“Slush is frozen over. People say that winter lasts forever, but it's because they obsess over the thermometer. North in the mountains, the maple syrup is trickling. Brave geese punch through the thin ice left on the lake. Underground, pale seeds roll over in their sleep. Starting to get restless. Starting to dream green.”

American writer of children’s and young adult novels

Laurie Halse Anderson is an American writer known for children’s and young adult novels. She is widely read for fiction that speaks directly to younger readers, and she has been recognized for her contribution to young adult literature. In 2010, the American Library Association gave her the Margaret A. Edwards Award, and in 2023 she received the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. Her work is associated with writing for young people and with the literary recognition that has followed it.