About

Kate Lynch grew up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to parents who created books together, siblings who collected stray animals, and nature that became her greatest inspiration.

Autobiographical Statement or Brief History

Growing up with parents who created both fiction and non-fiction books together inspired my love of stories. When I peeked in on my mom bringing her books to life on her Smith Corona, and my dad working tirelessly to capture photos for those stories, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a writer. My parents divorced when I was about eight, so to keep my siblings and me out of trouble, my mom took us camping and hiking a lot. I love nature. So being outside, learning about the many plants, animals, and conservation from my mom, inspired me to write nonfiction stories for kids. As a teenager, I spent many summers as a ranch hand. I helped round up cows, feed the animals, and harvest hay. I also worked for the Youth Conservation Corps, where we maintained trails and built a playground for summer visitors. My favorite summer job was caring for 89 sled dogs for a company that offered kennel tours and winter sled rides. 

I attended Pine Manor College in Boston, where I earned a dual degree in Business Administration and English: Writing and Literature. I loved Boston, so I stayed, and so began my journey. My first job was as a secretary at Little, Brown, and Company, where I learned a lot about the trade division of a publishing company. I’ve held many sales jobs and enjoyed every minute of it, because I realized I could use my creativity to help solve problems. After I got married and we had our three beautiful (now grown) boys, I decided I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. During that time, I worked with children in the local school system as a substitute teacher and tutor, and I volunteered my time for grades K-12. But my dream job was working for Scholastic Book Fairs, where I selected books for each grade level, set up book fair displays for local schools, and kept up with upcoming children’s book titles.

My husband and I live on Cape Cod with our mini dachshund named Bikku Biddi, who’s the best writing companion ever. There’s so much inspiration living near the ocean and being surrounded by the wonders of nature. I’m grateful to write for children, where I hope my life experiences can give them a sense of confidence, encouragement, and curiosity.
 

Personal Story: Never Lost, Only Discovering

When I was a junior in high school, as part of a winter mountaineering course, we took a cross-country ski trip into the heart of the Rocky Mountains. We skied 3-5 miles a day and dug snow caves where we cooked and slept. One day, it was predicted to snow over three feet, but we kept going. One teacher had to leave to take a student to the hospital because the student had altitude sickness. We heard avalanches in the area, which was really scary! So we stopped and decided to camp for a few days. It snowed, and snowed, and snowed. Before we knew it, it had snowed over four feet! We realized we couldn’t ski out if we wanted to.

In the meantime, we were running out of food and water. But with my love of life, my respect for nature, and my faith, I made sure we kept our spirits up. We played charades, and the prize was a graham cracker with peanut butter! We shared stories about our dreams, our families, and life. Days went by. We rationed what bread we had left, instant milk, and oatmeal. By the third day, bright sunshine broke through the clouds. We emerged from our snow caves and heard a Chinook helicopter overhead. The other teacher who had left with the sick student had contacted the U.S. Army for a mountain rescue after we missed our meet-up point. I remember the feeling of climbing through the 3-4 feet of snow that had fallen, with a sense of gratitude not only for being rescued, but also for holding onto a positive, hopeful mindset to stay calm amidst such adversity. But gratitude also for my mom, who had instilled in me a love and respect for nature that has always brought me peace and a sense of belonging. I also realized these classmates of mine became family to me, and I knew in my heart we were all going to be okay. I felt like we were ‘taken care of’ in a way I can’t explain to this day.

Fun Facts

• I had 8 kids in my 6th-grade class
• I’ve eaten rattlesnake (and yes, it tastes like chicken)
• I was a temporary bailiff, swearing people in, at the county courthouse one summer
   

This is my family