Patricia L'Ann Carwell "Pat" McKissack (August 9, 1944 – April 7, 2017) was an American children's writer. She was the author of three Dear America books: A Picture of Freedom: The Diary of Clotee, a Slave Girl, Color Me Dark: The Diary of Nellie Lee Love, The Great Migration North, and Look to the Hills: The Diary of Lozette Moreau, a French Slave Girl. She has also written a novel for The Royal Diaries series: Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba. * Patricia lived in St. Louis. Her husband, Fredrick McKissack, with whom she co-won the Regina Medal in 1998, died in April 2013 at the age of 73; before marrying her and joining her in writing full-time, he had an accomplished career as a U.S. Marine, a civil engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and had owned a contracting business in the St. Louis area. * Patricia McKissack was also a board member of the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance, a national not-for-profit that actively advocates for literacy, literature, and libraries. * She was known also as L'Ann Carwell, Pat McKissack and Patricia C. McKissack. * #McBooksters #LiteracyAdvocate #RIPPatriciaMcKissack #LoveForPatriciaMcKissack #ChildrensLiterature #RepresentationMatters #DiverseChildrensBooks #KidsLit #KidsBookstagram #BooksForEveryone #Multiethnic #PublishInColor #ReadYourWorld #DiversityInPublishing #BooksForChildrenOfColor
