House. November 10, 2020. ISBN 978-0593120385.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• The Titanic. Illustrated by Dylan Meconis. Random House. February 2, 2021. ISBN 978-0593120446.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
• The American Revolution. Illustrated by Justin Greenwood. Random House. July 20, 2021. ISBN 978-0593120460.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁸⁶⁸⁷
• Plagues and Pandemics. Illustrated by Falynn Koch. Random House. October 5, 2021. ISBN 978-0593120408.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁸⁸
• The Underground Railroad. Co-written by Gwendolyn Hooks. Illustrated by Damon Smyth. Random House. May 17, 2022. ISBN 978-0593428931.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁸⁹⁹⁰
• Christopher Columbus and the Taino People. Co-written by José Barreiro. Illustrated by Falynn Koch. Random House. August 8, 2023. ISBN 978-0593564264.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁹¹
• Salem Witch Trials. Illustrated by Falynn Koch. Random House. August 13, 2024. ISBN 978-0593705278.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁹²
• Earth Day and the Environment. Illustrated by Justin Greenwood. Random House. March 11, 2025. ISBN 978-0593705308.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁹³⁹⁴
• Ancient Egypt. Illustrated by Falynn Koch. Random House. October 7, 2025. ISBN 978-0593902332.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁹⁵⁹⁶
• The Space Race. Illustrated by Falynn Koch. Random House. July 21, 2026. ISBN 978-0593902363.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)⁹⁷

• Tracking Pythons: The Quest to Catch an Invasive Predator and Save an Ecosystem. Millbrook Press. March 3, 2020. ISBN 978-1541557062.⁹⁸⁹⁹
• Tracking Tortoises: The Mission to Save a Galápagos Giant. Millbrook Press. September 7, 2021. ISBN 978-1541596115.^100101102

• Camp Monster. Illustrated by Falynn Koch. Bloomsbury Children’s Books. February 3, 2026. ISBN 978-1547609413.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)