TWO-TIME NATIONAL BOOK AWARD and Newbery Medal winner Katherine Paterson was named National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington last week. Paterson will serve in 2010-11. She succeeds children's author Jon Scieszka, the first to hold the title.

Paterson has chosen "Read for Your Life" as the theme for her platform.

The ambassador position was created in 2008 to raise national awareness of the importance of young people's literature as it relates to lifelong literacy, education, and the development and betterment of the lives of young people.

"Jon and Katherine have exceedingly different writing styles, yet they are able to captivate and connect with their respective readers in an equally magical way," said Robin Adelson, executive director of the Children's Book Council and Every Child a Reader.

Paterson's fame rests on her widely acclaimed novels ("Bridge to Terabithia," "Jacob Have I Loved," "The Great Gilly Hopkins" and "The Master Puppeteer") as well as her efforts to promote literacy in the U.S. and abroad.

She has received the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award and the Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts from her home state of Vermont. Paterson was also named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress in 2000.

Paterson's most recent book is "The Day of the Pelican," the story of a refugee family's flight from war-torn Kosovo to America.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, the Children's Book Council and the CBC foundation Every Child a Reader are the sponsors of the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature.

For more information, visit terabithia.com and loc.gov/cfbook.