Born: 1949
Ohio connection: Resident
Granville
Katharine Kenah is the author of more than 30 books for children. She writes picture-book texts and science-related book series for beginning readers. Reared on an oceanographic observatory in New York state, among scientists and cats, Kehan developed a strong interest in the physical sciences, in particular, Earth’s plant and animal life, and the environment. Before becoming a writer of children’s books, Kenah worked, for several years, in scientific research. Her first book, Eggs over Easy, was published in 1993. Kenah settled with her husband, son, and two daughters in Granville, Ohio. It would be several more years before she would return to writing children’s books with The Dream Shop (2002). Her “Extreme Readers” series for reading Levels 1-3, include Animals Day and Night; Destructive Earth and Predators Attack! Published in 2004, these books, respectively, are about natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis, and the hunting techniques of predators such as alligators and Great White sharks. Other titles in the series include Weird and Wacky Plants (2005) and Amazing Creations (2006). Kenah’s fiction include Ferry Tail (2014) and contributions to the “I Can Read” series: The Best Seat in Second Grade (2006), The Best Teacher in Second Grade (2007), and The Best Chef in Second Grade (2008); the lighthearted “Lithgow Palooza Readers” library. Katharine Kehan lives in Granville, Ohio with her husband.