Haemi Balgassi
Encyclopedia
Haemi Balgassi is a Korean American
writer. She was born in Seoul
, South Korea
, and grew up in Western Massachusetts
, where she now resides with her husband and their daughters.
Her stories, articles, essays, and poetry have been published in numerous publications, including Cicada, Hopscotch, Liguorian, Complete Woman, romance magazines, and literary journals. Balgassi was one of 45 authors and illustrators featured in Children's Authors and Illustrators Too Good to Miss, a reference book by Sharron L. McElmeel.
), was named a Smithsonian (magazine)
Notable Children's Book, International Reading Association
Notable Book for a Global Society, San Francisco Chronicle
Best Children's Book, Society of Illustrators
Gold Medalist, National Council for the Social Studies
/Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and American Booksellers Association
Pick of the Lists. Peacebound Trains was featured on the United States of America Korean War Commemoration site, complete with a Teacher Activity Guide. It is the only book to receive this honor. The book's publisher is Clarion Books, a Houghton Mifflin
imprint.
Balgassi's middle-grade novel, Tae's Sonata, is also under the publishing umbrella of Clarion Books. Tae's Sonata was named a National Council for the Social Studies
/Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, an American Booksellers Association
Pick of the Lists, and nominated for the Maine Student Book Award. The novel won the 2000 Lamplighter Classic Award. In 2006, Hampton-Brown, a branch of National Geographic School Publishing, selected Tae's Sonata for its inZone Books collection.
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
writer. She was born in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and grew up in Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts
Western Massachusetts is a loosely defined geographical region of the U.S. state of Massachusetts which contains the Berkshires, the Pioneer Valley, and some or all of the Swift River Valley. The region is always considered to include Berkshire, Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden counties, and the...
, where she now resides with her husband and their daughters.
Her stories, articles, essays, and poetry have been published in numerous publications, including Cicada, Hopscotch, Liguorian, Complete Woman, romance magazines, and literary journals. Balgassi was one of 45 authors and illustrators featured in Children's Authors and Illustrators Too Good to Miss, a reference book by Sharron L. McElmeel.
Books
Balgassi's chapter book, Peacebound Trains (illustrated by the award winning Chris SoentpietChris Soentpiet
Chris Soentpiet is a Korean American children's book illustrator and author. He was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1970. At age 8, he moved to Hawaii to live with his adoptive family. A year later, the Soentpiets relocated to Portland, Oregon...
), was named a Smithsonian (magazine)
Smithsonian (magazine)
Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
Notable Children's Book, International Reading Association
International Reading Association
The International Reading Association is an international professional organization that was created in 1956 to improve reading instruction, facilitate dialogue about research on reading, and encourage the habit of reading....
Notable Book for a Global Society, San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
Best Children's Book, Society of Illustrators
Society of Illustrators
The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. Founded in 1901, the mission of the Society is to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, as well as its history...
Gold Medalist, National Council for the Social Studies
National council for the social studies
The National Council for the Social Studies is a US-based association devoted to supporting social studies education. It affiliated with various regional or state level social studies associations, including: the Middle States Council for the Social Studies, the Washington State Council for the...
/Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and American Booksellers Association
American Booksellers Association
The American Booksellers Association is a non-profit industryassociation founded in 1900 that promotes independent bookstores in the United States and Canada. The ABA and its members support freedom of speech, literacy, and programs that encourage reading...
Pick of the Lists. Peacebound Trains was featured on the United States of America Korean War Commemoration site, complete with a Teacher Activity Guide. It is the only book to receive this honor. The book's publisher is Clarion Books, a Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is an educational and trade publisher in the United States. Headquartered in Boston's Back Bay, it publishes textbooks, instructional technology materials, assessments, reference works, and fiction and non-fiction for both young readers and adults.-History:The company was...
imprint.
Balgassi's middle-grade novel, Tae's Sonata, is also under the publishing umbrella of Clarion Books. Tae's Sonata was named a National Council for the Social Studies
National council for the social studies
The National Council for the Social Studies is a US-based association devoted to supporting social studies education. It affiliated with various regional or state level social studies associations, including: the Middle States Council for the Social Studies, the Washington State Council for the...
/Children's Book Council Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, an American Booksellers Association
American Booksellers Association
The American Booksellers Association is a non-profit industryassociation founded in 1900 that promotes independent bookstores in the United States and Canada. The ABA and its members support freedom of speech, literacy, and programs that encourage reading...
Pick of the Lists, and nominated for the Maine Student Book Award. The novel won the 2000 Lamplighter Classic Award. In 2006, Hampton-Brown, a branch of National Geographic School Publishing, selected Tae's Sonata for its inZone Books collection.
External links
Interviews
- DebbiMichikoFlorence.com: "An Interview with Children's Writer Haemi Balgassi"
- CynthiaLeitichSmith.com: "Interview with Children's and YA Author Haemi Balgassi"
- papertigers.org: "Interview with Korean American Author, Haemi Balgassi"
- Commitment Magazine: "Inspired to Write Stories for Children"