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Cindy Savage
Cindy
Savage has written more than 300 stories and articles and over 40 books.
Willowisp Press has published 24 of her books, including her Forever Friends Club series and numerous boys’ and girls’ adventures, for middle-grade through high school readers.
Ms. Savage has written for the book fair market, the trade, packagers, and religious publishing houses. Among her publishers are HarperCollins, Scholastic, Bantam, and Berkeley. Journey to Mount Eternity (One World, 1994), Ghosts at Four O’Clock (Athena, 1994), and Kick Back (Athena, 1998) are her most recent books.
For the last three years, she has concentrated on the short story and dramatic play market, and writing curriculum for elementary textbooks. She currently teaches writing at a community college.
Mary Hertz Scarbrough
Mary
Hertz Scarbrough is a master in the art of writing nonfiction. She has written
more than 100 encyclopedia articles, several magazine articles, and two books;
she has also contributed to several adult reference titles.
Ms. Scarbrough’s entry into the children’s market came after selling articles to Highlights for Children and Muse. Since then, she has published two nonfiction children’s books, Long Distance Communication (Blackbirch, 2003) and The Battle of Harlem Heights (Blackbirch, 2004), the last of which is part of Blackbirch’s Triangle Histories of the Revolutionary War series, called a “young historian’s delight” by School Library Journal.
She has also contributed to the classroom reference book Constitutional Amendments: 1789 to the Present (Gale, 2000), called “an authoritative but highly readable work” by Booklist.
A former lawyer, Ms. Scarbrough practiced law for ten years before launching a freelance writing career. She now enjoys mixing writing with teaching. In 2005 she designed and taught a class for Buena Vista University on writing for magazines.
More on Mary Hertz Scarbrough’s books
Jan Schulz
Award-winning
author Jan Schulz’s stories are filled with adventure, tragedy, triumph—and a
good dose of reality. A fifth-generation Minnesotan, Ms. Schulz has a lively
interest in Minnesota history, an avocation that has become the mother lode from
which she mines her stories.
Her first novel, Horse Sense (Carolrhoda, 2001), was based on the author’s own family history and was described by Publishers Weekly as a “fast-paced novel [that] offers crackling adventure in a colorful period setting . . . a satisfying read.” Horse Sense was a finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Award and one of Bank Street College of New York’s Best Children’s Books of 2002.
Her second book, Firestorm (Carolrhoda, 2002), won the Minnesota Book Award in 2003.
Ms. Schulz has been awarded two McKnight Foundation Individual Artist Grants and the Writer’s Mentorship Award from the Minnesota chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is also the founder and facilitator of a critique group, Night Writers.
“My instructor’s great! She’s a sensitive person, a really caring teacher who knows just how to point out the flaws in my writing without being offensive. I recommend her to anyone who wants to be a writer.”
—Joan Ackley, Shingletown, CA
Katherine Scraper
Katherine
Scraper relishes writing books and resource materials for children and teachers.
Lots is part of Ms. Scraper’s Meet Quill series (Zaner-Bloser Educational Publishers, 2003) for beginning readers, featuring a loveable porcupine. A second set of Quill books is currently in production. Search and Sort: Discovering Patterns in Sounds, Letters, and Words was published by Educators Publishing Service, Inc. (2002).
Other books for teachers by Katherine Scraper include Collecting Words: Teaching Phonemic Awareness Using Picture Patterns (Carson-Dellosa Publishing Company, 2000), Horsing Around: Making Sense of Everyday Idioms (Good Year Books, 2001), and Nonfiction Reading Practice—Grade 1 (Evan-Moor Educational Publishers, 2003).
Ms. Scraper has completed over 30 writing assignments for Benchmark Education Company, including children’s biographies of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Matthew Henson, and George Washington Carver (2001).
A graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, Ms. Scraper’s stories and articles have appeared in Early Years, Teen Talk, Challenge, Virtue, Wonder Time, Living With Children, Pockets, Schooldays, and The Kansas Journal of Reading.
More on Katherine Scraper’s books
Pegi Deitz Shea
“A
moving representation of the dreams of refugees everywhere”
is how
Booklist
described The Whispering Cloth (Boyds Mills Press, 1995), Pegi Deitz
Shea’s picture book about a Hmong girl confined to a refugee camp. The book
was selected as a Notable by the International Reading Association,
the National Council of Teachers of English, and the National Council for the Social
Studies.
Ms. Shea has published more than 200 stories, books, articles, and poems for children and adults. Her first book was Bungalow Fungalow (Clarion, 1991), followed by Whispering Cloth and New Moon (Boyds Mills Press, 1996). Tangled Threads (Clarion, 2003) won the Connecticut Book Award for children’s literature and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly.
Her other publications include a middle-grade biography, Ekaterina Gordeeva (Chelsea House); I See Me, a board book for HarperCollins; and fiction that will appear in Highlights for Children and Ladybug.
Her picture books include Carpet Boy (Tilbury House, 2002) and Ten Mice for Tet (Chronicle Books, 2003).
More on Pegi Deitz Shea’s books
Victoria Sherrow
Since
1985, Victoria Sherrow has published more than 60 books—many of them
award-winners.
Her first two sales, both to Harper & Row, were picture books. More recent titles include: Chipmunk at Hollow Tree Lane (Soundprints, 1994); Mohandas K. Ghandhi: The Power of the Spirit (Millbrook Press, 1994); The Nez Perces (Millbrook Press, 1994); Hardship and Hope: America and the Great Depression (Twenty-First Century Books, 1996); Bioethics and High-Tech Medicine (Twenty-First Century Books, 1996); Women and the Military (ABC-CLIO, 1996); From Smoke to Flame and The Blaze Engulfs in the Holocaust series (Blackbirch Press, 1998); and Encyclopedia of Youth and War (2000).
Her titles for 2001 include Bats (Lucent Books); Titanic (Scholastic Books); and Cuba (Millbrook Press).
Ms. Sherrow’s stories and articles have appeared in publications such as Highlights, The Friend, Humpty Dumpty, Children’s Playmate, Children’s Digest, and Pennywhistle Press.
More on Victoria Sherrow’s books
“I appreciate all of my instructor’s corrective help and suggestions. Her comments are lengthy and all-inclusive. She is frank, encouraging, and eager to help. In short, I am pleased she is my instructor and, if successful, I will owe much to her.”
—Paul R. Doyle, Escondido, CA
Carolyn Short
“‘Punky’
stood out like a shining star” is what Janet Hoover, then editor of Turtle,
said about a story by Carolyn Short. It appeared in the October-November
’93
issue of Turtle, and it later was published by the Institute of
Children’s Literature in an anthology.
Ms. Short has published nearly 200 articles and stories in such magazines as Highlights for Children, Pockets, Junior Trails, Turtle, Parish Teacher, The Home Altar, Children’s Playmate, Once Upon A Time, Ranger Rick, Holidays & Seasonal Celebrations, Touch, On the Line, and Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr. She has also written Sunday School materials for Augsburg Fortress Publishers.
After earning her master’s degree at Cornell University, Ms. Short taught fourth and fifth grades. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and she has attended the annual Highlights Foundation Writers’ Workshop at Chautauqua, New York.
Buffy Silverman
Buffy
Silverman’s love of the natural world inspires much of her writing.
Her nonfiction activity book, Birds, is part of School Zone’s I Know It! science series. She is also the author of Bat’s Night Out, an early reader, published by Richard C. Owen in 2000. Her recent books include Genetics (2003) and Molds and Fungi (2004), both part of Kidhaven Press’s Science Library series.
In addition to her nonfiction work, Ms. Silverman enjoys writing fiction. Her first mystery story, “Bubbe’s Potatoes,” won second prize in the Children’s Writer middle-grade mystery contest in 2000 and was published by Highlights in 2002.
More than 30 of her articles, stories, and poems have been accepted by Ladybug, Spider, Cricket, Highlights for Children, Odyssey, and other magazines. “Turtle Time,” a story that first appeared in Ladybug, was reprinted in a children’s textbook in English and Spanish. Ms. Silverman has been selected as a featured author on the Ladybug Parent’s Companion (April 2003) website.
More on Buffy Silverman’s books
Linda Skeers
When
Linda Skeers decided to study the craft of writing, she enrolled in the
Institute of Children’s Literature writing course. It wasn’t long after
completing the course that her humorous stories began appearing in magazines
such as Turtle and Humpty Dumpty’s Magazine.
Her helpful and informative articles have appeared on the Institute’s website: “Beyond Once Upon a Time!” (June 2001), “Bumper Crop” (March 2002), “Nifty Niches for Nonfiction” (May 2002), “Slice of Life” (December 2002), and “Presto-Chango! Turn Your Favorite Fiction into Nonfiction!” She has also done two online discussion groups: “Children’s Books from a Librarian’s Perspective” (May 10, 2001) and “Finding the Story in Nonfiction” (July 10, 2003).
Ms. Skeers received the Award of Outstanding Merit from the Mississippi Valley Writer’s Conference for her historical fiction manuscript. For several years, Ms. Skeers was on the reading committee of the Iowa Children’s Choice Award and Iowa Teen Award.
“My instructor has been inspirational! Her positive feedback and guidance in writing is definitely contagious…I would recommend her and this course to anyone serious about writing!”
—Karen Dorman, Grand Prairie, TX
Annie Laura Smith
“Writing
for children is a challenging opportunity to weave facts and imagination into
exciting prose and poetry that children will enjoy reading,” says Annie
Laura Smith.
She has accepted this challenge and has 100 stories, articles, and poems published to date, 44 of which are for children and parents.
These pieces have appeared in Living with Preschoolers, Living with Children, Living with Teenagers, R-A-D-A-R, Junior Trails, Look and Listen, Nature Friend Magazine, Winner, Teen Power, Story Mates, Kids Copy, Joyful Child Magazine, The Student, and Above and Beyond. She has received an award from Writer’s Digest magazine for a nonfiction piece on the Junior Great Books Program.
Ms. Smith’s middle-grade historical novel, The Legacy of Bletchley Park, was published in 2003 by Onstage Publishing and is the first book in a World War II trilogy.
She has recently completed a first grade math textbook for Ethiopia under a U.S. Aid grant, and is editor of the 50-Year History of Trinity United Methodist Church. She continues to write articles and short stories for publication, and develops educational materials on assignment for textbook publishers.
More on Annie Laura Smith’s books
Suzanne Sorice
With
more than 25 years of publishing experience, Suzanne Sorice offers top editorial
expertise to her students.
She was an editorial assistant at CBS’s Popular Library Books, where she evaluated unsolicited manuscripts. Later, as assistant editor, she worked with her own group of authors while searching out new talent. She became adept at sparking and maintaining supportive, productive relationships with writers.
One of Ms. Sorice’s acquisitions in the young adult field was The Day the Loving Stopped by Julie Autumn List. The book was made into a television movie after publication by Fawcett Juniper.
After moving up the ladder at CBS Publications, Ms. Sorice left New York City but continued to work as a freelance editor for Pocket/Silhouette Books, Dell, and Woman’s Day magazine.
Her most recent articles for children have been published in Hopscotch magazine, and online educational reference databases.
Some books edited by Suzanne Sorice:
The Day the Loving Stopped, Fair Game
Melissa Stewart
Shortly
after Life Without Light
(Franklin Watts, 1999) was published, Booklist
praised the “quality of writing” and called it an “intriguing book.”
Subsequently, it was named a Best Book for the Teen Age by the New York Public
Library, and Science Books and Films
added it to their list of Best Books for Children.
Following the success of her first book, Melissa Stewart has written 30 more critically acclaimed science books for children.
The most notable of these include Tim Berners-Lee: Inventor of the World Wide Web (Ferguson, 2001), A Daddy Longlegs Is Not a Spider (Millbrook, 2003), Life in a Wetland: The Everglades Region (Lerner, 2003), and seven books in Heinemann Library’s Earth Science series (2002).
Ms. Stewart has also contributed articles to National Geographic’s World, Scholastic’s Science World and Math, Wild Outdoor World, ChemMatters, and Odyssey.
During her years as an editor, Ms. Stewart oversaw the publication of more than two hundred titles for children. The honors bestowed upon these books include CBC/NSTA Outstanding Children’s Science Trade Book, Booklist’s Top Ten Animal Books for Youth, VOYA Honor List, YALSA/ALA Quick Pick, and the New York Public Library’s Best Books for the Teen Age.
More on Melissa Stewart’s books
“Other schools pointed out my shortcomings, but they did it in a way that made me feel so inadequate. You need support from nurturing sources. My instructor gave me that power by caring and believing I would grow.”
—Andrea Ross, New York, NY
Sandy Stiefer
Although
she considers herself a
“generalist”
with the ability to write on many
different subjects in a variety of styles, Sandy Stiefer’s first love is
writing for children.
Her stories and nonfiction have been accepted by Ranger Rick, Cricket, Highlights for Children, and Guideposts for Kids. Her nonfiction book, A Risky Prescription: Sports and Health, is part of Lerner Publication’s Sports Issues series. Ms. Stiefer writes for reference books including Gale Research’s Notable Native Americans, and Dictionary of Hispanic Biography, and she has served as an editor and writer for Harris Publication’s garden group of magazines. Her gardening photography has been published in National Gardening, Garden Guide, and Gardens, Decks & Patios.
Ms. Stiefer has taught writing classes for children and adults and is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Barbara Stretton
Barbara
Stretton’s earlier works reflect her interest in the struggling world of
teenagers.
A Deeper Season (Fawcett, 1980) is about teenage sexuality; and You Never Lose (Alfred A. Knopf, 1982) is the story of a boy’s troubled relationship with his father, a high school football coach who has been diagnosed with cancer. The Truth of the Matter (Knopf, 1983) examines the question: What is truth?
In addition to teaching ICL students, Ms. Stretton writes study guides for Listening Library (now a subsidiary of Random House), an audiobook company specializing in children’s literature.
She has also written filmstrip scripts on “Getting in Touch with Your Feelings,” “Cocaine,” and “Say No to Drugs” for such companies as Educational Dimensions and Sunburst Communications.
Ms. Stretton is currently working on a mystery series for young readers featuring a cat detective. The first book in the Tori Trotter Investigates series is titled The Case of the Tiberian Tiger.
More on Barbara Stretton’s books
Marilyn K. Strube
Marilyn
K. Strube has written more than 50 stories for inspirational publications. Her
work has appeared in collections including Chicken Soup for the Christian
Family Soul, The Hidden Hand of God: All God’s Children,
and Guideposts’ Best-Loved Stories, as well as magazines such as
Guideposts for Teens, Catholic Digest, Angels
on Earth, Positive Thinking, and Guideposts.
In addition to the nostalgic and light-hearted fare Ms. Strube has sold to the inspirational market, she has also frequently contributed articles with a local interest slant to newspapers such as the News Herald and the Detroit Free Press.
Ms. Strube has earned numerous awards including the Guideposts Writers’ Workshop Contest (1994), Madonna University’s Earnest I. Nolan Award for outstanding achievement in English/Journalism (2002), and Eastern Michigan University’s Meritorious Award in Graduate Studies & Research (2003).
Ms. Strube teaches Advanced Composition and Oral Communication at the university level.
“Sense of humor, pleasant, professional, caring, helpful, knowledgeable…all describe my instructor. Although I’ve always wanted to write, I was apprehensive about starting at age 48. However, with her excellent guidance…and support, the course has been the most pleasant learning experience of my life.”
—Lenora Chamaillard, Wakefield, QC, Canada
Nancy Sweetland
“You
just don’t quit” is Nancy Sweetland’s motto for her writing career. That
philosophy has paid off with six picture books and over 350 published stories,
articles, and essays for children and adults.
Ms. Sweetland’s short fiction has appeared in children’s magazines such as Highlights for Children, Cricket, Wee Wisdom, Jack And Jill, Children’s Friend, News Ranger, The Encyclopedia Britannica Reading Program, U*S* Kids, and Ranger Rick. Over 50 of Ms. Sweetland’s poems have been published in children’s magazines, including Story Friends, On the Line, Weekly Bible Reader, Discovery, Radar, and others.
God’s Quiet Things (Eerdman’s Books for Young Readers, 1994) was described in Booklist as a book that “raises children’s consciousness to the quiet marvels found in nature.”
If I Could (Raven Tree Press, 2002), published in English and Spanish, is one of Ms. Sweetland’s most recent picture books, along with Yelly Kelly (Raven Tree, 2003).
Ms. Sweetland has received more than 60 awards including six first places in juvenile and adult fiction and poetry from the Wisconsin Regional Writers Association, and sixth place in the annual Writer’s Digest competition for short stories.
More on Nancy Sweetland’s books
An acclaimed author of
children’s literature, Eleanora E. Tate has received numerous awards and honors for
her work, and Ms. Tate herself is a Zora Neale Hurston Award winner, the highest
award given by the National Association of Black Storytellers, Inc.
Her writing credits include award-winning titles such as The Minstrel’s Melody (Pleasant Company, 2001), named a Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, and A Blessing in Disguise (Delacorte, 1995), an American Bookseller’s Association Pick of the Lists.
Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.! (Franklin Watts, 1990) was a Notable Children’s Trade Book and the Child Study Book Committee’s Children’s Book of the Year. The Secret of Gumbo Grove (Franklin Watts, 1987) won the Parents Choice Gold Seal Award and was a finalist for the California Young Reader Medal.
In addition to books, Ms. Tate has hundreds of essays, articles, and short stories to her credit. Her stories have appeared in Scholastic Storyworks, American Girl, and Goldfinch magazines, among others, and in book anthologies such as Big City Cool: Short Stories about Urban Youth (Persea Books, 2002).
More on Eleanora E. Tate’s books
Christine Taylor-Butler
The
author of more than 24 fiction and nonfiction books for children, Christine
Taylor-Butler has made a major contribution to the world of early and emergent
readers. More than 100,000 copies of her first four books have sold in the last
two years.
Many of her books are part of two high-profile series by Scholastic—Rookie Readers and Scholastic News. Among her nonfiction titles are Tiny Life in the Body (2005), Tiny Life in the Air (2005), and Missouri (2005), for the Rookie series; and Earth (2005), Mercury (2005), and Pluto (2005), part of Scholastic News.
Taylor-Butler’s fiction credits include A Pony to Love (Sterling Publishing, 2005) and A Mom Like No Other (Scholastic, 2004), which Essence magazine highlighted as a “noteworthy pick.”
A graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ms. Taylor-Butler holds degrees in both civil engineering and art and design. She sits on the boards of Juvenile Writers of Kansas City and the Missouri Writers’ Guild, where she serves as president.
More on Christine Taylor-Butler’s books
Patricia Thomas
Zany
stories, silly titles, and lively, unconventional rhyme are Ms. Thomas’s
hallmarks as a children’s writer.
More than 30 years after its first printing, Patricia Thomas’s hilarious tale, “Stand Back,” Said the Elephant, “I’m Going to Sneeze!” (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard and HarperCollins, 1971 & 1990), still surprises and delights . . . still sends readers into gales of laughter . . . still garners rave reviews from parents, teachers, librarians, and, most importantly, from children who continue to giggle over it into adulthood.
Bouncing merrily along in nonsense verse, the book has been featured on the PBS Storytime series, chosen as a Weekly Reader Book Club selection, reprinted in educational texts and international editions, and listed in major library journals.
“There Are Rocks in My Socks,” Said the Ox to the Fox (Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1979) was also a Weekly Reader Book Club selection and was printed in a United Kingdom edition. It was also adapted for choral reading and was listed in Best Books for Children.
The One-and-Only, Super-Duper, Golly-Whopper, Jim Dandy, Really Handy Clock Tock Stopper (Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1991) was also listed in Best Books for Children.
Hundreds of her articles and stories have appeared in a variety of periodicals, including Cobblestone Publishing’s Faces.
Ms. Thomas attends and presents workshops on writing for children, and she is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
More on Patricia Thomas’s books
“My instructor gave me excellent critiques on everything I sent in. She was firm but very nice. She gave me reasons for each of her suggestions. Knowing what I do now, I would gladly sign up for the course again if I had not already finished it. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give her an 11.”
—James Herrin, Crestwood, MO
Peggy Thomas
Medicines
From Nature
is a “. . . fascinating journey through the endless search for new and
effective medications,” says School Library Journal.
Booklist gave Medicines From Nature a starred review and added that the book “. . . should be read from cover to cover by teens—and adults as well.” It was chosen by the New York Public Library as a 1997 Best Book For the Teen Age.
Studying ancient human remains led to her third book, Talking Bones: The Science of Forensic Anthropology (Facts On File, 1995), which was selected by Bacon’s Science Books and Films as one of the Best Books for Junior High and High School Students, 1995.
With the public’s renewed interest in forensic investigation, Ms. Thomas wrote an updated and expanded edition titled Forensic Anthropology: The Growing Science of Talking Bones (Facts on File, 2003).
Ms. Thomas broadened her scope when she created a new series, The Science of Saving Animals (21st Century Books, 2000–2001), that included Reptile Rescue, Bird Alert, and Big Cat Conservation. The fourth title in the series, Marine Mammal Preservation, was chosen by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council as an Outstanding Science Trade book for 2001.
Volcano! (Crestwood House, 1991) was an ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and The Kids’ World Almanac about Amazing Facts About Numbers, Math and Money (World Almanac, 1992), co-authored with Margery Facklam, was selected by the New York Public Library as a 1993 Best Book for the Teen Age.
Ms. Thomas has been a feature writer for the Buffalo News, and her children’s stories and articles have appeared in Cricket and Hopscotch magazines.
Kristi Collier Thompson
“Another
memorable preacher’s child steps onto the stage in this promising debut,” said
Kirkus Reviews of Kristi Collier’s first novel, Jericho
Walls (Henry Holt, 2002).
Ms. Thompson did intensive on-site research for the book, which is set in South Carolina in 1957 and highlights the personal struggles faced at the onset of the civil rights movement.
Her research paid off. The book was chosen as a Spring 2002 Junior Library Guild Selection, and voted one of Smithsonian Magazine’s Best Books of 2002. It was also one of the winners of the 2002 Josette Frank Award for Children’s Fiction.
After the success of Jericho Walls, Henry Holt asked Ms. Thompson to write a second historical novel. Throwing Stones (publishing date to be announced) is set in the limestone belt of southern Indiana in 1923, during the rise of prohibition, flappers, and the Ku Klux Klan. Ms. Thompson’s nonfiction book, The Girls’ Guide to Dreams, was published by Sterling Publishing in 2003.
Dozens of her stories and articles have appeared in children’s magazines, including Girls’ Life, Pockets, Brio, Calliope, and other magazines. Ms. Thompson also writes for Children’s Writer and Children’s Writer Guide, both of which allow her to interview editors from a variety of genres and ask the questions all writers want answered.
More on Kristi Collier Thompson’s books
Gaby Tr
iana
In a starred
review, Booklist praised Gaby Triana’s young adult novel, Cubanita
(HarperCollins, 2005), calling it a “fast, hilarious,
first-person narrative that focuses on Cuban-American Isabel Diaz’s coming of
age … [it] will speak to teens everywhere.” School Library Journal
agreed, describing it as “an entertaining read that will be gobbled up by
cubanitas and non-cubanitas alike.”
Her first book, Backstage Pass (HarperCollins, 2004), was called an “alluring” first novel by Publishers Weekly. In 2006 it was named a Young Adult Choice by the International Reading Association.
Ms. Triana is currently under contract with HarperCollins for two more young adult novels, The Temptress Four (Winter 2007) and a fourth untitled book scheduled for release in 2008.
Ms. Triana is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Florida region. As a conference faculty member she has critiqued numerous manuscripts, her favorite part of which is guiding beginning writers to the level of skill necessary for agent and publisher consideration.
Cindy Kane Trumbore
A
master editor and an accomplished author, Cindy Kane Trumbore has made her mark
in the world of children’s publishing.
Having worked for five major publishing houses and amassing more than twenty years of experience as a children’s book editor, Trumbore has worked with some of the most acclaimed children’s authors in America.
While serving as Editorial Director of Dial Books for Young Readers, Trumbore edited the 1999 Newbery Honor Book, A Long Way From Chicago, and the 2001 Newbery Medal winner, A Year Down Yonder, both by Richard Peck.
Honors for nonfiction books she edited at Dial include the 1994 International Reading Association Children’s Book Award and the 1999 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for best translated work.
Before arriving at Dial, Trumbore served as senior editor at Bantam Books for Young Readers, and as Editor-in-Chief of Four Winds Press/Macmillan.
An author herself, Ms. Trumbore has five books to her credit, including The Genie in the Book (Handprint Books, 2004), At the Top of the World (Modern Curriculum Press, 2000), and Discovering the Titanic (Modern Curriculum Press, 1999).
More on Cindy Kane Trumbore’s books
“My instructor is a born teacher! She corrects my errors with gentleness and tact, and encourages me in my strong areas. She has shown me where I can excel and how to achieve my goals. This is the best way to learn to write and I would encourage anyone who wants to write to enroll.”
—Kate Mourner, Denton, TX
Louise Ulmer
As
a graduate of two of the Institute’s courses, Louise Ulmer brings a valuable
perspective to her teaching—2001 marked her 15th year as an ICL instructor.
Ms. Ulmer’s most recent books have been historical fiction for 8- to 12-year-olds. Shaker Winter (EbooksOnThe.Net, 2000) is set in a village in Kentucky during the Civil War, and Johnstown Summer, 1889 (EbooksOnThe.Net, 2001) is about a boy who survives the Great Flood.
For mystery lovers in the same age range, she wrote The Four O’Clock Mystery and The Globster of Glassy Beach (Bookmice). The Globster, as much science as mystery, was chosen as Best E-Book of 2000 for grades three and four by McQuark.com.
Ten of her picture books were in the multi-million selling Arch Book series by Concordia. Recent Arch Book titles by Ms. Ulmer include Daniel and the Roaring Lions, Good Friday, and Jesus’ Twelve Disciples.
Ms. Ulmer’s illustrated quizzes and articles on art and history have appeared in Country Living, Pennsylvania Life, Susquehanna Life, and Ozark Mountaineer. Her stories were featured in three Christmas issues of My Friend.
A respected
children’s book and magazine editor, Deborah Vetter has worked one-on-one with
literally hundreds of authors and edited thousands of manuscripts, both fiction
and nonfiction, for children of all ages.
During her twenty years as an editor for Cricket magazine, Ms. Vetter worked with such distinguished writers as Eric A. Kimmel, Nancy Springer, Aaron Shepard, Teresa Bateman, and Eugie Foster. In addition to her responsibilities for Cricket, she served as Executive Editor for Cicada, a bimonthly literary journal launched in 1998 to provide quality fiction for teens.
When Cricket Books was established in 1998, she became an editor for the books division as well. Among the titles she acquired and edited are Highland Fling by Kathleen Ernst; Chief Sunrise, John McGraw, and Me by Timothy Tocher; Casebook of a Private (Cat’s) Eye by Mary Stolz; and several chapter books in Barbara Seuling’s popular Robert series.
She has spoken at numerous writers’ conferences around the country and written editorials, book reviews, and other pieces for magazines. She is currently a Contributing Editor for the Cricket Magazine Group and Cricket Books.
Some books edited by Deborah Vetter:
Highland Fling, Casebook of a Private (Cat’s) Eye,
Chief Sunrise, John McGraw, and Me
Noreen Kruzich Violetta
Noreen
Kruzich Violetta has written well over 200 articles, stories, and features for
print and broadcast.
Her short story, “In Wolf Howl Hollow,” was featured in Boys’ Quest and in the Institute of Children’s Literature’s First-Time Authors anthology. It is now making its debut in schools throughout the United States through reader comprehension assessments for CTB McGraw-Hill and Harcourt. Her work can be found in children’s and adult magazines both in the United States and Canada including Boys’ Quest, Dolphin Log, The Country Connection, Cottage Life, and Seasons Magazine. She occasionally writes articles on the book industry for the International Section of the SCBWI Bulletin, distributed worldwide.
Ms. Violetta is a regional advisor of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in Canada. She has taught nonfiction magazine article writing through SCBWI programs. Currently, she reviews all genres of children’s books for Independently Reviewed, a literary newspaper distributed throughout Canada.
Andrea Vlahakis
Andrea
Vlahakis graduated from the Institute’s course, Writing for Children and
Teenagers, in 1991.
Her first published story, which appeared in Primary Treasure in 1993, was a course assignment titled “Raymond’s Frog.” It was reprinted in Story Friends in 2003. Three more of her course assignments went on to be published as well.
With close to 100 stories, articles, and poems published, Ms. Vlahakis’ work has appeared in Highlights for Children, Primary Treasure, Turtle, Christian Science Monitor, Wonder Time, Story Friends, Guide, My Friend, Ladybug, and other children’s magazines. Her essays have appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, ByLine, and Once Upon a Time.
Ms. Vlahakis is also a registered nurse. Her writing has appeared in the American Journal of Nursing; the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities’ quarterly; the ASBH Exchange; and in the award-winning Intensive Care: More Poetry and Prose by Nurses (University of Iowa Press, 2003).
More on Andrea Vlahakis’s books
“Working with my instructor has been great. She always tells me why and how to fix a mistake. She explains why her corrections would make a better story. She points me in the right direction of age groups, knowing for what level I can best ‘voice’ a piece. She always answers my questions with a working solution. She inspires me!”
—Stacie Burk, Duncan, AZ
Catherine A. Welch
“Young
readers will be swept along with eight-year-old Andrew,” is what
School Library Journal said about Catherine A. Welch’s first book, Danger
at the Breaker (Carolrhoda, 1992). Booklist also praised this
work of historical fiction, saying
“the author brings a new (and welcome)
level of realism to the easy-reader format.”
Continuing in the same genre, Ms. Welch produced Clouds of Terror (Carolrhoda, 1994), hailed by Instructor as “gripping and realistic.” It was selected as a Notable Children’s Trade Book in the field of Social Studies by the NCSS-CBC Joint Committee.
Ms. Welch’s biography, Margaret Bourke-White: Racing with a Dream (Carolrhoda, 1998), was also chosen as a Notable Children’s Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. Another biography, Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Powerhouse with a Pen (Carolrhoda, 2000), was rated as outstanding by Bayviews.
Ms. Welch also has two books in Carolrhoda’s Picture the American Past series: Children of the Relocation Camps (2000) and Children of the Civil Rights Era (2001), both selected for the Best Children’s Books of the Year 2001 list by the Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College.
More on Catherine A. Welch’s books
Patricia Windsor
Patricia
Windsor has compiled an impressive record of success, having published 17
novels.
Diving for Roses, a Library Journal starred selection, was also chosen by the New York Times as one of 12 outstanding books of the year for teenagers.
Many of Ms. Windsor’s novels are mysteries: The Sandman’s Eyes (Delacorte, 1985) won an Edgar Allan Poe award, and The Hero (Delacorte, 1988) was given the highest rating by Voice of Youth Advocates. The Christmas Killer (Scholastic, 1992) was also nominated for an Edgar.
Ms. Windsor’s latest mystery is The Blooding (Scholastic, 1996). Her series on mystery writing was published in Once Upon a Time in 1999, and her short stories have appeared in Seventeen and other magazines all over the world.
Ms. Windsor is listed in Gale’s Something about the Author (volumes 30 and 78), available in the reference section of public libraries.
More on Patricia Windsor’s books
Linda Wirkner
When
Linda Wirkner sent Mystery of the Blue-Gowned Ghost, a colonial
mystery, to her publisher, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, her careful
research paid off. The book was chosen for the Children’s Book Council’s
1998 Summer Reading Showcase, and is now in its fourth printing.
Ms. Wirkner’s young adult novel, Summer Romance, was published by Berkley Publishing Group, and her nonfiction book, Destination Norfolk (Lerner, 1998), was part of the North American Port City series. Moby Dick, an adaptation on the fifth-grade reading level, is now being released by Edcon Publishing.
More than 100 of Ms. Wirkner’s stories and articles have appeared in children’s magazines including Child Life, Children’s Digest, Dolphin Log, Guideposts for Kids, Junior Trails, and Hopscotch.
Ms. Wirkner currently evaluates historical fiction manuscripts for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Publishing Department.
“My instructor’s gentle (but firm) criticisms are generously sprinkled with kind and encouraging remarks. Her comments show me the problem and how to correct it. They are specific, not general. She has shown me how to tighten up my writing and eliminate unnecessary words. Working with her is a pleasure.”
—Ghlee Alford, Cocoa, FL
Laura Lee Wren
Laura
Lee Wren graduated from the Institute in 1990, and she now enjoys the
distinction of having sold all of her course assignments.
Some were published after making minor revisions, while others were revised extensively, but within two years of her graduation, all but one appeared in children’s magazines such as Cricket, The Young Crusader, Happiness, Blast Off! (an Australian publication), and in Pegasus textbook anthologies.
U*S*Kids, Hopscotch, Instructor, My Friend, Guide, and two anthologies are among the other publications that have bought her stories and articles.
Her book credits include young adult biographies of Christopher Reeve and Garth Brooks. Her book, Pirates and Privateers of the High Seas (Enslow), was highly researched, with one critic praising the book’s “attention to detail and rigorous documentation.”
More on Laura Lee Wren’s books
Susan Kimmel Wright
“Page-turning
mystery, combined with some gentle spiritual guidance,” said School
Library Journal about Susan Kimmel Wright’s first middle-grade mystery
novel, The Secret of the Old Graveyard (Herald Press, 1993).
This goal of infusing fun reading with intellectual and emotional significance also animates her later novels, Death by Babysitting and Dead Letters (Herald Press, 1994, 1996).
Ms. Wright has also written many magazine and newspaper articles, and some of her work has appeared in Guideposts for Kids and Horse Illustrated. Her art-of-living essays have appeared in several books, including God’s Abundance, More God’s Abundance, God’s Abundance for Women, Why Fret that God Stuff? and God’s Unexpected Blessings (all Starburst Publishers).
Ms. Wright is a member of the Advisory Board for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Western Pennsylvania Chapter, for whom she has presented several workshops. In 1998 she served on the Mystery Writers of America Edgars Committee to select the best children’s mystery book of 1998.
More on Susan Kimmel Wright’s books
Lisa Wroble
Lisa
Wroble’s published writing is largely nonfiction, including 12 books for
children and nearly 300 articles, which have appeared in magazines such as Hopscotch,
Clubhouse, My Friend, and R-A-D-A-R.
Ms. Wroble’s biography, science, and history articles are included in 26 reference books, and her book reviews appear regularly in Christian Library Journal, The ALAN Review, Book Page, and on Parenting Today’s Teen’s website.
Lisa Wroble’s books include 10 titles in the Kids Throughout History series (Rosen/PowerKids Press, 1997-1999) plus Endangered Animals and Habitats: The Oceans (Lucent Books, 1998). An update of How Things Work (Childcraft/World Book, 2000) included rewriting for a younger reading level plus extensive writing of new material.
A member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Ms. Wroble is also a member of the Michigan Reading Association.
“My instructor has been invaluable to me in so many ways. Her letters have always been friendly and encouraging, and her suggestions have always been helpful. Her constructive criticisms are right on target. My stories have come alive—become clearer, more concise and fun to read.”
—Judy Brown, Naples, FL
Cheryl Zach
Cheryl
Zach has published 33 books, with four more currently scheduled for publication.
Benny and the No-Good Teacher (Simon & Schuster, 1992) was a nominee for the South Carolina Children’s Book Award, and The Class Trip (Simon & Schuster, 1988) was an International Reading Association/Children’s Book Council Children’s Choice book.
Ms. Zach is the first young adult writer to be inducted into the Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame for winning three Rita awards, the most recent for Runaway (Berkeley, 1996). Her young adult historical novel, Hearts Divided (Bantam, 1996), won the 1996 Virginia Romance Writers’ Holt Medallion.
The Mummy’s Footsteps (Avon Camelot, 1997) was the first book in a new middle-grade mystery series, Mind Over Matter. Another of Ms. Zach’s young adult historical novels is Carrie’s Gold (Avon American Dreams, 1997).
Pam Zollman
Pam Zollman’s
middle-grade novel, Don’t Bug Me! (Holiday House, 2001), was chosen as
one of the Best Children’s Books of 2002 by the Bank Street College of
Education, and was also nominated for the 2003-2004 Sunshine State Young
Readers’ Choice Award.
Ms. Zollman also has numerous nonfiction credits, many of which are part of two popular series from Scholastic Library Publishing, Rookie Read-About and Scholastic News. Fiction credits include two chapter books, Secret on the Wall (Harcourt/Steck-Vaughn, 2003) and The World’s Best Dog Walker (Harcourt/Steck-Vaughn, 2000).
Pam Zollman has won a number of awards for her articles and short stories, including first place in the 1996 Highlights for Children Annual Fiction Contest for “Millie’s Garden.” Her work has also received recognition in writing contests sponsored by Pockets magazine, Writers Digest, the Golden Triangle Writers Guild, and the Texas Byliners’ Writers Contest.
A former Assistant Editor for Highlights magazine, Ms. Zollman has also taught writing classes through school visits, in-service teacher workshops, kids’ camps, and continuing education classes.
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