Katy Kelly (1955–) Biography

Born 1955; children: Emily, Marguerite.

Addresses

Agent—c/o Author Mail, Delacorte Press, Bantam Dell, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

Career

Journalist. People magazine, reporter; USA Today, feature writer for Life section; U.S. News &World Report, currently senior editor.

Writings

Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing about Me, illustrated by Adam Rex, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2004.

Lucy Rose: Big on Plans, illustrated by Adam Rex, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2005.

Lucy Rose: Busy like You Can't Believe, illustrated by Adam Rex, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2006.

Adaptations

The "Lucy Rose" novels have been adapted as audio-books, Listening Library, 2005.

Sidelights

Growing up in Washington, DC, as the daughter of two journalists, Katy Kelly knew what would be involved in pursuing a career as a reporter and writer. In addition to a successful journalism career that has included stints at People, USA Today, and U.S. News &World Report, where she now works as a senior editor, Kelly was inspired to begin a series of books for younger readers that feature the vivacious eight-year-old Lucy Rose. Including the novels Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing about Me and Lucy Rose: Big on Plans, Kelly's novels have been praised for her engaging fourth-grade heroine and their use of the diary format. "I lifted a lot of Lucy Rose's life from my own," the author told Publishers Weekly interviewer Sally Lodge, "and then … stirred it around." Commenting on her second job, Kelly added: "It's not work for me, since I have so much fun with Lucy Rose. And writing each book is a very different experience. I learn something new with every go."

Readers meet Lucy Rose in Lucy Rose: Here's the Thing about Me, as the girl moves from Michigan to Washington, DC on the heels of her parents' separation. Living with her mother, Lucy Rose also learns a lot from her grandmother, an advice columnist who lives nearby and becomes the young girl's confidante. Dealing with the ups and downs of a new school in fine style, Lucy Rose "narrates in breathless run-on sentences" and "has a truly original perspective," according to a Publishers Weekly reviewer. In School Library Journal Linda Zeilstra Sawyer noted that Lucy Rose confronts the problems shared by many children dealing with broken homes, and "meets her challenges with humor and honesty," while a Kirkus Reviews critic noted that Kelly's text successfully "delivers … mature and complex concepts simply enough for her young audience."

A busy summer vacation rolls out in Lucy Rose: Big on Plans, as the young diarist expresses her worries about everything from her parent's divorce and her grandparents' problem with hungry squirrels to a bully who seems determined to cause Lucy Rose grief. "The book's language is rich and the characters are likeable," Teresa Bateman noted in School Library Journal, while in Booklist Cindy Dobrez wrote that "Lucy Rose's exuberance is evident in her long, run-on sentences." "Lucy is energetic and positive, but her life is a realistic blend of fun and challenges," according to a Kirkus Reviews contributor.

In Lucy Rose: Big on Plans a nine-year-old diarist finds that her ambitious plans for her all-too-brief summer vacation cause a few sleepless nights. (Illustration by Adam Rex.)