brief bio
Kate Hannigan writes fiction and nonfiction for young readers. Her latest picture book biography, Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine, was named to the Illinois Reads 2024 list of recommended books, and another "inventor" book, Blips on a Screen, has been nominated to the 2025 Illinois Bluestem Award list. Kate's new nonfiction graphic novel World War II: Fight on the Home Front was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. And her historical mystery The Detective's Assistant was awarded the prestigious Golden Kite Award for best middle-grade and twice optioned for film. She writes from her home on the South Side of Chicago.

Longer bio
Kate Hannigan is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction for young readers. Her newest titles (her 12th and lucky 13th) include the nonfiction picture book JOSEPHINE AND HER DISHWASHING MACHINE, which tells the story of the little-known female inventor Josephine Cochrane who not only invented the modern dishwashing machine but also ran her manufacturing company (Calkins Creek/Astra, March 2023); and WORLD WAR II: FIGHT ON THE HOME FRONT (First, Second in October 2023), a nonfiction graphic novel exploring what everyday Americans—including kids!—did to help defeat the Nazis during the war years . Other recent titles include  NELLIE VS. ELIZABETH, which follows barrier-busting journalists Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland as they race around the world (Calkins Creek/Astra). It was named one of Smithsonian Magazine's "Top Ten Children's Books of 2022." BLIPS ON A SCREEN, which tells the story of Ralph Baer, the "father of video games" and his incredible story from refugee to inventor (Knopf). Kate's historical fantasy series for middle-grade, THE LEAGUE OF SECRET HEROES (Simon & Schuster/Aladdin), is part of a three-book series that blends superheroes and real-life women from World War II — the original computer programmers called the ENIAC Six, brilliant code-crackers, courageous spies, and daring WASP pilots — and includes graphic novel elements. The series includes CAPE, which was named to the Illinois READS State List, received the Oklahoma State Book Award, and was optioned for film;  MASK, and BOOTS. While the series features chapters that are written in graphic novel format, Kate's nonfiction THE GREAT CHICAGO FIRE: RISING FROM THE ASHES (First Second) is entirely a graphic novel and is part of the new "History Comics" nonfiction line. It is a 2023 nominee for the Illinois Bluestem Award.
Kate’s historical mystery THE DETECTIVE'S ASSISTANT (Little, Brown) about America's first woman detective, won SCBWI's Golden Kite Award for best middle-grade novel and was a California Young Reader Medal nominee. Her picture book biography of Belva Lockwood, A LADY HAS THE FLOOR (Calkins Creek/Astra), spotlights an early suffragette and first woman on the ballot for president. It was a Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" 2018 pick, a Junior Library Guild selection, and a Mighty Girl "Best of 2018" pick. Kate lives in Chicago with her three fabulous kids, two noisy but lovable dogs, and one wonderful husband.
Visit her online at KateHannigan.com