Books
I have authored or co-written a number of non-fiction books. The projects below encompass a diversity of genres, including social criticism, reportage, memoir, and biography. The unifying drive—as with my journalism—is a commitment to writing that inspires, educates, and illuminates.
A number of Katherine’s writing partnerships are confidential, with Katherine collaborating as a ghostwriter. The books below are partnership where Katherine’s co-writing is acknowledged by the author and represented on the book’s interior title page.
University of Nebraska Press, November 2024
Co-written with author Sonja Trom Eayrs
Praise for Dodge County, Incorporated:
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“Sonja Trom Eayrs rings the alarm in Dodge County, Incorporated, speaking poignantly from her personal experience about how the American dream ... has been taken away from so many. It also reminds us that the people have the power to fight back and reclaim our broken food system for farmers, rural communities, and all Americans.” ​​​
―Cory Booker, U.S. senator (New Jersey) and member of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry​​​​
“For more than a generation, the relentless—and reckless—profiteering of Big Ag corporations has decimated the rural economy, hollowed out tightly knit communities, and turned once-proud independent farmers into modern incarnations of the sharecropper and the serf. . . . Sonja Trom Eayrs brings this Kafkaesque upheaval to life in a narrative as personal as it is essential."​
―Corban Addison, author of Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial​
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“Written with passion, meticulously researched, and vibrantly told, Sonja Trom Eayrs’s Dodge County, Incorporated gives a riveting insider’s account of how major food corporations infiltrated rural communities, hollowing out their economic vitality and leaving behind environmental ruin."​
―Joe Maxwell, co-founder of Farm Action
Chelsea Green Publishing, 2019
Co-written with author Lisa Fithian
Praise for Shut it Down:
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“Lisa Fithian has helped drive some of the most creative, game-changing organizing of our time—and her wise and warm book will help us build real power.”
―Naomi Klein, author of No Is Not Enough and This Changes Everything
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“Consider this jedi teaching for tomorrow’s activists.”
―Booklist review
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"In Shut It Down, Lisa brings the past four decades of activism alive with dynamic storytelling skills that allow the reader to relive those moments and know that they, too, can pick up the banner and run with it.”
―Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States and Loaded
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“Lisa Fithian is a legend. I hope this book becomes one, too.”
―David Graeber, author of Debt and Bullshit Jobs ​
Morgan Reynolds Publishing, 2013
​​​In partnership with the educational publishing company Morgan Reynolds, Katherine authored two biographies for Young Adult (YA) readers. These books were part of the publisher’s “World Writers” and “Out in Front” series.
Praise for Real Courage:
“The World Writers series continues with several American authors… With smaller print and more detail than the other volumes, Real Courage: The Story of Harper Lee tells the fascinating story of the Alabama woman who wrote a Pulitzer Prize–winning book and then became so frustrated by the unwanted attention that she never wrote again. Fine new entries into an ever-solid series. Grades 7-10.”
―Booklist
“Gr 7 Up—Students and teachers looking for a solid, accessible biography will find this to be a fine choice as the writing is straightforward and engaging… A lengthy bibliography, source notes, and time line will be useful to teachers wanting to complement lessons about the novel.”
―School Library Journal
“Throughout her highly readable book, Don refers to events that helped to form Lee’s character and views, as well as events that helped change attitudes toward poverty, education, and civil rights — events that shook the nation. Don does so in a way that will enthuse, encourage, and empower young readers…”
―Windy City Reviews
Morgan Reynolds Publishing, 2015
​​​Praise for Nujood Ali and the Fight Against Child Marriage:
“This book starts with the story of Nujood, a Yemeni girl forced to marry at nine, then surveys the broader issue of child marriage and its ramifications, including abuse, health issues, lack of education, and the loss of freedom and civil rights… the detailed narrative and strong accompanying images are powerful.
Verdict: Solid selection to spark discussion.”
―School Library Journal review
“In Nujood Ali and the Fight Against Child Marriage (Morgan Reynolds, 2015; Gr 8 Up), Katherine Don elaborates on Ali’s childhood and family circumstance in an effort to bring to light factors affecting the health and safety of young girls in countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nigeria—countries where child marriages persist. Don's documentary approach offers large, vibrant photographs... a bibliography and web sites offer a wealth of information…”
―Another review from School Library Journal
Inside Philanthropy, 2023
​Along with Inside Philanthropy founder and head editor David Callahan, Katherine is the co-editor of this anthology, which includes essays and articles from experts on U.S. philanthropy including Edgar Villanueva, Mandy Van Deven, and Leah Hunt-Hendrix, along with many past contributors to Inside Philanthropy.
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Intended as an educational tool for graduate programs in philanthropy and a source of information for nonprofit professionals, The Inside Philanthropy Reader is a comprehensive anthology of articles on American philanthropy—its key players, top trends, and growing influence.​
St. Martin’s Press, 2009
Co-written with authors Les Krantz and David Aretha
This was Katherine’s first co-writing gig, and it gave her a taste for the delights of book partnerships. She also learned quite a lot about the power of our canine friends. (Unfortunately for Katherine’s dog-loving daughters, learning about dogs did nothing to lessen her allergy to them.)
Praise for Power of the Dog:
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"Skillfully written and thoroughly researched, Power of the Dog provides a comprehensive, dramatic, and fascinating testament to the remarkable, sometimes unbelievable, abilities of dogs."
―Mary R. Burch, PhD., applied animal behaviorist, author of Citizen Canine
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"More than just interesting and a good read. Supported by scientific research, Krantz's book fills an important niche in the information world pertaining to canine behavior."
―Dr. Caroline Coile, canine researcher, author of Barron's Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds
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"Power of the Dog makes one thing clear: For every dog that looks adoringly at its master, there should be a master who looks in awe at his dog."
―Janice Biniok, canine therapist, author of the Our Best Friends series
Katherine co-wrote five books in the popular Armchair Reader book series, which West Side Publishing (an imprint of Publications International) ran with new titles from 2007 through 2011.
​​This one is Katherine's favorite of the bunch. The Book of Myths and Misconceptions sets the record straight on urban legends, old wives tales, misattributed quotes, and the "facts" we pick up from less than reliable sources. The Book of Myths & Misconceptions presents the origins and the truths about famed myths in history, pop culture, health and medicine, science, and the paranormal, to name just a few subjects.
West Side Publishing, 2010
West Side Publishing, 2010
The publisher’s original description: Armchair Reader: The Origin of Everything is a compendium of carefully researched, eminently readable mini-essays with topics ranging from the secret origin of comic books to America’s first skyscraper. It’s an entertaining and informative addition to the wildly popular Armchair Reader series.