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FEATURED BOOKS

I'm excited to announce THE SUPREME COURT AND US! It introduces young readers to the history and functioning of the U.S. Supreme Court, by way of a pair of lively protagonists who take a tour of Washington, D.C. Illustrated by Neely Daggett and published by Albert Whitman, this picture book is great for ages 6 to 10.

Calling it a "child-friendly legal primer," Kirkus says this "creative and informative" book "will be a great addition to home and school libraries."

Looking for more great kids' books about the Court? I've posted my top five recommendations, here.

Available online at Bear Pond Books. If you order there, I'll personalize and sign your copy. (Just leave your instructions in the "comments" box at the end of the online order form.) And thanks for supporting local indie bookstores.

Welcome! Feel free to look around! There’s information here about my books, events, and writing. Questions? Fill out the contact form.

PATIENCE, PATCHES!, illustrated by Sheryl Murray, is a fictional picture book. I hope you love it! Patches the dog considers himself supremely patient ... but his forbearance is tested when a new baby joins his family. Luckily, he finds that patience has its sweet reward. A great book for dog lovers, baby lovers, and parents-to-be. (Published by Dial/Penguin Random House, April 19, 2022.)

Order it online at Bear Pond Books and I will personalize and sign your copy. Just leave your instructions in the "comments" box at the end of the online order form.

The multi-talented illustrator, Sheryl Murray, and I recorded a virtual storytime -- with a cool origami puppy craft -- you can access here. Sheryl's origami template is available here. Enjoy!!

Barefoot Books WATER: A Deep Dive of Discovery, is a Gold Winner in the Nautilus Book Awards and is gorgeously illustrated by Mariona Cabassa. It's filled with fun features like flaps and fold-outs.

Kirkus Reviews gave WATER a STAR and called it "Oceanic in scope--but clear and refreshing!"

Dive in, and immerse yourself in fascinating facts about water!
Watch the trailer and read more here.

Want a SIGNED COPY? Order online at Bear Pond Books. I'll sign and personalize your book. (Just scroll to the end of the online order form to request your personalization.)

Purchase from Bookshop.org

FREE FOR YOU AND ME: What Our First Amendment Means is full of poems and stories about our First Amendment freedoms, with kid-friendly illustrations by Manu Montoya. It's a lively book for young readers (and I hear from adults that they love it too)!
Indie bookstore Bear Pond Books is a great place to order it online, and if you make a request on the order form, I will sign and personalize your copy. More information here.
Want to know more about the book? Watch this awesome BOOK REVIEW video by Mrs. Dunlap's fourth grade class.

Looking for more great kids' books about civic engagement? I've posted my top five recommendations, here.

PLUS: A Teacher's Guide, from Curious City.

Purchase from Bookshop.org

HEY, HEY, HAY!
(A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make them)
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year, and recommended by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.

Teacher's Guide available here

A rhyming romp in the hayfields, this tale follows a mother-daughter team making hay on their farm --with tractors!
Order a signed book online through Bear Pond Books, here.

Read about what inspired me to write HEY, HEY, HAY, here.
Purchase from Bookshop.org

DIET FOR A CHANGING PLANET: Food for Thought
(Twenty-first Century Books/Lerner 2018)
Short-listed for the Green Earth Book Awards, this YA nonfiction invites readers to consider how their food choices affect the environment ... and how eating unexpected dishes is a stop toward healing the earth. Crickets, weeds, invasive species -- check it out!

Represented by Erzsi Deàk
Hen & Ink Literary

I love the magic and power of words, and I'm convinced that writing for kids is the best job ever. I'm always learning something new . . . about topics from the machines that make hay to eating invasive insects, from solar power to jumbo squids to unsung heroes to the magic of the water cycle. I write articles, stories, essays, poems, and books. I'm particularly drawn to nonfiction.

I am a founding member of GROG, the group blog for writers and readers of children’s literature. I have lived in Oregon, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, California, and Spain. I'm now settled happily with my family in rural Vermont, where I write at a table overlooking fields and forests, under the supervision of my dog and my cat. Want to know more about my “writing life”? Click HERE.