Catherine has been a writer since 1985, when she began working as a contract technical writer in the Twin Cities. In 1990 she left corporate life, started writing for children, and has published six childrens’ books. For ten years Catherine taught adults how to write for children, and gave dozens of presentations to children, teachers, and librarians. In a previous life, Catherine was an economist, and has a B.A. in Economics and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and an M.S. in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota.

Catherine has been a farmer since 1995, when she and her partner moved to the country, bought goats, chickens, llamas, and sheep, and plunged into the agricultural life. For a number of years the farm consumed all Catherine's creative energy and her writing ground to a painful halt. But once things on the farm were up and running, “Ruby the sheep” showed up in a story, and Catherine found herself back on track again. "I don’t know if I’m a farming writer or a writing farmer, but I wouldn’t give up either," says Catherine. Both her memoir, Hit by a Farm, and The Perfect Nest were inspired by life on the farm.

• Awards and Nominations •

The Perfect Nest has been nominated for the 2008 California Young Readers Award and it is one of four finalists in the Children's Literature category for the 2008 Minnesota Book Awards.

On March 1, 2007, The Loft Literary Center announced Catherine Friend is the winner of the 2007 McKnight Artist Fellowships for Writers, Loft Award in Children’s Literature/Older Children, for her middle grade manuscript, Barn Boot Blues.

Catherine’s proud to announce that in June, Hit By a Farm won the 2007 Golden Crown Literary Award in the Anthology/Essay Category.

The Perfect Nest was a finalist for Canada's  2007 Debbie Zimmerman Early Years Niagara Literary Award.

The Spanish Pearl and The Crown of Valencia each won a 2008 Goldie Award at the 2008 Golden Crown Literary Society Convention.

The Spanish Pearl has been nominated for a 2008 Gaylactic Spectrum Award.

The Perfect Nest has been named to a number of state reading lists for 2008-2009.

• Forthcoming Books •

• A Pirate's Heart, Bold Strokes Books, December 2008
  

• Published Books •

• The Compassionate Carnivore, Da Capo Press, May 2008.
• The Crown of Valencia, Bold Strokes Books, November, 2007.
• The Spanish Pearl, Bold Strokes Books, May, 2007.
• The Perfect Nest, illustrated by John Manders, Candlewick/Walker, Feb. 2007.
• Hit By a Farm: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Barn, Marlowe & Company, 2006.
• Eddie the Racoon, illustrated by Herbert Wong Yee, Candlewick/Walker, 2004.
• Silly Ruby, illustrated by Rachel Merriam, Candlewick/Walker, 2000.
• Funny Ruby, illustrated by Rachel Merriam, Candlewick/Walker, 2000.
• The Sawfin Stickleback: A Very Fishy Story, illust. by D. Yaccarino, Hyperion, 1994.
• My Head is Full of Colors, illustrated by Kiki. Hyperion Books for Children, 1994, 1995.

• Downloads •

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