Peg Kehret

Margaret Ann Schulze was born on November 11, 1936, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She contracted polio at age 12 in 1949.{{Cite book|title=Small steps : the year I got polio|last=Kehret, Peg.|date=1996|publisher=Albert Whitman|others=Albert Whitman & Company|isbn=0807574570|location=Morton Grove, Ill.|oclc=33969341}} She had each of the three types of polio: spinal, respiratory, and bulbar. She was paralyzed from the neck down and had a nine-month hospital stay. The experience changed Kehret's life, as she describes in her 1996 memoir Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio."Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio", Kirkus Reviews, October 15, 1996. Kehret made a complete recovery aside from lingering post-polio syndrome. She later graduated from Austin High School and then attended the University of Minnesota for one year.{{cite web|last1=Kehret|first1=Peg|title=BIO|url=http://www.pegkehret.com/oldwordpress/about/|website=Peg Kehret}} In 1955, she married Carl Kehret; they moved to California and adopted two children, Bob and Anne.

In 1970, the Kehrets moved to Washington. Carl died in 2004. Kehret has four grandchildren: Brett, Chelsea, Eric, and Mark. She has a great-grandson, Seth, who also lives in Washington. Kehret currently resides near Mt. Rainier National Park.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kidsreads.com/authors/peg-kehret|title=Peg Kehret {{!}} Kidsreads|website=www.kidsreads.com|language=en|access-date=2018-04-12}}

Kehret spent six weeks every spring and fall visiting schools across the country, but has since had to cut these visits due to difficulties caused by post-polio syndrome. Berry, Mary. "A True Survivor." Teacher Librarian 29.4 (2002): 50-2. In addition to being a writer, she spent much of her life rescuing and caring for animals, including volunteering at the Seattle humane society for more than 25 years, inspiring many of her fictional works. Following her husband's passing in 2004, Kehret maintained her passion by continuing to foster cats. She also wrote a "Pet of the Month" column for her local newspaper alongside her volunteer work with animals.

Before Kehret began writing children's books, she wrote plays, radio commercials and magazine stories. Her transition to writing for children stems from what she cites as the importance of children’s books: undoing negative effects left on children by mainstream media, movies, and video games and instead, teaching them empathy.Kehret, Peg. "Encouraging Empathy." School Library Journal 47.8 (2001): 44-5 She weaves character growth and age appropriate moral dilemmas into her forty-six works for middle school students, including four children's drama books.{{cite web|last1=Kehret|first1=Peg|title=Pioneer Drama Service: Titles by Peg Kehret|url=https://www.pioneerdrama.com/AuthorDetail.asp?ac=KEHRETPEG|website=Pioneer Drama Service}}

Her work is divided into subgenres of memoir, natural disaster, animal, novel, and horror adventure books. One of her most famous memoirs is Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, in which she writes about her diagnosis and treatment in great detail. Her natural disaster novels include Escaping the Giant Wave and Earthquake Terror which use fictional stories to teach children on the dangers of natural disasters. Books inspired by her work with animals include Saving Lilly and her Pete The Cat trilogy. Some of Kehret's most popular novels are Stolen Children, Abduction!, and Runaway Twin. She has written a Frightmares series consisting of eight books as well.

Peg Kehret's books for young people have earned a wide readership and critical acclaim. Among her many honors are the Pen Center West Award in Children's Literature, the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and illustrators. Children's Choice Awards from 29 states, the Forest Roberts Playwriting Award, and the Henry Bergh Award from the ASPCA. Many for her books have been selected by the American Library Association for its Recommended Books for Reluctant Readers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/peg-kehret/|title=Peg Kehret Books, Author Biography, and Reading Level {{!}} Scholastic|website=www.scholastic.com|access-date=2018-04-12}} In total, her books have won more than fifty state young reader awards.

Kehret's polio memoir received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, won the 1998 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award - annually determined by a vote of Vermont schoolchildren, and won the 1999 Mark Twain Readers Award - a similar annual book award determined by a vote of Missouri schoolchildren in grades 4 to 6. The award recognized four of her books from 1999 to 2012: Abduction!, Runaway Twin, Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, and Stolen Children.

The Children’s Choices project allows 10,000 school children across the country to vote on newly published works that they enjoyed. The project is of a joint committee supported by the International Reading Association and The Children’s Book Council. Over 700 books, selected by publishers from books published in 2000, were evaluated in 2001. The 99 books with the most votes were selected to be the Children’s choices for 2001, one being Don’t Tell Anyone by Peg Kehret."Children's Choices for 2001." The Reading Teacher 55.2 (2001): 173-87

She was awarded the Charlotte Award sponsored by the New York State Reading Association for her work Stolen Children in 2010."Charlotte Award-Winning Books Keep Kids Reading." Reading Today 28.1 (2010): 17.

• Deadly Stranger (Dodd, Mead, 1987) {{ISBN|9780396090397}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret-2/deadly-stranger/|title=Deadly Stranger by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1987-04-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Nightmare Mountain (Dutton, 1989) {{ISBN|9780525650089}}
• Sisters, Long Ago (Dutton, 1990) {{ISBN|9780525650218}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret-3/sisters-long-ago/|title=Sisters, Long Ago by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1990-03-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Cages (Dutton, 1991) {{ISBN|9780525650621}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/cages/|title=Cages by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1991-05-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Night of Fear (Dutton, 1994) {{ISBN|9780525651369}}
• The Richest Kids in Town (Dutton, 1994) {{ISBN|9780525651666}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/the-richest-kids-in-town/|title=The Richest Kids in Town|last=|first=|date=1994-09-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Earthquake Terror (Dutton, 1996) {{ISBN|9780525652267}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/earthquake-terror/|title=Earthquake Terror by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1996-02-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Searching for Candlestick Park (Dutton, 1997) {{ISBN|9780525652564}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/searching-for-candlestick-park/|title=Searching for Candlestick Park by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1997-09-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• The Secret Journey (Simon & Schuster, 1999) {{ISBN|9780671034160}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/the-secret-journey/|title=The Secret Journey by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1999-12-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• I'm Not Who You Think I Am (Dutton, 1999) {{ISBN|9780525461531}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/im-not-who-you-think-i-am/|title=I'm Not Who You Think I Am by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1999-04-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• My Brother Made Me Do It (Simon & Schuster, 2000) {{ISBN|9780671034184}}
• Don't Tell Anyone (Dutton, 2000) {{ISBN|9780525463887}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/dont-tell-anyone/|title=Don't Tell Anyone by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2000-06-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Saving Lilly (Aladdin, 2001) {{ISBN|9780671034221}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/saving-lilly/|title=Saving Lilly by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2001-11-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Escaping the Giant Wave (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2003) {{ISBN|9780689852725}}
• Abduction! (Dutton, 2006) {{ISBN|9780142406175}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/abduction-2/|title=Abduction by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2004-11-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• The Ghost's Grave (Dutton, 2005) {{ISBN|9780525461623}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/the-ghosts-grave/|title=The Ghost's Grave by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2005-08-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Stolen Children (Dutton, 2008) {{ISBN|9780525478355}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/stolen-children/|title=Stolen Children by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2008-10-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Runaway Twin (Dutton, 2009) {{ISBN|9780525421771}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/runaway-twin/|title=Runaway Twin by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2009-10-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Ghost Dog Secrets (Dutton, 2010) {{ISBN|9780525421788}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/ghost-dog-secrets/|title=Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2010-09-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Dangerous Deception (Dutton, 2014) {{ISBN|9780525426523}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/dangerous-deception/|title=Dangerous Deception by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2014-10-16|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}

1. The Volcano Disaster (Simon & Schuster, 1998) {{ISBN|9780671009694}}
2. The Blizzard Disaster (Minstrel, 1998) {{ISBN|9780671009632}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/the-blizzard-disaster/|title=The Blizzard Disaster|last=|first=|date=1998-05-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
3. Flood Disaster (Minstrel, 1999) {{ISBN|9780671009670}}

1. Terror at the Zoo (Dutton, 1992) {{ISBN|9780525650836}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/terror-at-the-zoo/|title=Terror at the Zoo by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1992-02-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
2. Horror at the Haunted House (Dutton, 1992) {{ISBN|9780525651062}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/horror-at-the-haunted-house/|title=Horror at the Haunted House by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1992-09-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
3. Danger at the Fair (Dutton, 1995) {{ISBN|9780525651826}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/danger-at-the-fair/|title=Danger at the Fair by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1995-02-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}

1. Cat Burglar on the Prowl (Minstrel, 1995) {{ISBN|9780671891886}}
2. Bone Breath and the Vandals (Simon & Schuster, 1995) {{ISBN|9780671891909}}
3. Don't Go Near Mrs. Tallie (Minstrel, 1995) {{ISBN|9780671891916}}
4. Desert Danger (Aladdin, 1995) {{ISBN|9780671891930}}
5. The Ghost Followed Us Home (Minstrel, 1996) {{ISBN|9780671535216}}
6. Race to Disaster (Minstrel, 1996) {{ISBN|9780671535247}}
7. Screaming Eagles (Aladdin, 1996) {{ISBN|9780671535261}}
8. Backstage Fright (Minstrel, 1996) {{ISBN|9780671535285}}

1. The Stranger Next Door (Dutton, 2002) {{ISBN|9780525468295}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/the-stranger-next-door-2/|title=The Stranger Next Door by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2001-04-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
2. Spy Cat (Dutton, 2003) {{ISBN|9780142401514}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/spy-cat/|title=Spy Cat by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2003-02-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
3. Trapped (Dutton, 2006) {{ISBN|9780525477280}}

• Let Him Sleep 'Till It's Time for His Funeral (Hanbury Plays, 1976), {{ISBN|9781852050139}}
• Spirit! (Pioneer Drama Service, 1979)
• Winning Monologues for Young Actors: 65 honest-to-life characterizations to delight young actors and audiences of all ages (Colorado Springs, CO: Meriwether Publishing, 1986) {{ISBN|9781439510230}}
• Encore!: More Winning Monologues for Young Actors : 63 More Honest-to-Life Monologues for Teenage Boys and Girls (Meriwether, 1988) {{ISBN|9780916260545}}
• Acting Natural (Meriwether Publishing, 1991) {{ISBN|9780916260842}}
• Tell It Like It Is: Fifty Monologues for Talented Teens (Meriwether Publishing, 2007) {{ISBN|9781566081443}}

• Vows of Love and Marriage (Meriwether Publishing, 1980) {{ISBN|9780916260071}}
• Refinishing and Restoring Your Piano (Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books, 1985) {{ISBN|978-0830618712}}
• Wedding Vows: How to Express Your Love in Your Own Words (Meriwether Publishing, 1989) {{ISBN|9780916260590}}
• Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio (Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman, 1996) {{ISBN|9780807574577}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/small-steps/|title=Small Steps by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1996-11-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Shelter Dogs: Amazing Stories of Adopted Strays (Perfection Learning, 1999) {{ISBN|9781627652377}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/shelter-dogs/|title=Shelter Dogs by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=1999-03-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Five Pages A Day: A Writer's Journey (Albert Whitman & Company, 2002) {{ISBN|9780807586501}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/five-pages-a-day/|title=Five Pages a Day: A Writer's Journey by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2002-10-01|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}
• Animals Welcome: A Life of Reading, Writing, and Rescue (Dutton Children's Books, 2012) {{ISBN|9780525423997}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/peg-kehret/animals-welcome/|title=Animals Welcome by Peg Kehret|last=|first=|date=2012-08-16|website=Kirkus Reviews|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.slj.com/?reviewDetail=animals-welcome-a-life-of-reading-writing-and-rescue|title=Animals Welcome: A Life of Reading, Writing and Rescue|last=|first=|date=2012-11-01|website=School Library Journal|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2019-11-19}}

{{Reflist |25em

}}

• [https://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/celebrity_interviews/article/187602/Author-Peg-Kehret Interview of Kehret] (2010-03-13) at TeenInk
• [https://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/author-peg-kehret-if-you-want-to-write-be-a/article_908b5e16-a694-5eb0-9925-bd3a784f33a2.html "Author Peg Kehret: If You Want to Write, Be a Reader"] (2016-07-29 by Emily Pyrek) in the La Crosse Tribune
• Something About the Author (1993), vol. 73, p. 113–14
• Something About the Author (2000), vol. 108, p. 130–35

{{Portal |Children's literature}}

• {{official website }}
• [https://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/4/resources/3627 Peg Kehret papers] in the Children's Literature Research Collections, University of Minnesota
• {{isfdb name|5518}}
• {{LCAuth|n84214719|Peg Kehret|53|}}

{{Authority control}}

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Category:American children's writers

Category:1936 births

Category:Living people

Category:Writers from La Crosse, Wisconsin

Category:American women children's writers

Category:21st-century American women