I write picture books, poetry books, and early chapter books - both fiction and non-fiction. My books come out of my life and my interests. Many are closely connected to the school curriculum. A number are included in state reading lists, the International Reading Association Lists, Notable Book Lists  and Best Books lists. The age range for readers starts at 3 and goes up to 13 These books feature people I know, or those I wonder about. They describe places I’ve been, animals I’ve seen, experiences, I’ve had, but in every case, the people, places, animals and experiences are enhanced, enlivened, and changed by the power of story.

     At the present time, my books focus on four topics: school, holidays, animals and history. I started by writing about what I knew. I love to write about the wacky, wonderful world of school. My first book, Did You See What I Saw? Poems about School, continues to speak to today's students. The poems romp through the bus stop, the playground, the hallways, the chicken pox, the classrooms, holidays, and the joy of reading. My Teacher for President shares the hard work and devotion of teachers in a humorous way, as the reader watches Mrs. Robbins wend her way through daily duties similar to those performed in the White House.  This School Year Will Be THE BEST celebrates days to come as youngsters gather in the classroom to share goals, wishes, hopes and dreams for the new school year.

      My holiday books include The Teeny Tiny Ghost  series, and two lift- the- flap books Whooo’s That ( Halloween) and Who’s Coming for Christmas. The Teeny Tiny Ghost  series will soon be available in the ebook format.

     As for my animal books, Wolf Watch, and Tiger Trail  are narrative non- fiction presentations of the lives of a family of wolves and one of tigers. I also did a small textbook, Penguins on Parade.  My first early chapter book was Where are the Bears? and in 2012 a new chapter book about a mischievous brother and sister bear, The Bears Go to Town, will be published by Albert Whitman Company.

     I have recently been drawn to history. When I was a student, I have to confess I hated history. Who cared about all those dates, those lists of events? What did they have to do with me? It was only as an author that I discovered the “story” in history. Abe Lincoln,The Boy who Loved Books was my first historical venture. I found I loved finding out and writing about people’s lives. Lincoln was  followed by Voices of Ancient Egypt. The voices theme has long been a favorite. As a teacher, reading specialist, language arts consultant and college instructor, I used the idea of voices to help my students bring their writing alive. I moved on to Colonial Voices - Hear Them Speak, a picture book for students in grades 3-8. Each double spread features a poem and portrait of a worker or craftsperson on the day of the Boston Tea Party. You can hear the conflict as Patriots, Loyalists, and those in-between wrangle with the idea of continuing as subjects of King George or becoming independent.  Delicious details have been included in Larry Day’s paintings.(see below). Voices from the Oregon Trail, also illustrated by Larry, will be released in 2013.

Whatever the topic, the genre, or the reading level, it is the magic of story that compels me to discover, explore and create.