Authors of the Month
June 2018 Grades 4 - 8
Joanne Rowling was born on 31st July 1965 at Yate General Hospital just outside Bristol, and grew up in Gloucestershire in England and in Chepstow, Gwent, in south-east Wales. Jo wanted to be a writer from an early age. She wrote her first book at the age of six – a story about a rabbit, called ‘Rabbit’. At just eleven, she wrote her first novel – about seven cursed diamonds and the people who owned them. Her first novel was published in the US under a different title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, in 1998. Six further titles followed in the Harry Potter series, each achieving record-breaking success. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband, son, David (born 2003) and daughter, Mackenzie (born 2005).
Joanne Rowling was born on 31st July 1965 at Yate General Hospital just outside Bristol, and grew up in Gloucestershire in England and in Chepstow, Gwent, in south-east Wales. Jo wanted to be a writer from an early age. She wrote her first book at the age of six – a story about a rabbit, called ‘Rabbit’. At just eleven, she wrote her first novel – about seven cursed diamonds and the people who owned them. Her first novel was published in the US under a different title, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, in 1998. Six further titles followed in the Harry Potter series, each achieving record-breaking success. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland with her husband, son, David (born 2003) and daughter, Mackenzie (born 2005).
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Lois Ehlert was born on November 9, 1934 in Beaver Dam Wisconsin. As she always has a knack of collecting things Ehlert claims she could never pass up a leaf she thought was pretty. She described this as a life long habit. She used these leafs and other found objects to make Leaf Man. She took the leaves and materials and made leaf collages which made this work quite different than any others. She continued her use of found objects in Wag a Tail where she made a a group of dogs who graduates of Bow Wow School out of scraps of fabric and buttons. She did the same kind of work in Boo to You using seeds, fruit, string and paper. Rrralphused the same techniques but also gave a dog use of vocabulary and a narrative from his owner which creates a story that draws children in Lois Ehlert's work with other authors has created some of the most cherished books of all time. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Chicka Chicka 1, 2,3 have become two of the most loved and well read picture books of all time. Ten Hungry Caterpillars that she made with Bill Martin Jr. has creative illustrations and poetic words create yet another timeless story. She has won a number of awards for her work, far to many to mention here. Her work has inspired many and has been innovative in children's book publishing. Lois Ehlert has a style that is singularly her own and will continue to delight generations for years to come.
Lois Ehlert was born on November 9, 1934 in Beaver Dam Wisconsin. As she always has a knack of collecting things Ehlert claims she could never pass up a leaf she thought was pretty. She described this as a life long habit. She used these leafs and other found objects to make Leaf Man. She took the leaves and materials and made leaf collages which made this work quite different than any others. She continued her use of found objects in Wag a Tail where she made a a group of dogs who graduates of Bow Wow School out of scraps of fabric and buttons. She did the same kind of work in Boo to You using seeds, fruit, string and paper. Rrralphused the same techniques but also gave a dog use of vocabulary and a narrative from his owner which creates a story that draws children in Lois Ehlert's work with other authors has created some of the most cherished books of all time. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Chicka Chicka 1, 2,3 have become two of the most loved and well read picture books of all time. Ten Hungry Caterpillars that she made with Bill Martin Jr. has creative illustrations and poetic words create yet another timeless story. She has won a number of awards for her work, far to many to mention here. Her work has inspired many and has been innovative in children's book publishing. Lois Ehlert has a style that is singularly her own and will continue to delight generations for years to come.
May 2018 Grades 4 -8
Max Brallier is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books and games, including the middle-grade series The Last Kids on Earth. Under the pen name Jack Chabert, Max is the creator and author of the Eerie Elementary series for Scholastic Books and author of the New York Times bestselling graphic novel Poptropica: Mystery of the Map. Max was a game designer for the virtual world Poptropica and worked in marketing at St. Martin's Press. Max lives in New York with his wife, Alyse, and baby daughter Lila.
Max Brallier is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books and games, including the middle-grade series The Last Kids on Earth. Under the pen name Jack Chabert, Max is the creator and author of the Eerie Elementary series for Scholastic Books and author of the New York Times bestselling graphic novel Poptropica: Mystery of the Map. Max was a game designer for the virtual world Poptropica and worked in marketing at St. Martin's Press. Max lives in New York with his wife, Alyse, and baby daughter Lila.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Chris tells us, "I was born in Portland, Maine on St. Patrick’s Day, 1960. As a child, my brothers and I would spend hours drawing pictures. My specialty was aliens, robots and monsters. Dr. Seuss and Robert McCloskey were my heroes. I loved the rhythm of Dr. Seuss’ words and I was fascinated by the meticulous detail of Robert McCloskey’s illustrations. I had no idea back then that I’d end up writing and illustrating children’s books when I grew up.
One day I started thinking about drawing a picture of a boat stuck high up in a tree. I thought that would be a really funny and intriguing illustration. At the same time, a refrain kept running through my head- “Mr. Magee and his little dog, Dee/ Hopped in the car and drove down to the sea”. The combination of these two things eventually became my first book, “Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee” which was published in 2000. I’ve been busy writing and illustrating children’s books ever since.
April 2018 Grades 4 - 8
Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. Angie holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, is a #1 New York Times Best Seller. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg attached to star.
Angie Thomas was born, raised, and still resides in Jackson, Mississippi as indicated by her accent. She is a former teen rapper whose greatest accomplishment was an article about her in Right-On Magazine with a picture included. Angie holds a BFA in Creative Writing from Belhaven University and an unofficial degree in Hip Hop. She is an inaugural winner of the Walter Dean Myers Grant 2015, awarded by We Need Diverse Books. Her debut novel, The Hate U Give, is a #1 New York Times Best Seller. Film rights have been optioned by Fox 2000 with George Tillman attached to direct and Hunger Games actress Amandla Stenberg attached to star.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Ms. Patton says, "I live and work in rural Northumberland and work from a rustic woodshed in a field. I'm an award-winning author and illustrator of over 35 picture books and non-fiction titles published internationally represented by Jodie Hodges of United Agents.
With a BA (Hons) in Textile Design & Embroidery from Manchester Metropolitan University and an MA in Illustration from The University of Edinburgh, my work is a combination of collage, traditional drawing and digital media.
When not illustrating you will find me building tree houses, growing vegetables and hand making sketchbooks to fill with new stories, characters and adventures..." Look for her latest book, "The Very, Very, Very Long Dog in the library!
Ms. Patton says, "I live and work in rural Northumberland and work from a rustic woodshed in a field. I'm an award-winning author and illustrator of over 35 picture books and non-fiction titles published internationally represented by Jodie Hodges of United Agents.
With a BA (Hons) in Textile Design & Embroidery from Manchester Metropolitan University and an MA in Illustration from The University of Edinburgh, my work is a combination of collage, traditional drawing and digital media.
When not illustrating you will find me building tree houses, growing vegetables and hand making sketchbooks to fill with new stories, characters and adventures..." Look for her latest book, "The Very, Very, Very Long Dog in the library!
March 2018 Grade 4 - 6
Steve Jenkins told us that "My parents read to me until I could read myself, and I became an obsessive reader. My interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist myself. At the last minute, I chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where I studied graphic design. After graduation I moved to New York City, where I worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with my wife, Robin Page, in our own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is my frequent collaborator — we've made sixteen children's books together."
Steve Jenkins told us that "My parents read to me until I could read myself, and I became an obsessive reader. My interest in science led me to believe that I'd be a scientist myself. At the last minute, I chose instead to go to art school in North Carolina, where I studied graphic design. After graduation I moved to New York City, where I worked in advertising and design, first in large firms and then with my wife, Robin Page, in our own small graphic design firm. Robin, also an author and illustrator, is my frequent collaborator — we've made sixteen children's books together."
Kindergarten -Grade 3
Brendan Wenzel is an author and illustrator with great affection for all things furred, feathered and scaly. His work has appeared internationally in magazines, animations and in several books. Brendan is a proud collaborator with many groups working to protect and conserve wild places and creatures. You might have read Brendan's latest book, They All Saw A Cat. If not, stop in the library and check it out for yourself - we think you're going to like it! You'll see some of Brendan's unique art below. Check out his website at https://brendanwenzel.info/group/work/ to see more of his cool illustrations!
Brendan Wenzel is an author and illustrator with great affection for all things furred, feathered and scaly. His work has appeared internationally in magazines, animations and in several books. Brendan is a proud collaborator with many groups working to protect and conserve wild places and creatures. You might have read Brendan's latest book, They All Saw A Cat. If not, stop in the library and check it out for yourself - we think you're going to like it! You'll see some of Brendan's unique art below. Check out his website at https://brendanwenzel.info/group/work/ to see more of his cool illustrations!
February 2018
Grades 4 -8
R.J. Palacio attended The High School of Art & Design in Manhattan, and then majored in illustration at the Parsons School of Design. She spent her junior year at The American University in Paris, where she traveled extensively before returning to NYC with an eye toward making her career in illustration. Her early works appeared in The Village Voice and The New York Times Book Review, which eventually segued into her storied career as the art director of several major book publishing companies. She designed thousands of book covers for countless writers in every
genre of fiction and non-fiction. In addition to designing book covers, Palacio illustrated several of her own children’s books that were published under her birth name Rachel Jaramillo, including Peter Pan: The Original Tale of Neverland; Ride Baby Ride; Look Baby Look; The Night Before Christmas; The Handiest Things in the world; and Last Summer. Ms. Palacio is also known for having invented a baby toy called The Bobo Glove, a portable, wearable, washable activity toy for infants!
Grades 4 -8
R.J. Palacio attended The High School of Art & Design in Manhattan, and then majored in illustration at the Parsons School of Design. She spent her junior year at The American University in Paris, where she traveled extensively before returning to NYC with an eye toward making her career in illustration. Her early works appeared in The Village Voice and The New York Times Book Review, which eventually segued into her storied career as the art director of several major book publishing companies. She designed thousands of book covers for countless writers in every
genre of fiction and non-fiction. In addition to designing book covers, Palacio illustrated several of her own children’s books that were published under her birth name Rachel Jaramillo, including Peter Pan: The Original Tale of Neverland; Ride Baby Ride; Look Baby Look; The Night Before Christmas; The Handiest Things in the world; and Last Summer. Ms. Palacio is also known for having invented a baby toy called The Bobo Glove, a portable, wearable, washable activity toy for infants!
Kindergarten - Grade 4
Laura Murray tells us, "In fourth grade, our school librarian introduced me to a series of fantasy/adventure books called The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. I was completely taken in. What an incredible journey...to go places I'd never dreamed of...to be someone else...solving a mystery...on an adventure. I was hooked on reading. Then in college, while taking a children's literature course for my teaching degree, it occurred to me how much fun it would be not just to read, but to write for kids. I was so excited about it that I began to research writing for children. I joined The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), participated in writing critique groups and conferences, and began to develop and nurture my ideas into stories. I loved it! I was hooked again, not only on reading, but on writing as well!" See if you can run and run as fast as you can and find one of MS. Murray's hilarious Gingerbread Man books on the library shelf today!
Laura Murray tells us, "In fourth grade, our school librarian introduced me to a series of fantasy/adventure books called The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. I was completely taken in. What an incredible journey...to go places I'd never dreamed of...to be someone else...solving a mystery...on an adventure. I was hooked on reading. Then in college, while taking a children's literature course for my teaching degree, it occurred to me how much fun it would be not just to read, but to write for kids. I was so excited about it that I began to research writing for children. I joined The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), participated in writing critique groups and conferences, and began to develop and nurture my ideas into stories. I loved it! I was hooked again, not only on reading, but on writing as well!" See if you can run and run as fast as you can and find one of MS. Murray's hilarious Gingerbread Man books on the library shelf today!
January 2018
Grades 4 - 8
E. Graziani is a teacher/librarian, author, and speaker. She is the author of War in My Town—one of the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens and finalist in the Hamilton Arts Council Literary Awards for Best Non-Fiction—as well as the 'Alice' young adult novel series, Alice of the Rocks and Alice–Angel of Time, and a novella Jess Under Pressure (Morning Rain Publishing). Her most recent book with Second Story Press is the YA novel Breaking Faith. E. Graziani regularly speaks to young people about her books and the publishing process. She resides in Ontario with her husband and four daughters.
Grades 4 - 8
E. Graziani is a teacher/librarian, author, and speaker. She is the author of War in My Town—one of the Canadian Children's Book Centre's Best Books for Kids and Teens and finalist in the Hamilton Arts Council Literary Awards for Best Non-Fiction—as well as the 'Alice' young adult novel series, Alice of the Rocks and Alice–Angel of Time, and a novella Jess Under Pressure (Morning Rain Publishing). Her most recent book with Second Story Press is the YA novel Breaking Faith. E. Graziani regularly speaks to young people about her books and the publishing process. She resides in Ontario with her husband and four daughters.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Cheryl Kilodavis is a native Seattleite of mixed African American and Caucasian heritage. Cheryl has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from the University of the Pacific and Executive Leadership MBA from Seattle University. She is an author, a strategic marketer and social entrepreneur whose passions include learning from experiences, creating interesting discussions, addressing large scale issues for the next generation, reading for lifelong learning, and building long term relationships with people from all walks of life. Cheryl married her high school sweetheart, Dean, and is the mother of two wonderful sons, Dkobe and Dyson. Cheryl's primary joy in life lies in spending time with her family, friends, and dog.
Cheryl Kilodavis is a native Seattleite of mixed African American and Caucasian heritage. Cheryl has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from the University of the Pacific and Executive Leadership MBA from Seattle University. She is an author, a strategic marketer and social entrepreneur whose passions include learning from experiences, creating interesting discussions, addressing large scale issues for the next generation, reading for lifelong learning, and building long term relationships with people from all walks of life. Cheryl married her high school sweetheart, Dean, and is the mother of two wonderful sons, Dkobe and Dyson. Cheryl's primary joy in life lies in spending time with her family, friends, and dog.
December 2017
Grades 4 -8
Tom Angleberger is an American children's writer, best known for the Origami Yoda series. As of March 2013, more than 3.3 million copies of his books had been sold worldwide! Tom is an artist-turned-writer and is a columnist for the Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia. Although it was never published, he began working on his first book while he was in middle school. Tom is married to author-illustrator Cece Bell and they have two children. They currently live in Christianburg, Virginia.
Grades 4 -8
Tom Angleberger is an American children's writer, best known for the Origami Yoda series. As of March 2013, more than 3.3 million copies of his books had been sold worldwide! Tom is an artist-turned-writer and is a columnist for the Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia. Although it was never published, he began working on his first book while he was in middle school. Tom is married to author-illustrator Cece Bell and they have two children. They currently live in Christianburg, Virginia.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Mac Barnett is the bestselling author of more than 20 books for children, including Extra Yarn and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, both illustrated by Jon Klassen, and both winners of a Caldecott Honor and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award. His picture books, Leo: A Ghost Story and The Skunk, were recognized as The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2015. Barnett also writes the Brixton Brothers mystery series and, with Jory John, The Terrible Two novels. Matt loves his work because, he says, kids are “the sincerest appreciators of stories, a uniquely receptive and honest audience.”
Mac Barnett is the bestselling author of more than 20 books for children, including Extra Yarn and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, both illustrated by Jon Klassen, and both winners of a Caldecott Honor and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Award. His picture books, Leo: A Ghost Story and The Skunk, were recognized as The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2015. Barnett also writes the Brixton Brothers mystery series and, with Jory John, The Terrible Two novels. Matt loves his work because, he says, kids are “the sincerest appreciators of stories, a uniquely receptive and honest audience.”
November 2017 Grades 4 - 8
Rita Williams-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels for young adults and middle grade readers. Her most recent novel, Gone Crazy in Alabama ends the saga of the Gaither Sisters, who appear in One Crazy Summer and PS Be Eleven. Her novels have been recipients of numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King Award, National Book Award Finalists, Newbery Honor Book, Junior Library Guild, and the Scott O’Dell Prize for Historical Fiction. Rita served on faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children MFA Program and she resides in Queens, New York.
Rita Williams-Garcia is the New York Times bestselling author of nine novels for young adults and middle grade readers. Her most recent novel, Gone Crazy in Alabama ends the saga of the Gaither Sisters, who appear in One Crazy Summer and PS Be Eleven. Her novels have been recipients of numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King Award, National Book Award Finalists, Newbery Honor Book, Junior Library Guild, and the Scott O’Dell Prize for Historical Fiction. Rita served on faculty at the Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children MFA Program and she resides in Queens, New York.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Jack Prelutsky has been making words rhyme for over forty-five years. His career began as a folk singer in coffeehouses and by chance he took his first poems, descriptions of fanciful creatures, to Susan Hirschman, editor Macmillan. Susan suggested that he write about real animals and with her encouragement, Jack’s first book, A GOPHER IN THE GARDEN, was published in 1967. Since then he has published over seventy books of poetry and in 2006, the Poetry Foundation designated Jack as the nation’s first Children’s Poet Laureate.
Jack Prelutsky has been making words rhyme for over forty-five years. His career began as a folk singer in coffeehouses and by chance he took his first poems, descriptions of fanciful creatures, to Susan Hirschman, editor Macmillan. Susan suggested that he write about real animals and with her encouragement, Jack’s first book, A GOPHER IN THE GARDEN, was published in 1967. Since then he has published over seventy books of poetry and in 2006, the Poetry Foundation designated Jack as the nation’s first Children’s Poet Laureate.
October 2017
Grades 4-8
Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series, and the upcoming Stealing Snow series (Bloomsbury, 2016). She loves fairy tales and has always wanted to be a writer since the 1st grade when she wrote a story about a princess and a unicorn. In addition to writing young adult books, she works in the television industry, where she’s received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominated for several Daytime Emmys. Danielle is a graduate of Columbia University and currently lives in New York City.
Grades 4-8
Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series, and the upcoming Stealing Snow series (Bloomsbury, 2016). She loves fairy tales and has always wanted to be a writer since the 1st grade when she wrote a story about a princess and a unicorn. In addition to writing young adult books, she works in the television industry, where she’s received a Writers Guild of America Award and was nominated for several Daytime Emmys. Danielle is a graduate of Columbia University and currently lives in New York City.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Aaron Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author and has written many highly acclaimed books for kids, including Here Comes Destructosaurus!, Carnivores, and the Caldecott Honor–winning book Creepy Carrots! He regularly makes time to visit schools where his hilarious hands-on presentations keep kids spellbound. Aaron lives in Chicago with his wife, two kids, four cats, and anywhere between zero and ten goldfish, depending on the day.
Aaron Reynolds is a New York Times bestselling author and has written many highly acclaimed books for kids, including Here Comes Destructosaurus!, Carnivores, and the Caldecott Honor–winning book Creepy Carrots! He regularly makes time to visit schools where his hilarious hands-on presentations keep kids spellbound. Aaron lives in Chicago with his wife, two kids, four cats, and anywhere between zero and ten goldfish, depending on the day.
September 2017
Grades 4- 8
Mark Crilley is an author/illustrator for children's books. He is most famous for his series Miki Falls, Brody's Ghost, and Akiko. Those books are all comics in the style of Japanese cartoons called anime or manga. He has also written books on how to draw in this style: Mastering Manga and Mastering Manga 2. Not only an illustrator, Mark's story lines are interesting and unique. Most of the time he writes science fiction or fantasy. Mark was raised in Detroit, Michigan; born in 1965. After graduating from University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1984 he went on to Kalamazoo College. After graduating college in 1988 he went out to the Far East to teach English. The title of Miki Falls and the character Miki were named after his wife. Mark and his wife have 2 children; Mio and Matthew. Crilley says that he will keep writing stories and doing what he loves best: writing, drawing, spending time with family, visiting schools, and traveling.
Mark Crilley is an author/illustrator for children's books. He is most famous for his series Miki Falls, Brody's Ghost, and Akiko. Those books are all comics in the style of Japanese cartoons called anime or manga. He has also written books on how to draw in this style: Mastering Manga and Mastering Manga 2. Not only an illustrator, Mark's story lines are interesting and unique. Most of the time he writes science fiction or fantasy. Mark was raised in Detroit, Michigan; born in 1965. After graduating from University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1984 he went on to Kalamazoo College. After graduating college in 1988 he went out to the Far East to teach English. The title of Miki Falls and the character Miki were named after his wife. Mark and his wife have 2 children; Mio and Matthew. Crilley says that he will keep writing stories and doing what he loves best: writing, drawing, spending time with family, visiting schools, and traveling.
Kindergarten - Grade 4
Jean E. Pendziwol is an award winning Canadian author. Born and raised in northwestern Ontario, she draws on the culture, history and geography of the region for inspiration for her stories. Jean's writing career began with the publication of No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons) (Kids Can Press, 1999). In this rhyming picture book, she set out to provide an entertaining, engaging, and accessible way to convey important safety information to children. It inspired three more books featuring the bumbling dragon, covering topics including water safety, stranger safety, and bullying. Published in the summer of 2017 is Jean's ninth book for children, Me and You and the Red Canoe (Groundwood Books). Featuring vintage-inspired artwork by first time illustrator, Phil, the book joins an award-winning collection of stories inspired by life in northern Ontario, including Once Upon a Northern Night which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award and the TD Children's Literature Award.
Jean E. Pendziwol is an award winning Canadian author. Born and raised in northwestern Ontario, she draws on the culture, history and geography of the region for inspiration for her stories. Jean's writing career began with the publication of No Dragons for Tea: Fire Safety for Kids (and Dragons) (Kids Can Press, 1999). In this rhyming picture book, she set out to provide an entertaining, engaging, and accessible way to convey important safety information to children. It inspired three more books featuring the bumbling dragon, covering topics including water safety, stranger safety, and bullying. Published in the summer of 2017 is Jean's ninth book for children, Me and You and the Red Canoe (Groundwood Books). Featuring vintage-inspired artwork by first time illustrator, Phil, the book joins an award-winning collection of stories inspired by life in northern Ontario, including Once Upon a Northern Night which was shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award and the TD Children's Literature Award.
June 2017 Grades 4 - 8
Mary Pope Osborne made her writing debut in 1982 with a young adult novel. Ten years after her first novel publication, she introduced the Magic Tree House series. The series is about a magic tree house filled with books that teleports the two protagonists in time these books are set in. So far, Osborne has penned down 45 books in the series which is now renamed as Magic Tree House Merlin Missions. Osborne believes in the magic of writing as she expresses her delight as an author, “Writing is a miracle. You can travel anywhere in the world, to any time and any place — and still be home in time to have dinner.”
Mary Pope Osborne made her writing debut in 1982 with a young adult novel. Ten years after her first novel publication, she introduced the Magic Tree House series. The series is about a magic tree house filled with books that teleports the two protagonists in time these books are set in. So far, Osborne has penned down 45 books in the series which is now renamed as Magic Tree House Merlin Missions. Osborne believes in the magic of writing as she expresses her delight as an author, “Writing is a miracle. You can travel anywhere in the world, to any time and any place — and still be home in time to have dinner.”
Kindergarten - Grade 4
Ryan T. Higgins is an author/illustrator residing in Southern Maine. He lives with his three dogs, three cats, two geckos, one tortoise, one son, one daughter, and one wife. As a child, he lived on a diet of cartoons, cheese sandwiches, and climbing trees. At the age of four he decided to become a cartoonist and he’s been making his own cartoons ever since. Stop by the library soon and have a look at his newest book, Father Bruce.
Ryan T. Higgins is an author/illustrator residing in Southern Maine. He lives with his three dogs, three cats, two geckos, one tortoise, one son, one daughter, and one wife. As a child, he lived on a diet of cartoons, cheese sandwiches, and climbing trees. At the age of four he decided to become a cartoonist and he’s been making his own cartoons ever since. Stop by the library soon and have a look at his newest book, Father Bruce.
May 2017 Grades 4 - 8
Teresa Toten went to Trinity College at the University of Toronto where she got a BA and then an MA in Political Economy. She is a multiple award winning author who’s work has been translated into a dozen different languages and sold around the world. Teresa is obsessed with writing, and is grateful for the privilege of having supportive and vocal readers! When she's not at home writing, Teresa can be found participating in various book events around North America. Her book, Shattered Glass, is part of the Secrets series and can be found on the shelf in our fiction section.
Teresa Toten went to Trinity College at the University of Toronto where she got a BA and then an MA in Political Economy. She is a multiple award winning author who’s work has been translated into a dozen different languages and sold around the world. Teresa is obsessed with writing, and is grateful for the privilege of having supportive and vocal readers! When she's not at home writing, Teresa can be found participating in various book events around North America. Her book, Shattered Glass, is part of the Secrets series and can be found on the shelf in our fiction section.
Kindergarten - Grade 4
Award-winning children's author and illustrator David Ezra Stein was born in Brooklyn, NY. By the time he was three, he was asking adults, "Wanna come to my room? Read books?" This love of reading grew into a love of telling stories, and then, writing.
David Ezra Stein’s Interrupting Chicken was awarded a 2011 Caldecott Honour, as well as many state awards. His picture book Leaves won the Ezra Jack Keats award and was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, a Kirkus Reviews Editor’s Choice, and a School Library Journal Best Book. Booklist called his book Monster Hug! “a cousin to Maurice Sendak’s WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.” Pouch! (Putnam), was a 2010 Charlotte Zolotow Honour Book. His books have been translated into Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, French, and Finnish.
April 2017 Grades 4 - 8
Joan Clark is the author of the novels Latitudes of Melt, The Victory of Geraldine Gull and Eiriksdottir, as well as two short story collections and several award-winning novels for young adults. Born and raised in Nova Scotia, she has lived in various places across Canada with her geotechnical engineer husband Jack. While living in Calgary she became a founding member of the Alberta Writers Guild and co-founded the acclaimed literary journal Dandelion. She now lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Kindergarten - Grade 4
Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983) was a pioneer in American children’s literature. He based the lives of his multiracial characters on his childhood but added loving parents, friends and pets. He wanted no child to be an outsider. “If we could see each other exactly as the other is,” he wrote, “this would be a different world.” Be sure to check our shelves for Mr. Keat's books, The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie, Dreams, and more!
Ezra Jack Keats (1916-1983) was a pioneer in American children’s literature. He based the lives of his multiracial characters on his childhood but added loving parents, friends and pets. He wanted no child to be an outsider. “If we could see each other exactly as the other is,” he wrote, “this would be a different world.” Be sure to check our shelves for Mr. Keat's books, The Snowy Day, Whistle for Willie, Dreams, and more!
March 2017 Grades 4 - 8
After a 9 year battle with cancer, Canadian children’s author Norah McClintock passed away on February 6, 2017. Norah was born and raised in Pointe Claire, Quebec, and was a graduate of McGill University. Always a big reader and firm believer in the value of public libraries, she decided early in life that she wanted to be a writer. Norah had written more than 60 books and specialized in young adult crime fiction. She was a five-time winner of the crime Writers of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award for crime fiction for young people.
Ms. McClintock was the only female writer to contribute to Orca’s popular Seven Series and Seven Sequels, and joined six other female authors for Orca’s Secrets series. Norah’s standalone novels were primarily in her beloved mystery-thriller genre, but also included some historical fiction (Dear Canada: A Sea of Sorrows (Scholastic Canada) and graphica (I, Witness (Orca) illustrated by Mike Deas, and Tru Detective (Orca), illustrated by Steven Hughes). To learn more about Ms. McClintock, please go to: http://bookcentre.ca/norah-mcclintock-1958-2017/#sthash.a2MsCFvw.dpuf and http://www.norahmcclintock.com/about.html
Ms. McClintock was the only female writer to contribute to Orca’s popular Seven Series and Seven Sequels, and joined six other female authors for Orca’s Secrets series. Norah’s standalone novels were primarily in her beloved mystery-thriller genre, but also included some historical fiction (Dear Canada: A Sea of Sorrows (Scholastic Canada) and graphica (I, Witness (Orca) illustrated by Mike Deas, and Tru Detective (Orca), illustrated by Steven Hughes). To learn more about Ms. McClintock, please go to: http://bookcentre.ca/norah-mcclintock-1958-2017/#sthash.a2MsCFvw.dpuf and http://www.norahmcclintock.com/about.html
Kindergarten - Grade 4
Jon Klassen is the creator of the children's bestseller, I Want My Hat Back, which was named a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year, and a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year. His follow-up book, This Is Not My Hat, won the Caldecott Medal and became a New York Times bestseller. Jon has worked as an illustrator for feature animated films, music videos, and editorial pieces. His animation projects include design work for DreamWorks Feature Animation as well as LAIKA Studios on their feature film Coraline. Other work includes designs for a BBC spot used in the coverage of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver,which won a 2010 BAFTA award. Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Jon now lives in Los Angeles.
Jon Klassen is the creator of the children's bestseller, I Want My Hat Back, which was named a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book, a New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children’s Book of the Year, and a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year. His follow-up book, This Is Not My Hat, won the Caldecott Medal and became a New York Times bestseller. Jon has worked as an illustrator for feature animated films, music videos, and editorial pieces. His animation projects include design work for DreamWorks Feature Animation as well as LAIKA Studios on their feature film Coraline. Other work includes designs for a BBC spot used in the coverage of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver,which won a 2010 BAFTA award. Originally from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Jon now lives in Los Angeles.
February 2017 Grades 4 - 8
When asked by a fan how she become a writer, Joan Holub answered, "I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then free-lanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children's books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. What a great job! In the 1990s, I began writing because I had story ideas that I thought would make good books. I submitted my stories to publishers, hoping they’d make them into books. However, they didn’t…at first. Back then, I called manuscripts I sent out “boomerangs” because I'd mail them out, then they'd come right back, rejected. Eventually a wonderful editor named Jane O'Connor said yes. In 1996, I suddenly sold three manuscripts in three months to Grosset & Dunlap and Scholastic, including Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic), which is still in print. Yippee! Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 150 children's books. I hope my books are so interesting and entertaining that kids can almost see the action, like a movie playing in their heads."
Be sure to check out Joan's super popular series, Goddess Girls!
When asked by a fan how she become a writer, Joan Holub answered, "I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then free-lanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children's books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. What a great job! In the 1990s, I began writing because I had story ideas that I thought would make good books. I submitted my stories to publishers, hoping they’d make them into books. However, they didn’t…at first. Back then, I called manuscripts I sent out “boomerangs” because I'd mail them out, then they'd come right back, rejected. Eventually a wonderful editor named Jane O'Connor said yes. In 1996, I suddenly sold three manuscripts in three months to Grosset & Dunlap and Scholastic, including Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic), which is still in print. Yippee! Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 150 children's books. I hope my books are so interesting and entertaining that kids can almost see the action, like a movie playing in their heads."
Be sure to check out Joan's super popular series, Goddess Girls!
Kindergarten - Grade 4
Mary Shaw knows a thing or two about hockey – her husband is former professional hockey player, now turned coach, Brad Shaw. Mary and her family have lived in Waterloo, Italy, Hartford, Ottawa, Detroit, Cincinnati, Tampa and St. Louis. They call Kanata, Ontario “home.”
Mary is the mother of three children – Taylore, Brady, and Caroline. She credits them for getting her into writing children’s books. “They help get my imagination rolling,” she says. Her son, an avid hockey player himself, was the inspiration for Brady Brady. Her oldest daughter is the inspiration for Icehogs defenseman, Tes – the ‘Twirlin’ Torpedo’. Brady Brady and the Great Rink was Mary’s first book and more have followed in the Brady Brady series. In addition to her writing career, Mary is a sports fan and an active volunteer, spending time at her children’s school, where the kids call her “Mrs. Brady Brady.”
Mary Shaw knows a thing or two about hockey – her husband is former professional hockey player, now turned coach, Brad Shaw. Mary and her family have lived in Waterloo, Italy, Hartford, Ottawa, Detroit, Cincinnati, Tampa and St. Louis. They call Kanata, Ontario “home.”
Mary is the mother of three children – Taylore, Brady, and Caroline. She credits them for getting her into writing children’s books. “They help get my imagination rolling,” she says. Her son, an avid hockey player himself, was the inspiration for Brady Brady. Her oldest daughter is the inspiration for Icehogs defenseman, Tes – the ‘Twirlin’ Torpedo’. Brady Brady and the Great Rink was Mary’s first book and more have followed in the Brady Brady series. In addition to her writing career, Mary is a sports fan and an active volunteer, spending time at her children’s school, where the kids call her “Mrs. Brady Brady.”
January 2017
Grades 4 - 8
Jim Benton’s book series, Dear Dumb Diary has sold almost nine million books, and three recent titles in the series have been New York Times Bestsellers.
Published in eighteen languages, Dear Dumb Diary has been produced as a made for television movie, that aired on Hallmark Channel in 2013. The movie has also been nominated for a 2014 Kidscreen award. Look for his other popular series, Happy Bunny and Franny K. Stein! Benton began his career in a custom design t-shirt shop where he started designing his own characters. At the same time, Jim did illustrations and artwork for magazines and newspapers. People magazine named him "the most visible cartoonist in America". Jim currently lives in Michigan, where he operates out of his own studio.
Grades 4 - 8
Jim Benton’s book series, Dear Dumb Diary has sold almost nine million books, and three recent titles in the series have been New York Times Bestsellers.
Published in eighteen languages, Dear Dumb Diary has been produced as a made for television movie, that aired on Hallmark Channel in 2013. The movie has also been nominated for a 2014 Kidscreen award. Look for his other popular series, Happy Bunny and Franny K. Stein! Benton began his career in a custom design t-shirt shop where he started designing his own characters. At the same time, Jim did illustrations and artwork for magazines and newspapers. People magazine named him "the most visible cartoonist in America". Jim currently lives in Michigan, where he operates out of his own studio.
Kindergarten - Grade 4
Who doesn't know and love our beloved Canadian author, Robert Munsch? Robert tells us, " I was born on June 11, 1945 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and I grew up in a family of 9 kids." Did you know that he uses real kids as characters in his books? Annick Press kept putting out his books and they slowly sold better and better. [Mud Puddle had its’ best year 10 years after it was published!]. He eventually quit his job at a University and started just writing and telling stories. As a matter of fact, he made up his first story while on a student teaching placement at the Wellsley College Child Studies Preschool for a circle time with kids. Little did he know then that it was going to turn out to be a book called “Mortimer”! It took it 12 years to get it published! What's your favorite Robert Munsch book!
December 2016
Grades 4 - 8
Kevin Sylvester says, "I’m an illustrator, writer and broadcaster based in Toronto. My series, The Neil Flambe Capers, is now out and loads of fun (I promise). I’ve also been a broadcaster with CBC Radio in Canada for years and years (although I’m originally from Western New York… GO SABRES AND GO BILLS!) Take a look at some of the work I’ve done for clients and myself. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at [email protected]. My books, Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders won the 2011 Silver Birch award for Fiction. Neil Flambe and the Aztec Abduction was runner-up in 2012. Neil Flambe and the Crusader’s Curse is up for the 2013 Silver Birch. My picture book Splinters is nominated for the 2012 Blue Spruce! Cathy Rondina’s and I won the Silver Birch for Non-Fiction in 2012 for Don’t Touch that Toad. My book Gold Medal for Weird won the 2009 Silver Birch for Non-Fiction.
Grades 4 - 8
Kevin Sylvester says, "I’m an illustrator, writer and broadcaster based in Toronto. My series, The Neil Flambe Capers, is now out and loads of fun (I promise). I’ve also been a broadcaster with CBC Radio in Canada for years and years (although I’m originally from Western New York… GO SABRES AND GO BILLS!) Take a look at some of the work I’ve done for clients and myself. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at [email protected]. My books, Neil Flambe and the Marco Polo Murders won the 2011 Silver Birch award for Fiction. Neil Flambe and the Aztec Abduction was runner-up in 2012. Neil Flambe and the Crusader’s Curse is up for the 2013 Silver Birch. My picture book Splinters is nominated for the 2012 Blue Spruce! Cathy Rondina’s and I won the Silver Birch for Non-Fiction in 2012 for Don’t Touch that Toad. My book Gold Medal for Weird won the 2009 Silver Birch for Non-Fiction.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Susan Pearson is the author of more than thirty books for children, including picture books, chapter books, and collections of verse. She's also a children’s book editor. Susan told us that, "I’ve always felt incredibly lucky: I get to spend my days doing what I love to do—writing and editing books for kids. It can be hard work. Sometimes I’m stumped for the right word or phrase. Sometimes I’m getting tangled in a plot. But even at those times, I love my job! My ideas come from everyone and everywhere—a conversation overheard, a book read, a walk in the woods, a friend, an acquaintance, and often just from a feeling. The SLUG books were originally inspired by working in the garden. The slugs in my garden are not very endearing, but that's exactly what makes them so irresistible in the books. My first book, Izzie was inspired by my own childhood. Karin's Christmas Walk was inspired by a story I loved as a little girl. The Porkchop books were inspired by my stepdaughter's kitten. Even the books that seem to come out of the blue are often anchored in a feeling I have now or had as a kid."
November 2016
Grades 4 - 8
Wesley King really wanted to be a Jedi. Really. He used to throw rubber balls off his bedroom wall, close his eyes, and try to hit them with a stick. When he missed them, he assumed he needed more practice. When he hit them, he assumed he had the Force. It turned out that he was pretty good at sports; he won Three Athlete of the Year Awards at his high school, All Saints Catholic Secondary. He lives in suburban Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, where he spends most of his time in imagined universes of superpowered children, dying stars, and dystopian fantasy realms. He loves hearing feedback from readers, so please send in your thoughts and questions on his contact page by clicking his picture! His book Dragons VS Drones is popular with our grades 4-6 readers!
Grades 4 - 8
Wesley King really wanted to be a Jedi. Really. He used to throw rubber balls off his bedroom wall, close his eyes, and try to hit them with a stick. When he missed them, he assumed he needed more practice. When he hit them, he assumed he had the Force. It turned out that he was pretty good at sports; he won Three Athlete of the Year Awards at his high school, All Saints Catholic Secondary. He lives in suburban Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, where he spends most of his time in imagined universes of superpowered children, dying stars, and dystopian fantasy realms. He loves hearing feedback from readers, so please send in your thoughts and questions on his contact page by clicking his picture! His book Dragons VS Drones is popular with our grades 4-6 readers!
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Helga Bansch has worked as an elementary school teacher and with children with behavioral problems. She discovered painting as a means of expression. She illustrates children's books, and makes dolls, puppets, and objects from sandstone, clay, and papier-mache. She lives and works in Vienna. Helga's book, Odd Bird Out, tells the story of Robert, the raven who is different from his siblings and always seems to be the odd bird out. Check out this great book and see what becomes of Robert and his super sense of style!
October 2016
Grades 4 - 8
James Leck was born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in 1973. His latest book, After Dark, is a small salute to the great horror stories and movies he read and watched growing up. He has worked as a high school teacher in Canada, Japan and Kuwait, and has had the good fortune to travel extensively. Currently, James lives in Dartmouth with his wife and two children. Look for his novel, After Dark on our shelves.
Grades 4 - 8
James Leck was born in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, in 1973. His latest book, After Dark, is a small salute to the great horror stories and movies he read and watched growing up. He has worked as a high school teacher in Canada, Japan and Kuwait, and has had the good fortune to travel extensively. Currently, James lives in Dartmouth with his wife and two children. Look for his novel, After Dark on our shelves.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Charlotte Gunnufson told us, "When I was a kid, I wrote a poem about a duck and it got published in an Archie’s comic book. As a grownup, I’ve been lucky to have some of my poems and stories published in magazines like Highlights, Highlights High Five and Hello, Cricket, Ladybug, and Humpty Dumpty. And now I have my first book! My family helps me with my writing by listening to my stories. Even when they say, “That doesn’t make any sense,” it helps. My oldest son, Perry, is a Mechanical Engineer and is learning how to draw. My middle son, Isaac, plays the tuba and studies Biology. My daughter, Ellen, just might grow up to be an artist. The best thing about being a writer is reading to kids. I love making kids laugh and listening to their awesome ideas!" Her spooktacular book, Halloween Hustle can be found in our E Halloween section.
Charlotte Gunnufson told us, "When I was a kid, I wrote a poem about a duck and it got published in an Archie’s comic book. As a grownup, I’ve been lucky to have some of my poems and stories published in magazines like Highlights, Highlights High Five and Hello, Cricket, Ladybug, and Humpty Dumpty. And now I have my first book! My family helps me with my writing by listening to my stories. Even when they say, “That doesn’t make any sense,” it helps. My oldest son, Perry, is a Mechanical Engineer and is learning how to draw. My middle son, Isaac, plays the tuba and studies Biology. My daughter, Ellen, just might grow up to be an artist. The best thing about being a writer is reading to kids. I love making kids laugh and listening to their awesome ideas!" Her spooktacular book, Halloween Hustle can be found in our E Halloween section.
September 2016
Grades 4 - 8
R.L. Stine says he has a great job: "My job is to give kids the CREEPS!" R.L.'s books are read all over the world. So far, he has sold over 350 million books, making him one of the best-selling children's authors in history. The series,
Goosebumps began in 1992. The book series quickly became a hit around the world. The Goosebumps TV show was the number-one kids' show in the U.S. for three years in a row. The episodes are still shown at Halloween time. Many of the shows are on DVD. These days, R.L. is busier than ever. He's working on many books, including the Goosebumps HorrorLand series. R.L. lives in New York City with his wife Jane and his dog Minnie.
R.L. Stine says he has a great job: "My job is to give kids the CREEPS!" R.L.'s books are read all over the world. So far, he has sold over 350 million books, making him one of the best-selling children's authors in history. The series,
Goosebumps began in 1992. The book series quickly became a hit around the world. The Goosebumps TV show was the number-one kids' show in the U.S. for three years in a row. The episodes are still shown at Halloween time. Many of the shows are on DVD. These days, R.L. is busier than ever. He's working on many books, including the Goosebumps HorrorLand series. R.L. lives in New York City with his wife Jane and his dog Minnie.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Julia Donaldson says, "I grew up in a tall terraced Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him). I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married. When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs." The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child have become well read favorites of both young and old.
Julia Donaldson says, "I grew up in a tall terraced Victorian London house with my parents, grandmother, aunt, uncle, younger sister Mary and cat Geoffrey (who was really a prince in disguise. Mary and I would argue about which of us would marry him). I studied Drama and French at Bristol University, where I met Malcolm, a guitar-playing medic to whom I’m now married. When I’m not writing I am often performing, at book festivals and in theatres. I really enjoy getting the children in the audience to help me act out the stories and sing the songs." The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child have become well read favorites of both young and old.
June 2016
Grades 4 - 8
Liz Pichon is the author of the best selling TOM GATES series for 9+ readers, which has sold 1,000,000 books in the UK alone and been translated into 36 languages. The first book in the series The Brilliant World of Tom Gates won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, The Red House Book Award Best Book for Young Readers and the Waterston Best Fiction for 5-12 year olds Prize. Her fourth book in the series Tom Gates: Genius Ideas Mostly won the Blue Peter Award for Best Story. Liz studied graphic design and has worked as an art director in the music industry.
Her freelance design work has appeared on a range of products and she has written and illustrated a number of picture books, including My Big Brother Boris. Liz lives in Brighton, England with her husband and three children.
Liz Pichon is the author of the best selling TOM GATES series for 9+ readers, which has sold 1,000,000 books in the UK alone and been translated into 36 languages. The first book in the series The Brilliant World of Tom Gates won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, The Red House Book Award Best Book for Young Readers and the Waterston Best Fiction for 5-12 year olds Prize. Her fourth book in the series Tom Gates: Genius Ideas Mostly won the Blue Peter Award for Best Story. Liz studied graphic design and has worked as an art director in the music industry.
Her freelance design work has appeared on a range of products and she has written and illustrated a number of picture books, including My Big Brother Boris. Liz lives in Brighton, England with her husband and three children.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Maurice Sendak knew he wanted to draw and write from a young age and found work in the 1940s with the toy store FAO Schwartz, decorating window displays to draw children’s attention. Parents and children alike have read and loved Sendak’s works and stories for years because as Sendak often said, he didn’t consider his books to be for children. They may have been marketed that way, but the ideas and images Sendak created spoke to more than just the young and young at heart. Inspired by his father’s gift for storytelling, his childhood love of art and an early loss of innocence during his childhood (much of his family died during the Holocaust), Sendak’s books spoke to children and adults in ways that no other literature of its kind ever could. We celebrate the life of a man whose gift to the world goes well beyond the place where the “Wild Things” play. Maurice died May 8, 2012 but his iconic books will live on forever. If you haven't yet, be sure to check out one of his most famous offerings, Where the Wild Things Are. It's a classic Sendak!
Maurice Sendak knew he wanted to draw and write from a young age and found work in the 1940s with the toy store FAO Schwartz, decorating window displays to draw children’s attention. Parents and children alike have read and loved Sendak’s works and stories for years because as Sendak often said, he didn’t consider his books to be for children. They may have been marketed that way, but the ideas and images Sendak created spoke to more than just the young and young at heart. Inspired by his father’s gift for storytelling, his childhood love of art and an early loss of innocence during his childhood (much of his family died during the Holocaust), Sendak’s books spoke to children and adults in ways that no other literature of its kind ever could. We celebrate the life of a man whose gift to the world goes well beyond the place where the “Wild Things” play. Maurice died May 8, 2012 but his iconic books will live on forever. If you haven't yet, be sure to check out one of his most famous offerings, Where the Wild Things Are. It's a classic Sendak!
May 2016
Grades 4-8
Allison Van Diepen is the author of Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating series, The Vampire Stalker and Takedown. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age. She holds degrees in History and Education, and teaches at an alternative school in Ottawa, Canada. Allison will be presenting several of her books in person at her author talk at Ruth Betts Community School library on Monday, May 9th, 2016! We are honored to have Ms. Van Diepen visit our school and community and are looking forward to meeting her and learning more about her life as an author!
Allison Van Diepen is the author of Street Pharm, Snitch, Raven, The Oracle of Dating series, The Vampire Stalker and Takedown. Her novels have been named ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and New York City Public Library Books for the Teen Age. She holds degrees in History and Education, and teaches at an alternative school in Ottawa, Canada. Allison will be presenting several of her books in person at her author talk at Ruth Betts Community School library on Monday, May 9th, 2016! We are honored to have Ms. Van Diepen visit our school and community and are looking forward to meeting her and learning more about her life as an author!
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Born in Elmira, New York, Tedd Arnold grew up in a family of six with three brothers. His family lived on a farm in Pennsylvania for several years then returned to Elmira until Tedd was ten years old. His father's work then required that they move to Gainesville, Florida. There, Tedd's first art lessons in an abandoned dentist's office over the Happy Hour pool hall eventually led to a fine arts degree from the University of Florida. He and his wife, Carol, started their family in Tallahassee where Tedd worked as a commercial illustrator. He has now published over 50 books as author and illustrator. His book, Hi! Fly Guy received a 2006 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor from the American Library Association. When not working on his books, Tedd's interests include tennis, sketching, reading, coin collecting, and the computer.
Born in Elmira, New York, Tedd Arnold grew up in a family of six with three brothers. His family lived on a farm in Pennsylvania for several years then returned to Elmira until Tedd was ten years old. His father's work then required that they move to Gainesville, Florida. There, Tedd's first art lessons in an abandoned dentist's office over the Happy Hour pool hall eventually led to a fine arts degree from the University of Florida. He and his wife, Carol, started their family in Tallahassee where Tedd worked as a commercial illustrator. He has now published over 50 books as author and illustrator. His book, Hi! Fly Guy received a 2006 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor from the American Library Association. When not working on his books, Tedd's interests include tennis, sketching, reading, coin collecting, and the computer.
April 2016
Grades 4-8
Fred Bowen was heard to say, "Some of my ideas come from own childhood — I lost my favourite glove just like Jamie in The Golden Glove. Some of ideas come from my experience as a coach — Brendan in Playoff Dreams is a lot like a kid I saw on another team. He was a crackerjack player who was frustrated that his teammates kept messing up. Lots of stuff happens in your life. The difference between you and a writer is that a writer writes it down. You can start now. Keep a journal and write your story! You will love reading it when you are older. When you write assignments for school, show them to someone else and listen to their comments and then make changes. My first drafts are never my final books. I make lots of revisions to get it right. One more thing: read a lot. Good readers make better writers."
Fred Bowen was heard to say, "Some of my ideas come from own childhood — I lost my favourite glove just like Jamie in The Golden Glove. Some of ideas come from my experience as a coach — Brendan in Playoff Dreams is a lot like a kid I saw on another team. He was a crackerjack player who was frustrated that his teammates kept messing up. Lots of stuff happens in your life. The difference between you and a writer is that a writer writes it down. You can start now. Keep a journal and write your story! You will love reading it when you are older. When you write assignments for school, show them to someone else and listen to their comments and then make changes. My first drafts are never my final books. I make lots of revisions to get it right. One more thing: read a lot. Good readers make better writers."
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Ms. Shaw told us, "I gobbled up books when I was growing up. I loved Half Magic, My Father's Dragon, Uncle Scrooge Comics, and many more. We didn't get a TV until I was almost finished with third grade. My family played word games on the long car trips we took, so I enjoyed fooling around with words. I'd been intrigued by picture books for a long time, but reading to my children made me much more tuned in to them. My daughter and son loved silly stories. We were on a dull car trip in 1982 when I tinkered with animal rhymes, which turned into Sheep in a Jeep. Sheep on a Ship, Sheep in a Shop, Sheep Out to Eat, Sheep Take a Hike, Sheep Trick or Treat, Sheep Blast Off!, and Sheep Go to Sleep have followed." Nancy's sheep series is the "baaaa-st"!!
Ms. Shaw told us, "I gobbled up books when I was growing up. I loved Half Magic, My Father's Dragon, Uncle Scrooge Comics, and many more. We didn't get a TV until I was almost finished with third grade. My family played word games on the long car trips we took, so I enjoyed fooling around with words. I'd been intrigued by picture books for a long time, but reading to my children made me much more tuned in to them. My daughter and son loved silly stories. We were on a dull car trip in 1982 when I tinkered with animal rhymes, which turned into Sheep in a Jeep. Sheep on a Ship, Sheep in a Shop, Sheep Out to Eat, Sheep Take a Hike, Sheep Trick or Treat, Sheep Blast Off!, and Sheep Go to Sleep have followed." Nancy's sheep series is the "baaaa-st"!!
March 2016
Grades 4-8
T.A. Barron says,"For me, writing is exploring. Whether it’s the surprising connections among people, the wondrous patterns of nature, or the mysterious wellsprings of the spirit, the universe beckons. And I love to explore it, whether by foot or by pen. I kept writing during my college years at Princeton, and during my time as a Rhodes Scholar. (While at Oxford, I confess, I studied mostly the hiking trails of Scotland.) During those years abroad, I composed stories and poems while hiking in the Scottish highlands; while sitting beneath the boughs of an English oak I called Merlin’s Tree; while backpacking through Asia, Africa, and the Arctic; and while participating in a traditional roof thatching in Japan. Feel free to share your thoughts with me. If you’d like to send a letter, just contact me on my website or visit one of my social media sites". Be sure to have a look at his series, The Merlin Saga and the Atlantis Saga.
Kindergarten - Grade 3
In 1981, while working in drama, Mem Fox decided to retrain in literacy studies. She said, "Literacy has become the great focus of my life — it’s my passion, my battle and my mission and my exhaustion." She has published books on literacy aimed at children, their parents, teachers and educators. She held the position of Associate Professor, Literacy Studies, in the School of Education at Flinders University until her retirement in 1996. Since her retirement from teaching, Fox travels around the world visiting many countries and doing presentations and speaking on children's books and literacy issues. Her latest books, Ducks Away and Nellie Belle are sure to make you smile!
In 1981, while working in drama, Mem Fox decided to retrain in literacy studies. She said, "Literacy has become the great focus of my life — it’s my passion, my battle and my mission and my exhaustion." She has published books on literacy aimed at children, their parents, teachers and educators. She held the position of Associate Professor, Literacy Studies, in the School of Education at Flinders University until her retirement in 1996. Since her retirement from teaching, Fox travels around the world visiting many countries and doing presentations and speaking on children's books and literacy issues. Her latest books, Ducks Away and Nellie Belle are sure to make you smile!
February 2016
Grades 4 - 8
Dav Pilkey, who’s also known by the pseudonym Sue Denim, is quite an interesting author indeed. His best known work is the Captain Underpants series, which follows the adventures of a young hero clad in his underpants. He has also published books under the names George Beard and Harold Hutchins. His series of dragon books was turned into an animated series in the ’90s, and his Dumb Bunnies series has been optioned to be made into a movie. He names The Stupids as one of the main influences of Dumb Bunnies. Kat Kong, Dogzilla, and The Paperboy are just a few of Dav's books that you'll find on our shelves!
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Some children’s literature illustrators use different styles in different books, but Eric Carle has a very distinctive style that is immediately recognizable in all his books. He uses what’s known as a collage technique, where he paints paper by hand, and then cuts and layers it to create dynamic images. His most famous book is likely The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which is currently in more than 50 different languages. It was first published in 1969 and since then he’s illustrated more than 70 books. Many of them have been bestsellers, and he wrote most of them. In total, all his books have sold more than 103 million copies.
Some children’s literature illustrators use different styles in different books, but Eric Carle has a very distinctive style that is immediately recognizable in all his books. He uses what’s known as a collage technique, where he paints paper by hand, and then cuts and layers it to create dynamic images. His most famous book is likely The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which is currently in more than 50 different languages. It was first published in 1969 and since then he’s illustrated more than 70 books. Many of them have been bestsellers, and he wrote most of them. In total, all his books have sold more than 103 million copies.
January 2016
Grades 4 - 8
Gary Schmidt is a professor of English at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received both a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor for Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy and a Newbery Honor for The Wednesday Wars. He lives with his family on a 150-year-old farm in Alto, Michigan, where he splits wood, plants gardens, writes, and feeds the wild cats that drop by.
Gary was once asked "Your books often are very serious. Shouldn't you lighten up?"
His response that that was, "You think life in middle school isn’t serious? Are you kidding?
Living is a serious business. Funny is good, of course. We all like to laugh. But I want more than that. Much more. Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his first great book, called life “a veil of gloom and brightness.” We all wish it could be brightness all the time. And maybe for some people it is. I doubt it, but maybe. But there is gloom for us all, too. And maybe books even for kids shouldn’t ignore that. Geez, read Where the Wild Things Are, or Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, or just about any Grimm folktale, or Crow Boy, or Bridge to Terabithia,or Nothing but the Truth,or No, David, or Octavian Nothing, or The Tale of Despereaux, or Stitches, or The Storm in the Barn,and then try to tell me that writers for kids should try not to be too serious."
Gary was once asked "Your books often are very serious. Shouldn't you lighten up?"
His response that that was, "You think life in middle school isn’t serious? Are you kidding?
Living is a serious business. Funny is good, of course. We all like to laugh. But I want more than that. Much more. Nathaniel Hawthorne, in his first great book, called life “a veil of gloom and brightness.” We all wish it could be brightness all the time. And maybe for some people it is. I doubt it, but maybe. But there is gloom for us all, too. And maybe books even for kids shouldn’t ignore that. Geez, read Where the Wild Things Are, or Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, or just about any Grimm folktale, or Crow Boy, or Bridge to Terabithia,or Nothing but the Truth,or No, David, or Octavian Nothing, or The Tale of Despereaux, or Stitches, or The Storm in the Barn,and then try to tell me that writers for kids should try not to be too serious."
Kindergarten -Grade 3
Nicola Winstanley has always loved to write; but it wasn't until her daughter, Audie, was born that she started writing stories for children. Like the baby in Cinnamon Baby, Audie cried and cried, but stopped suddenly on one occasion when she got a whiff of some cinnamon. Writing the story, turning it into a kind of fairy tale, helped Nicola cope with the difficulty of being a new mother to a screaming tot.
Nicola has been influenced by many wonderful picture book authors, but particularly by her fellow New Zealander Margaret Mahy. She thinks of her specifically when she writes, hoping to find the sparkling magic in her own voice that she so loves in Margaret's. Nicola is a big fan of Maurice Sendak, too. She finds that he treats emotional intensity with a sweetness that gives such comfort to children ... and parents. Nicola also likes to write poetry for children and short stories for grown-ups. But she likes picture books best of all. Those stories reveal themselves to her in the littlest details of life, the precious moments that many might ignore, unaware of their magic.
December 2014
Grades 4 to 8
Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of fifteen children's and young adult novels, including the popular Ever After Hightrilogy and multiple award winners The Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days, and Newbery Honor recipient Princess Academy. She also penned three books for adults, beginning with Austenland, which is now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell. She co-wrote the hit graphic novels Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack and illustrated chapter book The Princess in Black with husband Dean Hale. They live with their four small children near Salt Lake City, Utah.
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Barbara Jean Hicks was born in Bellingham, Wa and raised in Ferndale, where she lived until she left for college in Southern California. She began as a music major at Los Angeles Baptist College. “I was very active in band at Ferndale High School,” she says. “I played the flute, sang in the choir and the swing choir. I loved music. Ferndale High’s music program was so great – and I know it has continued to be.”
Music-loving Hicks was convinced by two college professors to switch her major to English literature. It came as no surprise to her when her college studies took a literary turn.
“I started writing really early, in fourth grade,” she says. “We were studying the westward migration and Mrs. Green assigned us to write a diary as if we were a young person in a wagon train traveling across the country.”
Hicks dove headlong into the assignment. “I ended up writing 30 pages, single-spaced, hand-written,” she says with a laugh. “I had so much. That was my first clue that writing was something I really loved to do.” Her books, Frozen, A Sister More Like Me, and An Amazing Snowman are very popular with some of our younger students.
Music-loving Hicks was convinced by two college professors to switch her major to English literature. It came as no surprise to her when her college studies took a literary turn.
“I started writing really early, in fourth grade,” she says. “We were studying the westward migration and Mrs. Green assigned us to write a diary as if we were a young person in a wagon train traveling across the country.”
Hicks dove headlong into the assignment. “I ended up writing 30 pages, single-spaced, hand-written,” she says with a laugh. “I had so much. That was my first clue that writing was something I really loved to do.” Her books, Frozen, A Sister More Like Me, and An Amazing Snowman are very popular with some of our younger students.
January 2015
Grades 4 to 8
Kenneth Oppel tells us a little about himself:
I was born in Port Alberni, a mill town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia but spent the bulk of my childhood in Victoria, B.C. and on the opposite coast, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At around twelve I decided I wanted to be a writer (this came after deciding I wanted to be a scientist, and then an architect). I started out writing sci-fi epics (my Star Wars phase) then went on to swords and sorcery tales (my Dungeons and Dragons phase) and then, during the summer holiday when I was fourteen, started on a humorous story about a boy addicted to video games (written, of course, during my video game phase). It turned out to be quite a long story, really a short novel, and I rewrote it the next summer. We had a family friend who knew Roald Dahl - one of my favourite authors - and this friend offered to show Dahl my story. I was paralysed with excitement. I never heard back from Roald Dahl directly, but he read my story, and liked it enough to pass on to his own literary agent. I got a letter from them, saying they wanted to take me on, and try to sell my story. And they did.
My books include Airborn, Half Brother, The Live-Forever Machine & the Silverwing Trilogy, which has sold over a million copies around the world. My latest book is The Boundless, a thriller set aboard the most magnificent train ever built.
I was born in Port Alberni, a mill town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia but spent the bulk of my childhood in Victoria, B.C. and on the opposite coast, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. At around twelve I decided I wanted to be a writer (this came after deciding I wanted to be a scientist, and then an architect). I started out writing sci-fi epics (my Star Wars phase) then went on to swords and sorcery tales (my Dungeons and Dragons phase) and then, during the summer holiday when I was fourteen, started on a humorous story about a boy addicted to video games (written, of course, during my video game phase). It turned out to be quite a long story, really a short novel, and I rewrote it the next summer. We had a family friend who knew Roald Dahl - one of my favourite authors - and this friend offered to show Dahl my story. I was paralysed with excitement. I never heard back from Roald Dahl directly, but he read my story, and liked it enough to pass on to his own literary agent. I got a letter from them, saying they wanted to take me on, and try to sell my story. And they did.
My books include Airborn, Half Brother, The Live-Forever Machine & the Silverwing Trilogy, which has sold over a million copies around the world. My latest book is The Boundless, a thriller set aboard the most magnificent train ever built.
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Corey Rosen Schwartz: After publication of her first picture book, Hop! Plop!, Corey longed to write a fractured fairy tale. But coming up with a clever twist wasn't easy. Then, one day, when her son was three, someone asked him if he spoke Spanish. His answer was "No, but I speak a little karate." Instantly, the idea hit her - the three little pigs could go to ninja school! KIYA! Corey has no true Ninja training, but she can sure kick butt in Scrabble. She lives with three knuckleheads in Warren, New Jersey. Her book, Goldi Rocks and the Three Bears can be found in our E section!
February 2015
Grades 4 to 8
Brandon Mull is the author of the New York Times, USA TODAY, and Wall Street Journal bestselling Beyonders and Fablehaven series, as well as the bestselling Five Kingdoms and Candy Shop Wars series. He resides in Utah, in a happy little valley near the mouth of a canyon with his wife and four children. Brandon’s greatest regret is that he has but one life to give for Gondor.
"Beyonders is the reason I became an author. The idea for Beyonders has been cooking in my mind for more than ten years. The desire to create this story is what lured me into writing novels. In Beyonders, our main characters leave this world and cross into a fantasy world called Lyrian. To help the new world feel different from our own, I created some original fantasy races. It was important to me that these races weren’t breeds we were familiar with from our own mythologies. One race is called the Amar Kabal. They have seeds at the base of their skulls. If they’re killed and their seeds are planted, their bodies can regrow and live again, with the seeds preserving their memories. That is just one example.
Beyonders is a story about heroes. The emperor Maldor has systematically been buying off or breaking the heroes of Lyrian, so there are almost none left at the start of the story. Most who remain have given up or are damaged in some way. We have a boy and a girl from our world who are learning to be heroes, and at the same time we have some of these broken heroes coming out of retirement. One of my favorite characters is the Blind King, who used to be the greatest swordsman in Lyrian until the emperor took his sight.
The three Beyonders books are now written. I think the first tells a fun story and introduces the reader to the world of Lyrian and many of the characters we’ll be following. But readers won’t really know where the story is headed until the second installment. Then I’m confident that the third book is the best I have written so far. I’m very eager to see what readers think!"
"Beyonders is the reason I became an author. The idea for Beyonders has been cooking in my mind for more than ten years. The desire to create this story is what lured me into writing novels. In Beyonders, our main characters leave this world and cross into a fantasy world called Lyrian. To help the new world feel different from our own, I created some original fantasy races. It was important to me that these races weren’t breeds we were familiar with from our own mythologies. One race is called the Amar Kabal. They have seeds at the base of their skulls. If they’re killed and their seeds are planted, their bodies can regrow and live again, with the seeds preserving their memories. That is just one example.
Beyonders is a story about heroes. The emperor Maldor has systematically been buying off or breaking the heroes of Lyrian, so there are almost none left at the start of the story. Most who remain have given up or are damaged in some way. We have a boy and a girl from our world who are learning to be heroes, and at the same time we have some of these broken heroes coming out of retirement. One of my favorite characters is the Blind King, who used to be the greatest swordsman in Lyrian until the emperor took his sight.
The three Beyonders books are now written. I think the first tells a fun story and introduces the reader to the world of Lyrian and many of the characters we’ll be following. But readers won’t really know where the story is headed until the second installment. Then I’m confident that the third book is the best I have written so far. I’m very eager to see what readers think!"
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Check out Richard's new book, "This Book Just Ate My Dog". It's new to our library and is sure to be a hit with the younger crowd!
Richard Byrne tells us a little about himself..."Born in a hospital. Brought up in Brighton. Learnt to colour-in Eastbourne. Worked in graphic design. Worked in Brighton, London, Manchester and Yorkshire Hills. Worked for myself. Met Philippa somewhere along the way. Had two children. Had the mid life crisis. Bought my first guitar. Got the urge to create a children’s book. Got an agent. Got a book deal. Got another book deal. Got to Chichester. Got to go. Bye for now"
Check out Richard's new book, "This Book Just Ate My Dog". It's new to our library and is sure to be a hit with the younger crowd!
Richard Byrne tells us a little about himself..."Born in a hospital. Brought up in Brighton. Learnt to colour-in Eastbourne. Worked in graphic design. Worked in Brighton, London, Manchester and Yorkshire Hills. Worked for myself. Met Philippa somewhere along the way. Had two children. Had the mid life crisis. Bought my first guitar. Got the urge to create a children’s book. Got an agent. Got a book deal. Got another book deal. Got to Chichester. Got to go. Bye for now"
March 2015
Grades 4 to 8
Rick Yancey is the author of thirteen novels and a memoir. His books have been published in over twenty languages and have earned numerous accolades and awards from around the world. His young adult novel, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, was named a "Best Book of the Year" by Publishers Weekly and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. In 2010, Rick received a Michael L. Printz Honor for The Monstrumologist. The sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His latest novel, The 5th Wave, the first in an epic sci-fi trilogy, made its worldwide debut in 2013, and will soon be a major motion picture for GK Films and Sony Pictures.
Rick loved to read from an early age and his father bought him many books but never could seem to buy them often enough, so Rick read his favorites over and over. Dr. Seuss when he was younger, then Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes and Lord of the Rings. Rick wrote his first short-story for an assignment in his seventh-grade English class. He wrote the story in longhand and his mother, who was a legal secretary, typed it for him. He got an A. Rick was not the worst student at Crystal Lake Junior High, but he wasn't the best either. He didn't make a lot of A's, so this one meant a lot plus the fact that he really liked writing the story. It was supposed to be five pages long; Rick's story turned out to be twenty-five. He wrote a note to his teacher: "I'm sorry about the length." His teacher wrote back, "Never apologize for something you should be proud of." That was the day Rick thought he might like to become a writer.
Rick Yancey is the author of thirteen novels and a memoir. His books have been published in over twenty languages and have earned numerous accolades and awards from around the world. His young adult novel, The Extraordinary Adventures of Alfred Kropp, was named a "Best Book of the Year" by Publishers Weekly and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. In 2010, Rick received a Michael L. Printz Honor for The Monstrumologist. The sequel, The Curse of the Wendigo, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. His latest novel, The 5th Wave, the first in an epic sci-fi trilogy, made its worldwide debut in 2013, and will soon be a major motion picture for GK Films and Sony Pictures.
Rick loved to read from an early age and his father bought him many books but never could seem to buy them often enough, so Rick read his favorites over and over. Dr. Seuss when he was younger, then Hardy Boys and Sherlock Holmes and Lord of the Rings. Rick wrote his first short-story for an assignment in his seventh-grade English class. He wrote the story in longhand and his mother, who was a legal secretary, typed it for him. He got an A. Rick was not the worst student at Crystal Lake Junior High, but he wasn't the best either. He didn't make a lot of A's, so this one meant a lot plus the fact that he really liked writing the story. It was supposed to be five pages long; Rick's story turned out to be twenty-five. He wrote a note to his teacher: "I'm sorry about the length." His teacher wrote back, "Never apologize for something you should be proud of." That was the day Rick thought he might like to become a writer.
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Helen Ketteman is the author of nineteen picture books. Her books range in age from preschool through fourth or 5th graders who may be studying tall tales in school. Helen earned her Associate of Arts degree from Young Harris College in Young Harris, GA, and her B.A. degree in English from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA.
"I choose to write books because reading was so important to me a a child (and it still is!). Life for children growing up today is so different from when I grew up. Children are exposed to so much more through television, movies, and the internet. They often have so much going on in their lives they barely have time to sit and read. But I think reading is still important, and something everyone should do - a LOT! And so, I write my stories. It's my hope that when a child finds and reads one of my books - even a reluctant reader - he'll like it, he'll have fun with it, and make time to read another book. I write so children will read. And once they start, who knows where it will take them?" One our our favorite reads is Senorita Gordita!
"I choose to write books because reading was so important to me a a child (and it still is!). Life for children growing up today is so different from when I grew up. Children are exposed to so much more through television, movies, and the internet. They often have so much going on in their lives they barely have time to sit and read. But I think reading is still important, and something everyone should do - a LOT! And so, I write my stories. It's my hope that when a child finds and reads one of my books - even a reluctant reader - he'll like it, he'll have fun with it, and make time to read another book. I write so children will read. And once they start, who knows where it will take them?" One our our favorite reads is Senorita Gordita!
April 2015
Grades 4 to 8
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Rachel Vail is the award-winning author of more than 30 books for young people.
Her novels for teens include Unfriended, If We Kiss, Kiss Me Again, Lucky, Gorgeous, Brilliant, and the Friendship Ring series. For elementary school kids, there’s JUSTIN CASE: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters; JUSTIN CASE: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom,and, JUSTIN CASE: Rules, Tools, and Maybe a Bully. Her picture books include Piggy Bunnyand Sometimes I’m Bombaloo.
Rachel lives in New York City with her husband, their two sons, and a tortoise named Lightning.
Her novels for teens include Unfriended, If We Kiss, Kiss Me Again, Lucky, Gorgeous, Brilliant, and the Friendship Ring series. For elementary school kids, there’s JUSTIN CASE: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters; JUSTIN CASE: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom,and, JUSTIN CASE: Rules, Tools, and Maybe a Bully. Her picture books include Piggy Bunnyand Sometimes I’m Bombaloo.
Rachel lives in New York City with her husband, their two sons, and a tortoise named Lightning.
May 2015
Grades 4 to 8
Christopher Paul Curtis is the second oldest of five siblings. Christopher was born and raised in Flint, Michigan which has been used as a prominent setting in several stories including The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 and Bucking the Sarge. Graduating from Flint Southwestern High School, Christopher immediately did two things: 1) enrolled at Flint’s University of Michigan and 2) applied for a job at Fisher Body Plant No. 1, a General Motors assembly facility. This was extremely typical for many young adults. Most blue-collar jobs, particularly in “the jungle” where Christopher worked, were often heavy-duty, hard-working tasks. He began writing to overcome the boredom. Some of the writings were letters; others were sketches of stories that, like his character Bud Caldwell (Bud, Not Buddy), began the colorful sojourn which led him to become one of America’s leading authors of children’s literature. Christopher currently lives in Detroit, Michigan and in his free time still enjoys reading, playing basketball and collecting music.
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Laura Numeroff grew up in Brooklyn, with her mother, father and two older sisters. Her house was filled with books, art, music and folk dancing. She attended Pratt Institute and graduated with a degree in communications and a contract for her first children's book, Amy For Short, published in 1975 by Macmillan. A New York Times best-selling children's book author, Laura is best known for the series based on her book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. First printed in 1985, "Mouse" is in its 40th printing. Some of Laura's other books currently in print are: What Mommies Do Best/What Daddies Do Best, Dogs Don't Wear Glasses, The Chicken Sisters, Why A Disguise? The first two books in Laura's Jellybeans book series made the New York Times Best Seller List.When not writing, Laura takes tennis lessons (she says she's not very good but loves it anyway), reads to children in hospitals and foster homes and calls herself a book and movie fanatic!
June 2015
Grades 4 to 8
For as long as she can remember, Sara Shepard has been writing. However, when she was young she also wanted to be a soap opera star, a designer for LEGO, a filmmaker, a claymation artist, a geneticist, and a fashion magazine editor when she grew up. She and her sister have been creating joint artistic and written projects for years, except they’re pretty sure they’re the only ones who find them funny.
She got her MFA at Brooklyn College and now lives outside Philadelphia, PA with her husband and dogs. Her first adult novel is called The Visibles: All The Things We Didn’t Say.
Sara’s bestselling young adult series, Pretty Little Liars, is loosely based on her experiences growing up on Philadelphia’s Main Line…although luckily she never had any serious stalkers. The series has also inspired the ABC Family television series of the same name.
For as long as she can remember, Sara Shepard has been writing. However, when she was young she also wanted to be a soap opera star, a designer for LEGO, a filmmaker, a claymation artist, a geneticist, and a fashion magazine editor when she grew up. She and her sister have been creating joint artistic and written projects for years, except they’re pretty sure they’re the only ones who find them funny.
She got her MFA at Brooklyn College and now lives outside Philadelphia, PA with her husband and dogs. Her first adult novel is called The Visibles: All The Things We Didn’t Say.
Sara’s bestselling young adult series, Pretty Little Liars, is loosely based on her experiences growing up on Philadelphia’s Main Line…although luckily she never had any serious stalkers. The series has also inspired the ABC Family television series of the same name.
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Shaun Tan grew up in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. In school he became known as the 'good drawer' which partly compensated for always being the shortest kid in every class. He graduated from the University of WA in 1995 with joint honours in Fine Arts and English Literature, and currently works as an artist and author in Melbourne. Rules of Summer and The Red Tree are just two of his many award winning books.
For more information on recent projects, please visit thebirdking.blogspot.com.au
Shaun Tan grew up in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. In school he became known as the 'good drawer' which partly compensated for always being the shortest kid in every class. He graduated from the University of WA in 1995 with joint honours in Fine Arts and English Literature, and currently works as an artist and author in Melbourne. Rules of Summer and The Red Tree are just two of his many award winning books.
For more information on recent projects, please visit thebirdking.blogspot.com.au
September 2015
Grades 4 - 8
Born on February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas, to a construction worker and a homemaker, John Grisham as a child dreamed of being a professional baseball player. Realizing he didn’t have the right stuff for a pro career, he shifted gears and majored in accounting at Mississippi State University. After graduating from law school at Ole Miss in 1981, he went on to practice law for nearly a decade in Southaven, specializing in criminal defense and personal injury litigation. In 1983, he was elected to the state House of Representatives and served until 1990. When he’s not writing, Grisham devotes time to charitable causes, including most recently his Rebuild The Coast Fund, which raised 8.8 million dollars for Gulf Coast relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He also keeps up with his greatest passion: baseball. The man who dreamed of being a professional baseball player now serves as the local Little League commissioner. The six ball fields he built on his property have played host to over 350 kids on 26 Little League teams. His most recent children's series, Theodore Boone, Kid Lawyer is a must read for any young crime mystery enthusiast! |
Kindergarten to Grade 3
#1 New York Times Bestseller Mo Willems began his career as a writer and animator for PBS’ Sesame Street, where he garnered 6 Emmy Awards for his writing. During his nine seasons at Sesame Street, Mo also served as a weekly commentator for BBC Radio and created two animated series, Nickelodeon’s The Off-Beats andCartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City. In addition to picture books, Mo created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of “Easy Readers”, which were awarded the Theodor Suess Geisel Medal in 2008 and 2009 and Geisel Honors in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. For older audiences he has published an illustrated memoir of his year-long trip around the world in 1990-91 entitled You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons and Don't Pigeonhole Me!, a collection of 20 years of his annual sketchbooks. His books have been translated into over 20 languages.
#1 New York Times Bestseller Mo Willems began his career as a writer and animator for PBS’ Sesame Street, where he garnered 6 Emmy Awards for his writing. During his nine seasons at Sesame Street, Mo also served as a weekly commentator for BBC Radio and created two animated series, Nickelodeon’s The Off-Beats andCartoon Network’s Sheep in the Big City. In addition to picture books, Mo created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of “Easy Readers”, which were awarded the Theodor Suess Geisel Medal in 2008 and 2009 and Geisel Honors in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. For older audiences he has published an illustrated memoir of his year-long trip around the world in 1990-91 entitled You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons and Don't Pigeonhole Me!, a collection of 20 years of his annual sketchbooks. His books have been translated into over 20 languages.
October 2015
Grades 4 - 8
Christy Jordan-Fenton spent her early years on a farm near Rimbey, Alberta. Her favorite activities were (and still are) camping and dancing, and she has always loved horses and the mountains. Christy was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in her senior year to study at the University of Queensland in Australia. She then returned to the United States where she worked developing a leadership challenge program for disadvantaged youth, and taught wilderness survival; however, unable to shake the travel bug, she left to spend a year in South Africa. Her fondest memories are of reading stories to street children at night. Western Canada eventually called her home. A desire to raise her children with a healthy sense of self-esteem rekindled her passion for Native issues. Having a Native step-father and step-siblings gave her an early awareness that she credits for igniting that passion. She is eternally grateful to Margaret for having the courage to share her residential school experiences and for giving her the chance to write about them in, Fatty Legs, When I was Eight, A Stranger at Home, and Not My Girl. |
Kindergarten - Grade 3
Drew Daywalt shares a little about himself: "I was brainstorming for book ideas in my studio, I was literally staring at a box of crayons on my desk, and couldn't help but notice how unevenly they were used. Blue and red were nubs, pink was untouched, peach had had it’s wrapper torn off… poor little thing. What if they could say anything they wanted to me? What if they could just let me have it? I bet I’d get an earful. That's how I came up with The Day The Crayons Quit". Although Drew grew up in a haunted house, he now lives in a Southern California home, haunted by only his wife, two kids, and German Shepherd. A Hollywood screenwriter by trade, The Day the Crayons Quit was his first book for children. His favourite crayon is black. |
November 2015
Grades 4 to 8
Grades 4 to 8
Eric Robert Walters was once a teacher at Vista Heights Public School, Mississauga and now a Canadian author of young-adult fiction and picture books. As of 31 January 2014, Eric Walters has written 92 books. His novels have earned more than 100 awards, including being the only three time winner of both the Ontario Library Association Silver Birch and Red Maple Awards – voted by over 100,000 students throughout the province of Ontario. His books have been translated in various languages and published in many countries.In addition to writing, Walters makes presentations across Canada and around the world, speaking to over 125,000 students each year. He encourages them to become more enthusiastic readers and writers
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Jane Yolen is an author of children’s books, fantasy, and science fiction. She is also a poet, a teacher of writing and literature, and a reviewer of children’s literature. She has been called the Hans Christian Andersen of America and the Aesop of the twentieth century. Jane’s books and stories have won the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, the World Fantasy Award, three Mythopoeic Fantasy Awards, the Golden Kite Award, the Jewish Book Award, the World Fantasy Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Association of Jewish Libraries Award among many others. Jane's series, How do Dinosaurs [...] are a must have for every library!
December 2015
Grades 4 to 6
Grades 4 to 6
Pseudonymous Bosch is the anonymous pseudonymous author of the Secret Series. Not much is known about him other than that he has a passionate love of chocolate and cheese and an equally passionate hatred of mayonnaise. Rumors of Boschian sightings are just as frequent and about as reliable as reports of alien abductions. If you ever meet anyone claiming to be Pseudonymous himself he is almost certainly an impostor. The real Pseudonymous is said currently to be hiding in a cave in a remote jungle (although there are contrary reports that he is somewhere in Greenland).
Kindergarten to Grade 3
Laurie Keller tells us a little bit about herself: "I grew up in Muskegon, Michigan (the state shaped like a mitten!). I always loved to draw, paint and write stories but had no idea then that I could one day have a career doing those things. After high school, I took some general classes at a community college but wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in. I also spent much of my time performing in a local dance tour company and dancing in and choreographing some civic theatre shows. That all changed when my friend brought me to a student art show at Kendall College of Art and Design. I was so inspired by the students’ work and excited to learn that there were career opportunities in the art field. I began taking classes the following fall and graduated several years later with a BFA in Illustration. I got a job as a greeting card illustrator at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Missouri. I worked there for 7 1/2 years and really enjoyed it. One night, while falling asleep, I thought of an idea for a kids’ book (see more about this in the BOOKS section). Over the next few weeks I wrote the story and hopped on an airplane to New York City to try to find a publisher. No one seemed interested at the time, but I fell in love with New York so I decided to quit my job, sell my house and move there. Six months later as I was packing my things to move, Christy Ottaviano from Henry Holt and Company, called to tell me that they wanted to publish my story! It was a happy day – one of the happiest in my life!" The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut will keep you in stitches!