Elizabeth Winthrop (born September 14, 1948), also known as Elizabeth Winthrop Alsop, is an American writer, the author of more than sixty published books, primarily children's fiction. She is best known for the classic middle-grade novel, The Castle in the Attic and its sequel The Battle for the Castle which have been nominated for 23 state book awards and are considered children's classics.
Elizabeth Winthrop was born in Washington, DC. She is a daughter of the newspaper columnist and political analyst Stewart Alsop and one of her siblings is investor and pundit Stewart Alsop II. Her uncle was Joseph Alsop. Her grandfather was Joseph Alsop IV (1876–1953) married to Corinne Douglas Robinson (1886–1971). She is a great grandniece of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and first-cousin twice removed to Eleanor Roosevelt. Her great-grandmother was Corinne Roosevelt Robinson.
Winthrop graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. She married and divorced once before 2005. On March 26 of that year she married Robert Jason Bosseau (Jason), director of the drama program at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx. Her mother Patricia Alsop was then a retired American Red Cross medical research technologist.
Winthrop lived in New York City, according to her page at GoodReads.com as of May 2010.
Her most recent children's book is Maia and the Monster Baby (Holiday House, 2012) illustrated by Amanda Haley. Her most recent historical novel, Counting on Grace was chosen as a Notable Book of the Year by the American Library Association, the National Council of Social Studies, the International Reading Association and the Children’s Book Council among others.
Some of her most popular picture books include Dumpy La Rue, Shoes, Dog Show, Squashed in the Middle, The First Christmas Stocking, and The Biggest Parade.
Counting on Grace (Yearling, 2007) Jane Adams Peace PrizeThe Biggest Parade Illustrated by Mark Ulriksen (Henry Holt, 2006) ISBN 9780805076851, ISBN 0805076859Squashed in the Middle Illustrated by Pat Cummings (Henry Holt, 2005) ALA Notable BookThe Battle for the Castle (Yearling, 1994)The Castle in the Attic (Yearling, 1985) Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book AwardMaia and the Monster Baby (Holiday House, 2012) Illustrated by Amanda Haley ISBN 0823425185 ISBN 9780823425181Island Justice (new eBook format, 2012) ASIN B007VSRBVUThe Biggest Parade (Henry Holt, 2006) Illustrated by Mark Ulriksen ISBN 0-8050-7685-9 ISBN 9780805076851Counting on Grace (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House, 2006) ISBN 0-385-74644-X ISBN 978-0-55348783-1The First Christmas Stocking (Delacorte Books, 2006) Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline ISBN 0385-32804-4 ISBN 9780385328043Squashed in the Middle (Henry Holt, 2005) Illustrated by Pat Cummings ISBN 0805064974 ISBN 9780805064971Dog Show (Henry Holt, 2004) Illustrated by Mark Ulriksen ISBN 0-8050-7111-3 ISBN 9780805071115Dancing Granny (Marshall Cavendish, 2003) Illustrated by Salvatore Murdocca ISBN 0761451412 ISBN 9780761451419The Red Hot Rattoons (Henry Holt, 2003) Illustrated by Betsy Lewin ISBN 0805072292 ISBN 0-8050-7986-6 ISBN 9780805079869 (Audio version)Halloween Hats (Henry Holt, 2002) Illustrated by Sue Truesdell ISBN 0805063862 ISBN 9780805063868Dear Mr. President: Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Letters from a Mill Town Girl (Winslow Press, 2001) ISBN 1-890817-61-9 ISBN 9781890817619 (Audio version)Dumpy La Rue (Henry Holt, 2001) Illustrated by Betsy Lewin ISBN 0-8050-6385-4 ISBN 0-8050-7535-6Promises (Clarion, 2000) Illustrated by Betsy Lewin ISBN 0395822726 ISBN 9780395822722As the Crow Flies (Clarion, 1998) Illustrated by Joan Sandin ISBN 0395776120 ISBN 9780395776124In My Mother's House (Doubleday, 1998) ISBN 0385171218 ISBN 9780385171212Island Justice (William Morrow, 1998) ISBN 0688169686 ISBN 9780688169688 EBook ISBN 978-1-61909-009-5The Little Humpbacked Horse: A Russian Tale (Clarion, 1997) Illustrated by Alexander Koshkin ISBN 0395653614 ISBN 9780395653616Bear and Roly-Poly (Holiday House, 1996) Illustrated by Patience Brewster ISBN 0823411974 ISBN 9780823411979I'm the Boss (Holiday House, 1994) Illustrated by Mary Morgan ISBN 0823411133 ISBN 9780823411139Asleep in a Heap (Holiday House, 1993) Illustrated by Mary Morgan ISBN 0823409929 ISBN 9780823409921The Battle for the Castle (Holiday House, 1993) ISBN 0823410102 ISBN 9780823410101 ISBN 044040942X Audio ISBN 0807281891 ISBN 9780807281895 (Audio version)A Very Noisy Girl (Holiday House, 1991) Illustrated by Ellen Weiss ISBN 0823408582 ISBN 9780823408580Bear's Christmas Surprise (Holiday House, 1991) Illustrated by Patience Brewster ISBN 0823408884 ISBN 9780823408887 ISBN 044041492X ISBN 9780440414926 ISBN 0750011971 ISBN 9780750011976Vasilissa the Beautiful (HaperCollins, 1991) Illustrated by Alexander Koshkin ISBN 006021662X ISBN 9780060216627 ISBN 0064433455 ISBN 9780064433457Luke's Bully (Viking/Penguin, 1990) Illustrated by Pat Grant Porter ISBN 0670831034 ISBN 9780670831036 ISBN 0140343296 ISBN 9780140343298The Best Friends Club: A Lizzie and Harold Story (Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1989) Illustrated by Martha Weston ISBN 0688075835 ISBN 9780688075835 ISBN 0153036362 ISBN 9780153036361Sledding (Harper and Row, 1989) Illustrated by Sarah Wilson ISBN 0060265280 ISBN 9780060265281 ISBN 0590480812 ISBN 9780590480819Bear and Mrs. Duck (Holiday House, 1988) Illustrated by Patience Brewster ISBN 0823406873 ISBN 9780823406876 ISBN 0823408434 ISBN 9780823408436Maggie and the Monster (Holiday Housem 1987) Illustrated by Tomie DePaola ISBN 0399247114 ISBN 978-0-399-24711-8 ISBN 0823406393 ISBN 9780823406395Lizzie and Harold (Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1986) Illustrated by Martha Weston ISBN 0688027113 ISBN 9780688027117Shoes (Harper and Row, 1986) Illustrated by William Joyce ISBN 0060265922 ISBN 9780060265922 ISBN 0064431711 ISBN 9780064431712 ISBN 0694008443 ISBN 9780694008445The Story of the Nativity (Simon & Schuster, 1986) Illustrated by Ruth Sanderson ISBN 0671630199 ISBN 9780671630195The Castle in the Attic (Holiday House, 1985) ISBN 0823405796 ISBN 9780823405794 ISBN 0440409411 ISBN 9780440409410 ISBN 0862783070 ISBN 9780862783075 ISBN 0807277878 (Audio) ISBN 9780807277874 (Audio)Happy Easter, Mother Duck (First Little Golden Books, 1985) Illustrated by Diane Dawson Hearn ISBN 0307681572 ISBN 978-0307681577He Is Risen: The Easter Story (Holiday House,1985) Illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak ISBN 0823405478 ISBN 9780823405473My First Book of the Planets (Western Pub. Co., 1985) Illustrated by John Nez ISBN 0307020053 ISBN 9780307020055Tough Eddie (Puffin, 1985) Illustrated by Lillian Hoban ISBN 0525444963 ISBN 9780525444961 ISBN 0140331298 ISBN 9780140331295Being Brave Is Best (Tale from the Care Bears) (Parker Brothers, 1984) ISBN 0910313199 ISBN 9780910313193Belinda's Hurricane (Dutton, 1984) Illustrated by Wendy Watson ISBN 0525441069 ISBN 9780525441069The Christmas Pageant (Goldencraft, 1984) Illustrated by Kathy Wilburn ISBN 0307681505 ISBN 9780307681508Grover Sleeps Over (Sesame Street, A Growing Up Book) (Western Pub. Co., 1984) Illustrated by Maggie Swanson ISBN 0307120104 ISBN 9780307120106The Shoelace Box (Golden Press, 1984) Illustrated by Kathy Wilburn ISBN 978-0-307-02054-3A Child Is Born: The Christmas Story (Holiday House, 1983) Illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak ISBN 0823404722 ISBN 9780823404728Katharine's Doll (Dutton, 1983) Illustrated by Marilyn Hafner ISBN 0525440615 ISBN 9780525440611 ISBN 0525447385 ISBN 9780525447382I Think He Likes Me (Harper and Row, 1980) Illustrated by Denise Saldutti ISBN 0060265515 ISBN 9780060265519Miranda in the Middle (Holiday House, 1980) ISBN 0553151584Sloppy Kisses (Macmillan, 1980) Illustrated by Anne Burgess ISBN 0-02-793210-9 ISBN 0140504338Are You Sad, Mama? (Harper and Row, 1979) Illustrated Donna Diamond ISBN 0-06-026539-6Journey to the Bright Kingdom (Holiday House, 1979) Illustrated by Charles Mikolaycak ISBN 0823403572Marathon Miranda (Holiday House, 1979) ISBN 0553150731Knock, Knock, Who's There (Holiday House, 1978) ISBN 0823403378 ISBN 0440947588Potbellied Possums (Holiday House, 1977) Illustrated by Barbara_McClintock_(illustrator) ISBN 0823402894 ISBN 978-0823402892That's Mine (Holiday House, 1977) Illustrated by Emily McCully ISBN 0823403084 ISBN 9780823403080A Little Demonstration of Affection (Harper and Row, 1975) ISBN 0440948754 ISBN 9780440948759Walking Away (Harper and Row, 1973) Illustrated by Noelle Massena ISBN 0060265337 ISBN 9780060265335Bunk Beds (Harper and Row, 1972) Illustrated by Ronald Himler ISBN 0060265310 ISBN 9780060265311
