Elizabeth Winthrop ( Alsop; born September 14, 1948) is an American writer. She is the author of more than sixty published books, primarily children's fiction. Winthrop wrote the middle-grade novel, The Castle in the Attic and its sequel, The Battle for the Castle, which, together, have been nominated for 23 state book awards and are considered children's classics.

Life

Elizabeth Winthrop Alsop was born in Washington, D.C. She is a daughter of the newspaper columnist and political analyst Stewart Alsop and Patricia Alsop, a retired American Red Cross medical research technologist. One of her siblings is investor and pundit Stewart Alsop Jr. They respectively are a niece and nephew of Joseph Alsop while their paternal grandparents were Joseph Wright Alsop IV (1876–1953) and Corinne Douglas Robinson (1886–1971). Corinne was the daughter of Corinne Roosevelt Robinson as well as a first cousin of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and a niece of U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. Winthrop graduated from Sarah Lawrence College. She married and divorced once before 2005. On March 26 of that year she married Robert Jason Bosseau, director of the drama program at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, New York.

Writer

Her memoir, Daughter of Spies: Wartime Secrets, Family Lies was published under her maiden name, Elizabeth Winthrop Alsop by Regal House. 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.

Selected books

Complete list of books