Tamora Pierce
Tamora Pierce is an American author.[1] Tamora Pierce mainly writes fantasy and science fiction books, but sometimes historical books as well.[2] She got the Edwards Award in 2013 for Song of the Lioness and The Protector of the Small.[3] Pierce was also a finalist for the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award twice in 2000 and 2012 (Briar's Book, Daja's Book, and Bloodhound), and a finalist for the NSK Neustadt Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature in 2013 (Alanna: The First Adventure).[1] She enjoys writing series because of how the reader gets to live along with the characters.[2] Pierce also really likes to write stories with female main characters who do great things.[4] She shows that girls can be strong too, capable of doing what boys can do.[5] She likes writing books for teenagers.[1] Many of her books have been changed into German, Danish, and Spanish.[1]
Early Life
Tamora Pierce was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania on December 13th, 1954.[6] Pierce is the daughter of Wayne Pierce and Jacqueline Pierce.[7] She grew up in a poor family, and reading books and writing stories was an escape for her.[8] They moved from Pennsylvania to California many times.[7] Pierce loved reading books as a child, and she started writing stories when she was in 6th grade.[6] Her first short story sold in her junior year.[6] When she was a teenager, she stopped writing.[7] One of her teachers encouraged her to continue writing, and she started writing again as an adult.[6]
Personal life
Pierce lives in New York, New York with her husband, 4 cats, parakeet, and sometimes animals she saved.[9] She is interested in many topics which sometimes are included in her writing.[7] Some topics she is interested in are our culture, crime, wildlife, nature, historical events, and more.[10]
Books
Song of the Lioness
- Alanna: The First Adventure (1983)
- In the Hands of the Goddess (1984)
- The Woman Who Rides Like a Man (1986)
- Lioness Rampant (1988)
Circle of Magic
- Wolf-Speaker (1994)
- The Emperor Mage (1995)
- The Realms of the Gods (1996)
The Immortals
- Sandry’s Book (1996)
- Tris’s Book (1998)
- Daja’s Book (1998)
- Briar’s Book (1999)
Beka Cooper
- Terrier (2006)
- Bloodhound (2009)
- Mastiff (2011)
Protector of the Small
- First Test (1999)
- Page (2000)
- Squire (2001)
- Lady Knight (2002)
Circle Opens
- Magic Steps (2000)
- Street Magic (2001)
- Cold Fire (2002)
- Shatterglass (2003)
- The Will of the Empress: The Circle Reforged (2005)
- Melting Stones (2008)
- Battle Magic (2013)
Awards
Alanna: The First Adventure
- Author's Citation, Alumni Association of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, 1984
In the Hand of the Goddess
- SchulerExpress ZDF Preis (Germany), 1985
- South Carolina Children's Book Award nomination, 1985- 86
Wolf Speaker
- Children's Paperbacks Bestseller, Australian Bookseller and Publisher, 1995
The Emperor Mage
- Best Books for Young Adults list, Hawaii State Library,
- Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror list, Voice of Youth Advocates, both 1995,
- Best Books for Young Adults list, American Library Association, 1996
The Realms of the Gods
- Best Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror list, Voice of Youth Advocates, 1996
- Best Books for the Teen Age list, New York Public Library
References
- 1 2 3 4 "TeachingBooks | Tamora Pierce". school.teachingbooks.net. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
- 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2026-03-10. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ↑ "Edwards Award 2013 | Young Adult Library Services Association". www.ala.org. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- ↑ Rosenberg, Alyssa (2011-06-03). "Tamora Pierce on 'Twilight,' Girl Heroes, and Fantasy Birth Control". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- ↑ "Sign In". school.teachingbooks.net. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
- 1 2 3 4 N; P; R (2016-08-06). "Wisdom From YA Authors on Leaving Home: Tamora Pierce". NPR. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- 1 2 3 4 Francis, Madeleine. "Tamora Pierce Biography". Tamora Pierce. Retrieved 2026-04-28.
- ↑ Simon, Scott (2018-02-03). "Tamora Pierce Writes One For The Boys (But Just One) In 'Tempests And Slaughter'". NPR. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- ↑ "Tamora Pierce | Penguin Random House". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 2026-04-26.
- ↑ https://www.proquest.com/docview/347975779/8D90C14D409B4F4EPQ/1?accountid=601&sourcetype=Newspapers
- "Tamora Pierce." Contemporary Authors Online. Detroit: Gale, 2013. Biography in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
- "Tamora Pierce." Authors and Artists for Young Adults. Vol. 26. Detroit: Gale, 1999. Biography in Context. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.