Alison McGauley
Alison McGauley is a special education teacher, author, and mom. She aims to create books with big heart for little readers.
As a person living with chronic illness, Alison is passionate about writing stories that speak to children and caregivers who are impacted by illness or disability. She also loves creating books that feature humor, SEL, and the natural world.
When she’s not teaching, reading, or writing, Alison adventures in local forests and trails with her family. She resides in Ontario, Canada, with her partner, two daughters, and Ragdoll cat.
If you like author Alison McGauley here is the list of authors you may also like
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Tanya Konerman
Tanya Konerman is a children’s author, writing fiction and nonfiction in both prose and verse for kids ages 0-12. Her debut picture book, Mud to the Rescue! (Web of LIfe Children's Books, 2025), is a free-verse nonfiction look at the ingenious ways animals use mud to survive and thrive.
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Tanya’s ghost story for 9-12 year-olds, “Danger in the Dunes,” was chosen to represent Indiana in the anthology for middle graders, The Haunted States of America, published by Macmillan’s Laura Godwin Books in 2024. -
Christina Shawn
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I am a wisdom-seeker, a wonder-weaver, and a magic-believer. What thrills me the most is writing about it all.
I am an author, Reading Specialist, Literacy Coach, English teacher, and mom of 3.
My first book, Lucas Plays, is about the magic of the music that is inside us all.
I have two traditionally published picture books releasing in 2025. There's Always Room for More (Maydani, Chronicle Books, March 2025)
and
No Love Potion (Miller-Gass, The Little Press, Sept 2025)
Find out more about these books and updates on new publications at ChristinaShawn.com -
Carrie Finison
Carrie Finison began her literary career at the age of seven with an idea, a box of markers, and her father’s typewriter. She has been writing off and on ever since, though she has (somewhat regretfully) traded in the typewriter for a laptop. Her picture books include DOZENS OF DOUGHNUTS, illustrated by Brianne Farley (Putnam, 2020) - a Junior Library Guild selection; DON'T HUG DOUG, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman (Putnam, 2021) - an ALA Notable Children's Book; LULU & ZOEY: A SISTER STORY, illustrated by Brittany Jackson (Running Press Kids, 2022); HURRY, LITTLE TORTOISE, TIME FOR SCHOOL, illustrated by Erin Kraan (Random House Studio, 2022). Her latest picture book is PIGS DIG A ROAD (Putnam, 2024) She lives outside Boston with her husband
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Jolene Gutiérrez
Jolene Gutiérrez grew up on a farm in northeastern Colorado, surrounded by animals, plants, and history. Now, she lives with her family and a variety of animals in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. She is an award-winning neurodivergent teacher librarian and has been working with neurodivergent learners at Denver Academy since 1995. She’s a wife of 25+ years and mama to two young adults, three dogs, two cats, and an ever-rotating variety of other rescue animals. Jolene is an active member of SCBWI and The Authors Guild, part of the KidLitCollective and Picture Book Gold groups, and a co-creator of #KidlitZombieWeek. Jolene is represented by agent Kaitlyn Sanchez of Bradford Literary. She’s a contributor to If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of
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Elizabeth Everett
Elizabeth spent 16 years as a classroom teacher before venturing into writing. She has taught elementary school, middle school, high school, and at the collegiate level where she worked with adults pursuing teacher certification.
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Inspired by her energetic youngster and his love for books, she took her background in education and meshed it with his childhood interests. The result was edu-tainment in the form of children's books!
She currently lives in Colorado with her family where they love spending time outdoors. -
Roz MacLean
Roz MacLean lives on beautiful Vancouver Island where she loves to make art, spend as much time as possible in the forest and near the ocean. While she now writes and illustrates full time, she worked for over a decade supporting students with disabilities and diverse needs in schools. Roz incorporates her passion for inclusion and promoting positive mental health in her books.
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Kirsten Pendreigh
Kirsten Pendreigh is a children’s author and poet from Vancouver.
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Her books include: MAYBE A WHALE (a JLG Gold Standard and Horn Book Fanfare Book),
WHEN A TREE FALLS (a PW Starred Review), WHAT FISH ARE SAYING (a SLJ Starred Review) and LUNA'S GREEN PET (a Today Show best book pick).
Kirsten’s poems are found in Canadian literary magazines and anthologies including Best Canadian Poetry 2021. Kirsten is a former CBC and NPR journalist. -
Tricia Torrible
Tricia Torrible enjoys writing books and poetry for children. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and 3 kids, or as she likes to call them, her “Adorable Torribles.” Tricia strongly believes that kids need laughter and attempts to fill this need, one pun at a time. When she’s not busy causing giggles or eyerolls, you might find her hiking, watching science documentaries, or searching for four-leaf clovers.
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Poetry holds a special place in Tricia’s heart, and you can find several of her poems in anthologies and magazines. She describes poetry as a dance between words. Each syllable has to take the right step, working with and balancing others, ultimately coming together to create a story or feeling. She is driven by this challenge and -
Suhasini Gupta
I'm Suhasini Gupta, author of Kai Po Che: Mini's Perfect Kite. Flying kites is one of my fondest childhood memories during my summer visits to my grandparents.
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This story was inspired by the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” After being stuck at home for over two years during the pandemic, my kids and I eagerly looked forward to the annual Indian Kite Festival. Unfortunately, we missed the event, and the disappointment felt a lot like the moment when your kite gets cut by someone else. That feeling of disappointment sparked the idea for Kai Po Che: Mini’s Perfect Kite.
“Kai po che” is a phrase in Gujarati, an Indian language, that translates to “I have cut your kite.” This story is about overcoming setbacks and the importan -
Katie Venit
Katie Venit has been writing since the fifth grade when she and her friends passed around a composition notebook in which they took turns making up. But she didn’t know she wanted to be a writer for kids (the best of all audiences, as it turns out) until her son asked her to write a book about the solar system.
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Katie has held quite a few jobs, from working at a barbeque catering company in Maryland to waiting tables at a beach in Delaware to teaching English in Japan. Now she lives in Wisconsin and works as an instructional designer helping college instructors put their courses online.
As a professional writer, Katie writes picture books and middle grade graphic novels, including Forts and Cassini’s Mission. Her nonfiction essays have appeare -
Danielle Sharkan
Danielle Sharkan is a former teacher with a background in history, politics, and languages. She has degrees in Political Science and Jewish Studies as well as Middle Eastern Studies and Secondary Education, and taught ESL for ten years. Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, she now lives with her family in Boulder, Colorado. You can find her on Twitter at @DaniraeShark.
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Jackie Morera
Jackie Morera is a Cuban American author of books for young-at-heart readers. Born and raised in Miami, Jackie now lives with her family in Central Florida. She is a wife, mom, and wildlife lover who is never far from her animal familiar: currently, a floppy black Lab named Tanner. Outside of writing, Jackie enjoys talking to the bees, caterpillars, and butterflies that visit her pollinator garden, savoring pastelitos, and cozying up for a good nap. Jackie is an active member of Las Musas and a 2025 PB Rising Stars Mentor. Jackie is the author of TOGETHER WE REMEMBER, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación; ABUELO'S FLOWER SHOP, illustrated by Deise Lino; and more!
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Gabriela Orozco Belt
Gabriela Orozco Belt is a children’s book author who lives in a small town in the Mojave Desert. Inspired by her experiences of growing up bilingual and bicultural, she writes stories for children so they can see themselves in books. Gaby’s debut picture book, Only for a Little While, serves to soften and process the feeling of being uprooted and see change as a temporary difficulty that families can get through with mutual support. When not teaching, writing, or reading, she can be found spending time with her husband, three children, and extended family.
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Dano Moreno
Dano Moreno started writing for kids when he became a father. When not writing, Dano enjoys time with his family and works as a public health advocate. He lives in Oregon with his husband and son and is represented by Charlotte Wenger.
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Jessica Shaw
Hi! I'm the author of picture books THE GREAT COOKIE KERFUFFLE (Mathical Honor Book '24) & ALICE ALONE (releasing March '25!) as well as NF books for children and young adults.
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**Pre-K teacher ** Picture book writer ** SCBWI member ** I'm all about #kids #kidlit #animals #plants #kindness
Please visit me at: https://www.authorjessicashaw.com/
for fun, free bonus content/printable activities created for The Great Cookie Kerfuffle! -
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Kirsten Pendreigh
Kirsten Pendreigh is a children’s author and poet from Vancouver.
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Her books include: MAYBE A WHALE (a JLG Gold Standard and Horn Book Fanfare Book),
WHEN A TREE FALLS (a PW Starred Review), WHAT FISH ARE SAYING (a SLJ Starred Review) and LUNA'S GREEN PET (a Today Show best book pick).
Kirsten’s poems are found in Canadian literary magazines and anthologies including Best Canadian Poetry 2021. Kirsten is a former CBC and NPR journalist. -
Lisa Tolin
Lisa Tolin (she/her) is a longtime journalist and picture book author. Her debut picture book, How to Be a Rock Star, illustrated by Daniel Duncan, publishes in 2022.
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Amanda Davis
Amanda Davis is a teacher, artist, writer, and innovator who uses her words and pictures to light up the world with kindness. After losing her father at a young age, Amanda turned to art and writing as an outlet. It became her voice. A way to cope. A way to escape. And a way to tell her story. She was thus inspired to teach art and pursue her passion for writing and illustrating children's books. Through her work, Amanda empowers younger generations to tell their own stories and offers children and adults an entryway into a world of discovery. A world that can help them make sense of themselves, others, and the community around them. A world where they can navigate, imagine, and feel inspired—over and over again. When she’s not busy creatin
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Carrie Kruck
Carrie Kruck was born and raised in Canada, studied and worked as a psychologist in Australia, and now lives in New England with her husband, two kids, and a delightful assortment of owls, foxes, and bears (oh my!). She loves swimming in lakes, snowshoeing in forests, and growing food in her garden, but you can mostly find her staring out the window with a cup of coffee (aka writing) or at www.CarrieKruck.com.
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Christina Shawn
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I am a wisdom-seeker, a wonder-weaver, and a magic-believer. What thrills me the most is writing about it all.
I am an author, Reading Specialist, Literacy Coach, English teacher, and mom of 3.
My first book, Lucas Plays, is about the magic of the music that is inside us all.
I have two traditionally published picture books releasing in 2025. There's Always Room for More (Maydani, Chronicle Books, March 2025)
and
No Love Potion (Miller-Gass, The Little Press, Sept 2025)
Find out more about these books and updates on new publications at ChristinaShawn.com -
Christine Alemshah
Christine Alemshah (she/her) is a biracial Filipina-American children’s author and classically trained vocalist; she is the author of Bea’s Balikbayan Box of Treasures. Christine writes children’s picture books championing innovation and celebrating multiculturalism, often with musical or percussive vibes. She hopes readers will see themselves in the stories she writes. Christine studied psychology and music, earning a bachelor of arts degree from Whittier College. When not writing, Christine enjoys singing karaoke and reading with her husband and two daughters under cozy blankets at their Lake Forest, California, home. Find out more about Christine at christinealemshah.com.
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Jolene Gutiérrez
Jolene Gutiérrez grew up on a farm in northeastern Colorado, surrounded by animals, plants, and history. Now, she lives with her family and a variety of animals in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. She is an award-winning neurodivergent teacher librarian and has been working with neurodivergent learners at Denver Academy since 1995. She’s a wife of 25+ years and mama to two young adults, three dogs, two cats, and an ever-rotating variety of other rescue animals. Jolene is an active member of SCBWI and The Authors Guild, part of the KidLitCollective and Picture Book Gold groups, and a co-creator of #KidlitZombieWeek. Jolene is represented by agent Kaitlyn Sanchez of Bradford Literary. She’s a contributor to If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of
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Elizabeth Everett
Elizabeth spent 16 years as a classroom teacher before venturing into writing. She has taught elementary school, middle school, high school, and at the collegiate level where she worked with adults pursuing teacher certification.
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Inspired by her energetic youngster and his love for books, she took her background in education and meshed it with his childhood interests. The result was edu-tainment in the form of children's books!
She currently lives in Colorado with her family where they love spending time outdoors. -
Carrie Kruck
Carrie Kruck was born and raised in Canada, studied and worked as a psychologist in Australia, and now lives in New England with her husband, two kids, and a delightful assortment of owls, foxes, and bears (oh my!). She loves swimming in lakes, snowshoeing in forests, and growing food in her garden, but you can mostly find her staring out the window with a cup of coffee (aka writing) or at www.CarrieKruck.com.
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Lisa Tolin
Lisa Tolin (she/her) is a longtime journalist and picture book author. Her debut picture book, How to Be a Rock Star, illustrated by Daniel Duncan, publishes in 2022.
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Jessica Shaw
Hi! I'm the author of picture books THE GREAT COOKIE KERFUFFLE (Mathical Honor Book '24) & ALICE ALONE (releasing March '25!) as well as NF books for children and young adults.
Buy books on Amazon
**Pre-K teacher ** Picture book writer ** SCBWI member ** I'm all about #kids #kidlit #animals #plants #kindness
Please visit me at: https://www.authorjessicashaw.com/
for fun, free bonus content/printable activities created for The Great Cookie Kerfuffle! -
Dano Moreno
Dano Moreno started writing for kids when he became a father. When not writing, Dano enjoys time with his family and works as a public health advocate. He lives in Oregon with his husband and son and is represented by Charlotte Wenger.
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A.J. Irving
A.J. Irving grew up in Boise, Idaho, writing stories and daydreaming about becoming an author. Now, she writes picture books and poetry beneath an old elm tree in Salt Lake City. A.J. is the author of Dance Like a Leaf, The Wishing Flower, and The Bi Book (Knopf BFYR, May 2025).
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As a children’s author and former bookmobile librarian, A.J. is passionate about inspiring kids to love books. When she’s not reading, writing, or dancing, she enjoys exploring Utah with her husband, two children, and their English bulldogs. Learn more at www.ajirving.com -
Kelly Crull
Kelly Crull is the author of a parenting book, Becoming Dad , a children's book, Clara Has a Baby Brother, and a parenting blog, spaindad.com, which was one of Google's top-ranked "baby blogs," syndicated by a number of online dad networks and featured as a link at Glamour.com. He has been featured as a new voice in parenting in various La Leche League newsletters, The Father Life magazine, AttachmentParenting.com and DIYFather.com. His parenting videos have appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Slate.com, Marca.com and have received YouTube's "Top 50 Videos of the Week" award. Kelly is originally from Iowa. He lives with his wife and two children in Madrid, Spain.
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Download a significant chunk of Kelly's most recent book, Beco -
Stephanie Gibeault
Stephanie Gibeault is a children’s author and award-winning freelance writer. As a former biologist and certified professional dog trainer, she loves writing about dogs and other animals. She is the author of Toby Tootles (Sleeping Bear Press, illustrated by Mary Sullivan), a funny picture book about social emotional learning with farting rabbits, and Can't Get Enough Dog Stuff (National Geographic Kids, co-authored with Moira Rose Donohue), a middle grade packed with canine trivia, jokes, activities, and expert interviews. And there are more books about animals to come including From Calculating Chimpanzees to Brainy Bees: Mathematical Abilities in Animals (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press, spring 2024, illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett), Making Sen
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Sylvia Chen
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Sylvia Chen is an Asian American children’s book author, with her debut picture book TRICKY CHOPSTICKS recently published in March 2024 (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster) and forthcoming picture book SPARKLES FOR SUNNY: A Lunar New Year Story slated for publication in December 2025 (Flamingo Books/Penguin Random House). As a former science fair competitor, Juilliard Pre-College piano alumni, statistics major at Columbia University, and avid researcher for both lab and market needs, her goal now is to craft picture books that spark kids’ interest in STEAM and creative thinking. She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and two sons and often stays up late into the night puzzling away with wordplay and
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Andrew Katz
Andrew Katz is a bilingual children's author based in Montreal. His first picture book, co-written with Juliana Léveillé-Trudel and illustrated by Gemini Award-winning illustrator Joseph Sherman, was How to Catch a Bear Who Loves to Read, published simultaneously in French as Comment attraper un ours qui aime lire (2018). The debut was nominated for the 2020 Forest of Reading's Prix Peuplier. His second picture book, I Just Want To Be Super!, was also published in both English and French (Je suis Super Nino!) in 2020 and won the Independent Press Distinguished Favorites award.
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Andrew's next picture book, the second book in the Julia and Bertrand series, was A Starlit Trip to the Library, or in French, Voyage de nuit à la bibli (September 2 -
Lynn Baldwin
Lynn Baldwin is a picture book author from Ann Arbor, MI, who enjoys being active outdoors, travel and speaking/studying foreign languages.
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Cynthia Mackey
Cynthia Mackey is the author of Katie Shaeffer Pancake Maker and The Lullaby Monsters and her poetry appears in The Dirigible Balloon and Little Thoughts Press, Hit the Road magazine. Her debut picture book, If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe is set for publication with Yeehoo Press in 2025. She was mentored by highly acclaimed Canadian author, Jean E. Pendziwol. With a Bachelor of Education degree, Cynthia is a nature preschool educator. She works to bring elements of joy, playfulness, and social-emotional learning to her writing. For more information, visit her website at booksbycindy.com
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Laura Bontje
Laura Bontje (she/her) is a Canadian children's book author and a freelance fiction editor.
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Her first book, Was It a Cat I Saw? (illustrated by Emma Lidia Squillari), came out in 2024. Her second, When the Air Sang (illustrated by Sarah Whang), will be released by Annick Press in April 2025. In 2026, Groundwood Books will publish Marian's Marvelous Excavation (illustrated by Scot Ritchie), the story of a young geology enthusiast who's certain she's found a dinosaur fossil. Stay tuned for more to come!
Laura was raised in Calgary, Alberta, and now lives in London, Ontario. -
Elayne Crain
Elayne Crain is a proud writer of childish (and often laughable) things. She loves walks in the woods with her sons and partner, lively karaoke, and wildlife—especially the stacked-in-a-trench-coat sort.
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Katie Lee Reinert
Katie Lee Reinert is a picture book author who loves writing books about the magic of imagination that will inspire kids and make them laugh. She lives outside of Portland, Oregon with her family where she loves exploring new hiking trails in the summer and trying to stay dry in the winter.
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Her upcoming books include Ready to Smile Again (Gnome Road Publishing, 2025), Sloths and Their Moths (Tielmour Press, 2026), and Emma Wasn't Ready (Lawley Publishing, 2026) -
Mary Boone
Mary Boone has ridden an elephant, jumped out of an airplane, hung out backstage with a boy band, and baked dozens of cricket cookies – all in the interest of research for her books and magazine articles. She’s written more than 70 nonfiction books for young readers, ranging from inventor biographies to how-to craft guides.
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Mary grew up in rural Iowa. Prior to writing books, she reported and edited for several daily newspapers.
She now lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband, Mitch, and children, Eve and Eli. Mary loves being outdoors, reading, and hanging out with her very energetic Airedale Terrier, Ruthie Bader. -
Kim A. Larson
Kim A. Larson enjoys all forms of writing: fiction, nonfiction, essay, poetry, children’s books, biblical studies, etc. Her content is consistently warm, authentic, family-friendly, with a lot of heart.
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In her Bible study “Unraveling Fairly Tales: Learning to Live Happily Ever After,” Kim shares insights from her spiritual journey with God. She’s convinced of God’s goodness and his ability “to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20, KJV).
Kim has taught Sunday school, vacation Bible school, and led Bible studies and a single mom’s ministry. It brings her joy to share God’s heart at Women’s retreats, MOPs meetings, Mother-daughter programs or other Women’s events. She is married to her best friend, Chuck, and -
Ronni Diamondstein
Ronni Diamondstein is a children’s book author, journalist, award-winning photographer and retired school library media and teacher of gifted and talented students in the U.S. and abroad.
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As an avid reader since childhood, libraries, books, and writing are her life’s work. Ronni immersed herself in the world of children’s literature and nurtured her students’ creativity by sharing her love of books.
Ronni grew up reading and writing stories and creating writing opportunities for herself. In high school, Ronni successfully pitched a column for the school newspaper, so she had a voice. Many years later, she gave a voice to her toy poodle by creating the Maggie Mae Pup Reporter column in a local magazine writing from a dog’s point of view that -
Jenny Andrus
Jenny's debut picture book Elsa's Chessboard, published by Neal Porter Books, came out in April 2025. Her writing is inspired by her 14 years as a K-8 school librarian, where she shared picture books with kids every day. In the spring, you will find Jenny out on the bluffs of Northern California volunteering as a harbor seal docent. She's currently working on a true story about an abandoned seal pup. Visit Jenny at jennyandruswrites.com
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Carol Baldwin
Since I was a child I have loved reading and have maintained a journal off and on for more than 30 years. My book, "Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8" (Maupin House, 2007) reflects these twin passions of reading and writing. "If you want to write, read!" I am presently writing my first young adult novel, you can find out more under the "Half-Truths" tab. I love to read, listen to audio books, garden, teach writing, and am learning to golf. I co-publish the "Talking Story" newsletter with Joyce Hostetter, am a judge for the fiction contests sponsored by the Center for Writing Excellence, and enjoy teaching writing-- particularly to young people who love to write!
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Evelyn Bookless
Evelyn grew up in the wild and windy west of Ireland. She spent her time playing in the trees with her siblings, making up games, and getting up to plenty of mischief.
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Evelyn has always loved to read. Her favorite part of the week was when the school bus stopped at the library on the way home. Everyone flocked in, as if they had never seen a book before in their lives, and dove for their favorites before it was too late!
And with only two TV channels at the time, and no internet, she played JINX... a lot! She was eventually released from a particularly long JINX, so that she could study English at university and later became a teacher.
Evelyn now lives in Spain and her favorite place to be is in the sea, dreaming up silly stuff.
Evelyn has wri -
Paulette Bochnig Sharkey
After a career as a librarian, Paulette Bochnig Sharkey turned to writing. She is the author of two library reference books and dozens of articles for parenting publications and children’s magazines. A DOLL FOR GRANDMA: A STORY ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE is her first picture book, inspired by her work as a volunteer pianist in memory-care homes.
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