Katherine Applegate
Katherine Applegate (Katherine Alice Applegate) was born on October 9th, 1956 and is currently 69 years old. Katherine Applegate was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Applegate attended The University of Texas at Austin where she received a liberal arts degree.
Katherine Alice Applegate (known professionally as K. A. Applegate) is an American children’s and young adult fiction writer, and is best known as the author of the
Remnants,
Everworld, and
Animorphs series. Her most popular books are fantasy, adventure, and science fiction novels.
She has won the Best New Children’s Book Series Award in 1997 from Publisher’s Weekly.
Home of the Brave won the Bank Street 2008 Josette Frank Award, the SCBWI 2008 Golden Kite Award for Best Fiction, and is a Judy Lopez Memorial Award honor book.
Katherine got her start as a ghostwriter for
Sweet Valley Twins.
After the conclusion of the
Remnants series, Katherine took 3 years off. Upon her return to writing, she penned this picture book, called
Buffalo Storm, an early chapters series called
Roscoe Riley Rules, and a middle reader called
Home of the Brave.
The One and Only Ivan is an unforgettable tale which celebrates the transformative power of unexpected friendship.
Ivan has grown accustomed to humans always watching him, having spent 27 years behind the glass walls of his enclosure in a shopping mall. He barely ever thinks about his previous life in the jungle. Instead he occupies himself with TV, painting, and his friends Bob and Stella. However once he meets this baby elephant named Ruby who was taken from the wild, he’s forced to see his art, their home, through a new set of eyes.
This Newbery Award winning novel is inspired by the true story of Ivan, a captive gorilla, and is told from Ivan’s perspective.
Home of the Brave is a beautifully wrought middle grade book about one immigrant’s journey from hardship to hope.
Kek is from Africa. In America he gets to see snow for the very first time, and feels its sting. He has never before walked on ice, and he falls. He wonders if the people in this new place are going to be like the winter: unkind and cold.
Back in Africa, he lived with his brother and parents. However only he and his mom survived, and now she has gone missing. Which leaves him all on his own. Slowly, though, he is able to make some friends: a girl that is in foster care; this elderly woman that owns a rundown farm, and this cow whose name means “family” in Kek’s native tongue.
While Kek is waiting to hear what happened to his mom, he weathers the tough Minnesota winter by finding some warmth in new friendships, strength in his own memories, and a belief in his new country.
Katherine Applegate: Awards & Accolades
Applegate's book, The One and Only Ivan won the John Newbery Medal Awards, Newbery Medal, in 2013.
Katherine Applegate books have also been nominated for multiple awards, The One and Only Ivan was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Middle Grade and Children’s, in 2012. Crenshaw was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Middle Grade and Children’s, in 2015. Wishtree was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Middle Grade and Children’s, in 2017. The One and Only Bob was nominated for the Goodreads Awards, Best Middle Grade and Children’s, in 2020.
Katherine Applegate: Lists & Other Mentions
- Pocket Bear was a Publishers Weekly: Best Middle Grade Books Selection in 2025.
- The One and Only Ivan was an Audible: The Top 100 Book Series of All Time Selection in 2024.
Related Authors
Fans of Katherine Applegate also enjoy these authors:
- Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
- J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
- Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games Series.
- Kristin Hannah, author of: The Nightingale.
- Neil Gaiman, author of the American Gods Series.
Katherine Applegate: F.A.Q
When was Katherine Applegate Born? How old is Katherine Applegate?
Katherine Applegate was born on October 9th, 1956. Katherine Applegate is currently 69 years old.
Where was Katherine Applegate Born?
Katherine Applegate was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA and is American.
What book awards has Katherine Applegate won?
Applegate's book, The One and Only Ivan won the award John Newbery Medal Awards, Newbery Medal, in 2013.
What was the first book Katherine Applegate wrote?
The first book written by Katherine Applegate was Welcome to Junior High!, published in 1990.
What was the most recent book Katherine Applegate wrote?
Her most recently released work was The Littlest Elephant (a short story) on March 17th, 2026.
What is the most popular book by Katherine Applegate?
Based on the number of readers on Book Notification, the most popular Katherine Applegate book is
The One and Only Ivan. Here are her most popular books:
- The One and Only Ivan (9)
- The Invasion (8.57)
- The Warning (7.2)
- The Message (8)
- The Visitor (7.6)
Are there upcoming new books by Katherine Applegate?
Katherine Applegate has a new book coming out on May 5th, 2026 called
Wombat Waiting.
Click and we will keep you updated on this via e-mail, and about any new books Katherine Applegate announces in the future.
How many books has Katherine Applegate written?
Katherine Applegate has written 230 books across 31 series, excluding contributions to anthologies.
- 54 books in the Animorphs Series
- 4 books in the Animorphs Megamorphs Series
- 4 books in the Andalite Chronicles Series
- 3 Animorphs Companion Books
- 6 books in the Animorphs Graphix Series
- 2 books in the Alternamorphs Series
- 3 books in the Doggo and Pupper Series
- 3 books in the Endling Series
- 12 books in the Everworld Series
- 2 books in the Eve and Adam Series
- 45 books in the Girl Talk Series
- 28 books in the Making Out Series
- 11 books in the Ocean City / Making Waves Series
- 8 books in the Summer / Making Waves (In the UK) Series
- 4 books in The One and Only Ivan Series
- 14 books in the Remnants Series
- 7 books in the Roscoe Riley Rules Series
- 6 Standalone Novels
- 6 Picture Books
- 1 book in the Love Stories For Young Adults Series
- 3 books in the Disney's The Little Mermaid Series
- 2 books in the Dogtown Series
- 2 books in the Changes Series