Janet Ruth Heller (How the Moon Regained Her Shape) has her Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago. After a career of almost 30 years of teaching at various colleges and universities, she is currently an assistant professor for the English Department at Western Michigan University. She has taught a wide variety of classes, including creative writing and literature for children. Janet is a prolific writer of poetry and stories that have been published in a wide variety of magazines and journals. She is a founding mother of Primavera, a literary magazine based in Chicago. Her book of literary criticism, Coleridge, Lamb, Hazlitt, and the Reader of Drama, was published in 1990 by the University of Missouri Press.

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John Himmelman (Tudley Didn't Know) has written and/or illustrated over 60 children's books since 1981. His award-winning book "Pipaluk and the Whales" (published by National Geographic) is based on the true story of how far people will go to save their wild neighbors. John's "Nature Upclose" series of 13 different books (published by Children's Press, a division of Scholastic) includes such titles as: A Monarch Butterfly's Life, A Pillbug's Life, A Luna Moth's Life, and A Woodfrog's, Life. He based his Animal Rescue Club (Harper Collins) beginning reader book on a group of real children who rescued orphaned and injured wildlife. John's first book for adults, Discovering Moths, was recently published by Downeast Books. Most of John's book stem from his obvious passion for animals and nature. When John isn't busy writing or illustrating his books, he is involved with the CT Butterfly Association, the Killingworth Land Conservation Trust, leads nature walks and gives natural history lectures throughout the country. He works with schools by offering special science observation programs, and teaches courses on children's book writing. As if he isn't busy enough, John has two children (one in college and one in high school) and a working wife (high school art teacher) with a busy life of her own. John says he has never lost his love of reading and ends each day curled up in bed with a good book! To visit his Web site, click here.

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Ron Hirschi (Ocean Seasons) lives on a small island in western Washington and walks the beach most days of the year. As a biologist, he also spends much time on the water, learning about and helping salmon and other aquatic fish and wildlife. As an author, he brings the excitement of what he learns onto the pages of books for young readers. Ron has written over 50 children’s books. His books have been listed as Best Science Trade Books of the year, and won the John Burroughs Nature Book among other awards. Several of his books have been featured on Reading Rainbow. In addition to writing, Ron enjoys working directly with kids and takes them outside during his many school visits. They net fish to study water quality or search for frogs and salamanders in small ponds. They also study ocean life and it was on a trip to the beach with a group of elementary students that he got the idea for this book. Ron helped to raise the funds to purchase a tidal wetland that is now an environmental learning center and critical habitat for endangered salmon. His book, Salmon, remains a fund raiser for this (Nick’s Lagoon) project. To visit his Web site, click here.
 
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Catherine Ipcizade (pronounced ip-chi-zah'-deh) ('Twas the Day Before Zoo Day) has written for numerous publications, both in print and on-line, and also works as an assistant editor for Thirteen Minutes Magazine. In addition to writing and blogging, Catherine likes to spend time with her husband and two children, cozy up with a good book, spend time in the kitchen cooking and baking, and practicing photography. Catherine is a member of SCBWI and volunteers for The Little Owl Mentoring Program, a program that pairs published writers with high school students who wish to be writers. In addition to T’was the Day Before Zoo Day, she also has also written African Animals: Giraffes; African Animals: Lions; and African Animals: Zebras. Catherine and her family live in southern California. To visit her Web site, click here.                                      

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Gail Langer Karwoski (Water Beds, River Beds, and Julie the Rockhound) is an award-winning children’s book writer. In addition to Julie the Rockhound and Water Beds: Sleeping in the Ocean (Mom’s Choice Best Children’s Picture Book Author for 2005), published by Sylvan Dell, Gail has written six other books for young readers including: Tsumani: The True Story of an April Fool’s Day Disaster and Quake! Disaster in San Francisco, 1906. Before becoming a full time author, Gail taught in Georgia public schools. She frequently returns to schools as a visiting author. Gail married a rockhound. On their honeymoon, they hiked through lush western forests and stark “forests” of petrified wood. They dove into foamy aquamarine waves in the Pacific Ocean and dug into crumbly turquoise deposits in the Southwestern desert. Since then, they’ve gone “treasure hunting” for geodes, fossils, and crystals. At the schools where she taught, her classroom was famous because of the “rock box.” Now, as owners of a quartz deposit in South Carolina where visitors can try their luck at digging for crystals, Gail and her husband have watched hundreds of people – both young and old – delight in finding sparkly quartz crystals. She wrote Julie the Rockhound to share this delight in our earth’s treasures with children and their parents. Gail lives near the University of Georgia with her husband, two daughters, and three bossy cats.  To visit her Web site, click here.                                                                                        

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Kevin Kurtz (A Day in the Salt Marsh) has loved books and nature since he was a child. He holds degrees in English literature and elementary education and started his professional career by working as a research assistant in a marine biology laboratory. While assisting on a research project to study some of the inhabitants of salt marshes, he quickly became fascinated with this ever-changing, ever-beautiful environment. For most of the past decade, he has combined all of these experiences by working as an environmental educator and curriculum writer for organizations such as the South Carolina Aquarium, the International Center for Birds of Prey, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and the South Carolina Marine Educators Association. During this time, he has written and edited the South Carolina Aquarium's award-winning K-8 curriculum, as well as curriculum activities for the World Wildlife Fund, NOAA, the College of Charleston's COASTeam project and the Inter! national Center for Birds of Prey. A Day in the Salt Marsh is his first published children's book. Kevin currently resides in the the Willamette Valley of Oregon where he is pursuing a Ph.D. degree at the University of Oregon studying environmental literature. To visit his Web site, click here.

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Karen Lee (ABC Safari)

has turned from illustrator to author/illustrator with ABC Safari. A visit to the Mote Marine Aquarium with her family inspired a series of drawings and poems beginning with the manatees she discovered there. She comments “They are surprisingly beautiful, comical, and graceful.” Her sketchbook soon represented animals from all over the world. Karen has spent over three years on this project which was the runner up for the 2005 SCBWI Don Freeman Grant. She is also the recipient of the 2004 SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for Illustration for her wok in Highlights For Children. Karen has illustrated two other books for Sylvan Dell, One Odd Day and My Even Day. She and her husband, also an illustrator, are raising their family outside of Raleigh, NC. Karen’s children join her on many research trips to museums, zoos and aquariums – tough job, but someone has to do it!  To visit her Web site, click here.                                    

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Barbara Mariconda (Sort it Out!) is one of those people who “has done it all!” An educator (K-6), a mentor teacher, an adjunct professor of Children’s Literature and Process Writing, Barbara has also written a wide variety of musicals, songs, and books. She has worked with Children’s Television Workshop and Cherry Lane music on the creative staff of the Sesame Street Music Magazine. In addition to writing workbooks and beginning readers, her middle grade novel, Turn the Cup Around, was nominated for an Edgar Allan Poe Award for best children’s mystery.  She has also published numerous professional books for teachers, frequently speaks on the topic of writing for and with children, and provides professional development for teachers at seminars across the country. She is a partner in the educational seminar/consulting firm, Empowering Writers, LLC., and is a member of SCBWI. Barbara recognized that sorting and categorizing, so clearly recognized as a math and science skill, also powerfully relates to writing.  In order to write in an organized fashion, to group like details with broader main ideas, to recognize the ways in which main ideas in a piece of writing may overlap and therefore encourage redundancy, it all comes down to the writer’s ability to think critically and sort things out.  Barbara’s huge collections of sea glass, pottery shards, glass paperweights, nutcrackers, wine bottle corks, and cowboy boots, all artfully sorted and arranged, served as the inspiration for this book. To visit her Web site, click here.                                                  

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John McGranaghan (Saturn for My Birthday) has always been fascinated by outer space but it was his youngest son, Kyle, who asked for the planet Saturn for his fourth birthday. That request became the inspiration for Saturn for My Birthday. John has also written stories and articles for Boys’ Quest Magazine, Pockets Magazine, Columbia Magazine, and local newspapers. He is winner of the 2001 Pockets Fiction Contest. When John isn’t writing, he enjoys sports and spending time with his wife and two boys. John currently works as a school counselor in the Philadelphia suburbs. This is his first picture book. To visit his Web site, click here.

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Susan K. Mitchell (The Rainforest Grew All Around and Kersplatypus) is a children’s author with many hats in her collection: author, mom, wife, pre-school teacher, and Spanish teacher. Susan loves creating a silly world of words for kids.  The idea of Kersplatypus quite literally came from a word she made up when her youngest daughter fell down one day. Surrounded by kids all day, every day, she has no shortage of story ideas. Susan is also the author of two other picture books: The Rainforest Grew All Around and Stone Pizza. She has also written more than fourteen non-fiction chapter books for older readers on topics ranging from entertainment to architecture to animals.  Susan, her husband, and two wonderful daughters live outside of Houston with their dog and two crazy cats. To visit her Web site, click here.                                                  

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Mary Alice Monroe (Turtle Summer) is the best-selling author of adult novels: The Beach House, Sweetgrass, Skyward, The Book Club, The Four Seasons, and Girl in the Mirror. The sequel to The Beach House, Swimming Lessons, is being released by Mira in April 2007. Mary Alice’s first children’s book, Turtle Summer: A Journal for my Daughter is a companion book to that adult novel. Mary Alice has written stories for as long as she can remember. As a child she could always be found curled up with a book or writing. One of her strongest memories is her first trip to the public library. She couldn't believe all those books were there for her! When they gave her her first library card, she felt as though she'd been given the keys to a candy shop for her imagination. She started her writing career by writing plays and musicals that she and her brothers and sisters performed. As an adult, she freelanced as a non-fiction journalist and authored or co-authored several nonfiction titles. Not until years later did fate intervene. When her doctor confined her to bed for the final months of her pregnancy, Mary Alice’s husband handed her a yellow notepad and pencil and urged her to write the novel she had always dreamed about. Knowing she might never again have that gift of time, she wrote and wrote. “I gave birth to a baby and a book,” she says. Eight books later, Mary Alice cannot imagine not writing. She draws themes for her books from nature and the parallels with human nature. And, she hopes that by bringing to life the beauty and mystery of the fabulously varied Lowcountry ecosystem and various endangered species, readers will perhaps be inspired to support efforts to protect them. Mary Alice is actively involved with several environmental groups including the South Carolina Center for Birds of Prey, The Island Turtle Team, and is on the board of the South Carolina Aquarium (home of the Sea Turtle Hospital). Her work with these groups provided the inspiration for her novels and children’s book.   To visit her website, click here.

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Doris L. Mueller (pronounced Miller) (The Best Nest) has been a teacher and professor at every level from kindergarten through graduate school. She currently teaches college-level writing courses and a class in Children’s Literature. Her previous books include a picture book, Small One’s Adventure, a middle-grade novel, Marryin’ Sam, and a biography, M. Jeff Thompson: Missouri’s Swamp Fox. Doris recalls that whenever she failed to listed to instructions, her mother would tell her an Old English Tale of how, when the magpie tried to teach the birds how to build a beautiful, strong nest like hers, all but one failed to attend to her instructions and went off to build inadequate nests. She retold the story, substituting birds native to the US, and added factual information telling how various birds build their nests. Doris and her husband live on a small lake outside of St. Louis and have many bird visitors at their bird feeders—woodpeckers, humming birds, nuthatches, and goldfinches, among others. Their own children are grown and have flown the nest.

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Terry Pierce (Blackberry Banquet) is the author of sixteen children’s books, including picture books, easy readers, joke books, and non-fiction. Terry now writes full-time, teaches children’s writing workshops and is a visiting author at elementary schools. She also proudly serves on the Ventura/Santa Barbara regional board of the SCBWI. Terry was inspired to write Blackberry Banquet by her son (now grown) and their berry-picking family vacations in Oregon. Even though he hated bees (which frequented the blackberry bushes), he knew the lessons of The Little Red Hen and would help her to pick berries anyway. Terry lives in the high desert of California with her husband of thirty years, one goldfish, and a brown bobtailed cat. To visit her webiste click here.

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Doreen Rathmell (Octavia and Her Purple Ink Cloud) and her sister, Donna (see Carolina's Story above) collaborated on this book. Doreen is an elementary school teacher and former elementary school librarian. This is Doreen's first book. Both sisters have a passion for children's books and believe that reading to children is the best way to instill imagination and a love for learning. The annual family beach reunion and a Discovery Channel program about octopuses sparked the beginnings of "Octavia."

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Donna Rathmell (Carolina's Story and Octavia) is the author of 16 cookbooks, four of which were New York Times best-sellers including The Bread Machine Cookbook Series, which have sold more than 3 million copies. The 1990's brought extensive media experience promoting her cookbooks, with appearances on such nationally respected programs as The Today Show, The 700 Club, Attitudes with Linda Dano, QVC, and a host of other radio and television programs.

Donna is a volunteer at the South Carolina Aquarium, where she has developed a keen interest in their sea turtle rescue program. It was there that she met Barbara Bergwerf, the photographer for Carolina's Story. Two of life's inspirations led to the writing of Carolina's Story: one day, several years ago, the dock master at the marina called to ask Donna to safeguard an injured sea turtle that stranded nearby. As she and her daughter waited for the rescue team to arrive, she began to think about the importance of helping endangered turtles thrive in their natural environment. The second inspiration occurred when Donna was introduced to the Sea Turtle Hospital. She recalled an incident from years before when her then five-year-old daughter was injured in a fall and had to be rushed to a nearby Children's Hospital. The terrifying experience of emergency surgery and the attendant tests and medications brought to mind the same treatments she was seeing with the turtles. She saw both experiences as a way to increase children's awareness and respect for the natural world, and wrote a book that is also an invaluable resource for educating children on what to expect from their own medical treatment.                                     

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Katherine Rawson (If You Were a Parrot) was inspired to write this book by watching her own pet parrot, Shadow, a small green parrot with a big personality. When Katherine is not playing with, reading or writing about parrots, she teaches English as a Second Language at a community college and works as a freelance writer. She is a former elementary school teacher. Katherine lives in Vermont.

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Mara Rockliff (Pieces of Another World) has been a professional writer for children and adults since 1991. Her own favorite meteor shower was one she watched with a group of friends on a bitterly cold night. They threw a pile of old blankets on the ground and huddled close together, telling jokes and singing songs as they stared up into the clear night sky, afraid to blink and miss one of these tiny bits of other, distant worlds as they blazed into our own. She lives in Blacksburg, Virginia with her family. While she has written many beginning readers, textbooks, essays, and magazine articles, Pieces of Another World is her first picture book. To visit her Web site, click here.                        

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Suzanne Slade (Animals are Sleeping) is the author of over 50 books for children. She has written biographies and books on topics such as planets, atoms, backyard bugs, elements, cycles in nature, and outdoor adventures. Animals are Sleeping helps feed a young child’s curiosity and fascination about different animals and it provides parents with a fun, educational, and enjoyable book that children will enjoy as part of their bedtime routine. Suzanne was inspired to write this book during a Thanksgiving weekend drive past Amish farms. Her daughter pointed to a horse and announced, “You know, they sleep standing up!” Suzanne researched animal sleep behaviors and expanded the text to include the places, positions, and duration that animals sleep. During an earlier engineering career, she worked on Delta rockets and designed automotive braking systems. Suzanne lives and writes outside Chicago with her husband, two children, and six-pound dog named Corduroy (who usually sleeps lying down on his round, puffy bed near a heating vent). To go to her Web site, click here.

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Dani Sneed (One Odd Day and My Even Day) is a mother of three, full-time engineer, part-time writer and former substitute teacher. While teaching, Dani enjoyed explaining math in silly, but memorable, ways. Oddly enough, she was inspired to co-author One Odd Day based on a conversation she had with an elementary school librarian. My Even Day is a natural follow on to that quite odd book and there may even be a fraction of a book in the future! Dani has written several articles for Highlights for Children and five merit badge books for Boy Scouts of America including Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Geology, and is working on more. She has two co-authored bilingual books; Confetti Eggs / Cascarones and Punched Paper / Papel Picado. Dani lives in the suburbs of Houston with her family which includes a dog, Muffin and a cat, Cupcake. They are currently looking for a pet to name Biscuit. 

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David A. Ufer (The Giraffe Who Was Afraid of Heights) says that this story has been floating around in his head for several years now and has spent lots of hours at the zoo watching some of these animals to get a feel for their behavior and personalities. David hopes that this book will help children overcome some of their own fears. He is looking forward to the day when he may be able to leave the corporate world behind and become a full-time author – perhaps writing and traveling across the country.

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Andrea Vlahakis (Christmas Eve Blizzard) is a busy children's author, having been published in Highlights for Children, Turtle, Ladybug and Appleseeds. In addition to her own writing, Andrea is an instructor at the Institute of Children's Literature. A large portion of Andrea's work revolves around nature and birds. The inspiration for this book comes from her childhood home—when she was eight, her father hung a cardinal-red birdfeeder from their old apple tree and her love of bird watching was born. It also comes from her own rescue of a bird during a blizzard a few years ago, with the help of an equally snowbound wildlife rescue person on the other end of the phone. Andrea lives in Connecticut surrounded by woods, streams, and lots of birds to watch.

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Loran Wlodarski (If a Dolphin Were a Fish) is a science writer for SeaWorld and has written six books for them in addition to his many normal daily responsibilities. He has been published in sources such as Grolier's Encyclopedia for Children and The Marine Mammal Encyclopedia. In addition, he has served as a scientific consultant for "Ask Magazine", Random House Books, Animal Planet, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Loran has raised animals his entire life. One of his early jobs at SeaWorld's Education Department was to raise some of their animals - newly hatched sharks, macaws, turtles, tropical fish, and iguanas. Loran lives with his wife and child in Florida.                                                                                           

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Profiles for our new fall 2009 authors are coming soon: