I grew up in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. I went to Wauwatosa East High School. (pronounced Wow-wa-Tosa) and lived on Wauwatosa Avenue. (I got very good at writing Wauwatosa!)

I lived in Belgium for a year after high school as an exchange student. I learned to speak Flemish.

I went to Oberlin College and University of Michigan.

At college I finished majors in both English and economics because I couldn’t make up my mind. At graduate school, I finished a masters in both journalism and the science of natural resources, because again, I couldn’t make up my mind.

Right out of college I worked for a small weekly paper in Amherst, Ohio. I was the only reporter, only photographer, in charge of laying out the paper, and helped with delivery. I’ve been writing ever since.

While writing very short prose or poetry, I cook. I write and then chop vegetables. Then I write it again.  Then I chop some more. Eventually the vegetables go into a soup and the words go into a book.

Some of my favorite nonfiction writers for kids are Kathleen Krull, Steve Sheinkin, and Marfe Delano. (My adult list includes Mary Roach and John McPhee)

Some of my favorite fiction writers for kids are Daniel Pinkwater, Deborah Wiles and Jane Yolen.

One of my favorite foods is spinach. I am always surprised when no one at the dinner table fights me for the last helping of this wonderful vegetable.

I’m rather fond of cheese too. Though I don’t think anyone is surprised by that since I grew up a “cheese-head” from Wisconsin.