Christina Soontornvat

Soontornvat was born in 1980,{{cite web |title=About Christina |url=https://soontornvat.com/about/ |website=Christina Soontornvat |access-date=February 11, 2021}} a daughter of Amnaj Soontornvat, a businessowner from Thailand and granddaughter of Thai broadcasting executive Saengchai Sunthornwat.{{cite news |last1=Bunnag |first1=Tatat |title=A breathtaking tale |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/2016479/a-breathtaking-tale |access-date=February 19, 2021 |work=Bangkok Post |date=November 9, 2020}}{{cite news |title='โค้ชเอก-หมูป่า'รับ1.5ล้าน ค่าลิขสิทธิหนังสือ-ภาพยนตร์ |url=http://www.siamtownus.com/2016/New-1811000045-1.aspx |access-date=February 19, 2021 |work=Siam Town US |date=2016 |language=th}} She attended Weatherford High School in Weatherford, Texas, graduating in 1998.{{cite news |title=WHS graduate and author gains two Newbery Honors |url=https://www.weatherforddemocrat.com/news/local_news/whs-graduate-and-author-gains-two-newbery-honors/article_55b67f74-d736-52f4-8222-92a29a0c49fd.html |access-date=February 11, 2021 |work=Weatherford Democrat |date=February 1, 2021}} She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Trinity University in 2002,{{cite news |last1=Blank |first1=Gwen |title=Saving All Thirteen |url=https://www.trinity.edu/news/saving-all-thirteen |access-date=February 11, 2021 |publisher=Trinity University |date=December 1, 2020}} and a Master of Science degree in science education from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007.{{cite news |last1=Anchondo |first1=Carlos |title=Creating Fantasy |url=https://www.trinity.edu/news/creating-fantasy |access-date=February 22, 2021 |publisher=Trinity University |date=September 12, 2016}}

Prior to her literary career, Soontornvat worked at a science museum.

In 2020, Soontornvat wrote the children's books A Wish in the Dark and All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team.{{cite news |authorlink=Petra Mayer |last1=Mayer |first1=Petra |title=Welcome To Story Hour: 100 Favorite Books For Young Readers |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/31/905804301/welcome-to-story-hour-100-favorite-books-for-young-readers |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=NPR |date=August 31, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Gurdon |first1=Meghan Cox |title=Children's Books: Help Is On the Way! |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/childrens-books-help-is-on-the-way-11604069857 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |date=October 30, 2020}} In an interview, she stated that All Thirteen, which describes the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, was told "from the Thai perspective as much as possible, and to let people know about Thailand".{{cite news |last1=Murphy |first1=Patricia J |title=Q & A with Christina Soontornvat |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/85380-q-a-with-christina-soontornvat.html |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Publishers Weekly |date=January 25, 2021}} Both books were awarded a Newbery Honor in 2021, making Soontornvat the third author to receive two Newbery awards in the same year (after Meindert DeJong in 1954 and E. L. Konigsburg in 1968). She is the first author to win two Newbery awards in the same year for both fiction (A Wish in the Dark) and nonfiction (All Thirteen).

Soontornvat, along with fellow writers Ellen Oh and Melanie Conklin, organized the Everywhere Book Fest, which took place May 1–2, 2020.{{cite news |last1=de León |first1=Concepción |title=Home With Your Kids? Writers Want to Help |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/books/writers-entertain-kids-virus.html |access-date=February 11, 2021 |work=The New York Times |date=March 20, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Kantor |first1=Emma |last2=Yung |first2=Sarah |title=Everywhere Book Fest in Photos |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/83273-everywhere-book-fest-in-photos.html |access-date=February 11, 2021 |work=Publishers Weekly |date=May 7, 2020}} It was created in response to book festival cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Tucson Festival of Books, where Soontornvat and Oh had been scheduled to speak on a panel.{{cite news |last1=Vane |first1=Sharon |title=Authors create virtual Everywhere Book Fest for kids, young adults during coronavirus |url=https://www.austin360.com/entertainmentlife/20200424/authors-create-virtual-everywhere-book-fest-for-kids-young-adults-during-coronavirus |access-date=February 11, 2021 |work=Austin American-Statesman |date=April 24, 2020}} The event included live and pre-recorded segments featuring authors of children's and young adult books, and was attended by over 43,000 online viewers.

Soontornvat lives in Austin, Texas with her husband. They have two children.

1. The Changelings (September 6, 2016){{cite news |title=The Changelings |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christina-soontornvat/the-changelings/ |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Kirkus Reviews |date=June 1, 2016}}
2. In a Dark Land: A Changelings Story (October 1, 2017){{cite news |title=In a Dark Land |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christina-soontornvat/in-a-dark-land/ |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Kirkus Reviews |date=August 21, 2017}}

1. Snow Place Like Home (June 25, 2019){{cite news |title=Spring 2019 Children's Announcements: Publishers R-Z |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/childrens-announcements/article/79171-spring-2019-children-s-announcements-publishers-r-z.html |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Publishers Weekly |date=February 1, 2019}}
2. Frost Friends Forever (June 25, 2019)
3. On Thin Ice (October 1, 2019){{cite news |last1=Lodge |first1=Sally |last2=Maughan |first2=Shannon |title=Fall 2019 Children's Announcements: Publishers R-Z |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/childrens-announcements/article/80736-fall-2019-children-s-announcements-publishers-r-z.html |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Publishers Weekly |date=July 19, 2019}}
4. The Big Freeze (March 3, 2020){{cite news |last1=Lodge |first1=Sally |last2=Maughan |first2=Shannon |title=Spring 2020 Children's Announcements: Publishers R-Z |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/childrens-announcements/article/82414-spring-2020-children-s-announcements-publishers-r-z.html |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Publishers Weekly |date=February 14, 2020}}
5. Slush Puppy Love (June 2, 2020)
6. Icing on the Snowflake (September 15, 2020){{cite news |last1=Lodge |first1=Sally |last2=Maughan |first2=Shannon |title=Fall 2020 Children's Announcements: Publishers R-Z |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/childrens-announcements/article/83881-fall-2020-children-s-announcements-publishers-r-z.html |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Publishers Weekly |date=July 17, 2020}}

• The Blunders: A Counting Catastrophe! (February 11, 2020){{cite news |title=The Blunders |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christina-soontornvat/the-blunders/ |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Kirkus Reviews |date=October 9, 2019}}
• A Wish in the Dark (March 24, 2020){{cite news |title=A Wish in the Dark |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christina-soontornvat/a-wish-in-the-dark/ |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Kirkus Reviews |date=January 12, 2020}}
• Simon at the Art Museum (June 9, 2020){{cite news |last1=Shea |first1=Shana |title=Simon at the Art Museum |url=https://www.slj.com/?reviewDetail=simon-at-the-art-museum |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=School Library Journal |date=May 8, 2020}}
• All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team (October 13, 2020){{cite news |title=All Thirteen |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christina-soontornvat/all-thirteen/ |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Kirkus Reviews |date=August 18, 2020}}
• The Ramble Shamble Children (March 9, 2021){{cite news |title=The Ramble Shamble Children |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christina-soontornvat/the-ramble-shamble-children/ |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=Kirkus Reviews |date=December 25, 2020}}
• The Last Mapmaker (April 12, 2022){{cite news |title=The Last Mapmaker |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/christina-soontornvat/the-last-mapmaker/ |access-date=August 7, 2022 |work=Kirkus Reviews |date=January 11, 2022}}
• The Tryout

{{Reflist}}

• [https://soontornvat.com/ Official website]

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Category:1980 births

Category:21st-century American women writers

Category:21st-century American writers

Category:American children's writers

Category:American women children's writers

Category:American writers of Asian descent

Category:American people of Thai descent

Category:Living people

Category:Newbery Honor winners

Category:Trinity University (Texas) alumni

Category:People from Weatherford, Texas

Category:Kirkus Prize winners