Name Jo Kittinger Battles and wars Vietnam War | Spouse Sherry Kittinger Role Pilot | |
Education University of Florida, Bolles School Awards Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross, Harmon Trophy | ||
Service/branch United States Air Force | ||
Jo Linda Susenbach Kittinger (born October 7, 1955 in Miami, Florida) is an Alabama native known for her many children's books and for her participation in many local, national and international organizations. She is an active member of the Leaky Pens (a bi-weekly book authors group), and SCBWI (The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators). Jo served as a Co-Regional Advisor of the Southern Breeze chapter (Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi) of SCBWI for eleven years and now holds the rank of Regional Advisor Emeritus.
She is an alumna of Vestavia Hills High School and of the University of Montevallo where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts, summa cum laude.
Jo's interest in publishing began early. She was editor of her high school yearbook and began submitting original craft designs for publication shortly after college. Her projects may be found in numerous books and magazines published through Oxmoor House Books and Heritage House Publishing. Jo began writing for children in 1991. In addition to her books, Jo has published articles in various books and magazines including Pockets, Boys Quest and The Flicker. She has written numerous feature articles which have appeared on the Just For Kids page of the Birmingham News and a number of items for Harcourt Brace Educational Measurement and CTB/McGraw-Hill.
Jo Kittinger has been an avid speaker over the last 10 years; speaking at everything from major conferences in the States, and as far away as Manila, Philippines, to author visits in local classrooms. She also served as a representative of Hoover, AL for ten years on the board of the Mental Retardation / Developmental Disabilities Health Care Authority of Jefferson Co.,Inc., standing up for Alabama citizens who live under afflictions similar to Cerebral Palsy, which impaired her eldest son.
ROSA'S BUS: THE RIDE TO CIVIL RIGHTS was honored with a Crystal Kite award through the SCBWI. THE HOUSE ON DIRTY-THIRD STREET was the recipient of a Christopher Award in 2013. Christopher Awards recognize books, films and other media which "affirm the highest values of the human spirit." This picture book also received the first ever Social Justice Literature Award from the International Reading Association in 2013.