Michelle Houts

 

A most unusual great-horned owl rescue? The true story of a failed (and then successful) attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail? A wintry adventure to recover a lost baby in the magical world of the Scandinavian nisse? Michelle Houts jumps enthusiastically into her stories, some fiction and some nonfiction. 

Houts loves telling about interesting people, such as a woman who played professional baseball in a skirt (Kammie On First), a midcentury modern artist (Count the Wings: The Life and Art Of Charley Harper), the first woman to solo hike the Appalachian Trail (When Grandma Gatewood Took A Hike) and a great-horned owl (Silent Swoop). She also enjoys exploring the imagination to see what’s possible. Sea Glass Summer dives into the mysteries of the ocean with a multi-generational tale and a surprise ending, and Winterfrost is a perennial family holiday read-aloud. Barn At Night and The Beef Princess Of Practical County both bring readers to the family farm where adventures await.

Houts brings the mysteries of science to life in her STEM-based chapter book series, Lucy's Lab, which encourages young readers to be curious about the world around them. She offers a three-day STEM and Literacy workshop for Grades 1-3, in which students explore the many ways scientists and writers share skills and habits that result in discovery and creativity.

Her newest book, Hopefully The Scarecrow (Flamingo Philomel, 2023) celebrates the power of hope and friendship when a scarecrow finds he has little control over his circumstances. Houts is a frequent speaker at schools and conferences. She is the creator of The Mark Boney Promise, an anti-bullying campaign, and the 52 Letter Challenge, which is bringing back the art of writing real, actual letters. She writes from a restored 1894 one-room schoolhouse in Ohio. Visit her online at www.michellehouts.com.

            

Sharon Creech 2022

 Newbery Medalist Sharon Creech was the inspiration for the Celebridot project. Here is her dot for 2022. 

You can learn more about Sharon and her wonderful books on her website.

Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech 2012

Sharon Creech 2013

Sharon Creech 2014

Sharon Creech 2015

Sharon Creech 2016

Sharon Creech 2017

Sharon Creech 2018

Sharon Creech 2019

Sharon Creech 2020

Victoria J Coe

 

Victoria J Coe's bio:  "I grew up in Duxbury, Massachusetts, a small town on Boston’s South Shore. In our house, there were two parents, two girls, one boy, and one very protective German Shepherd. I was a huge fan of books, dogs, and the Boston Red Sox, but I also loved hockey, ballet, and playing the flute.

My family lived on a cul-de-sac with lots of kids and dogs. In the winter, the whole neighborhood gathered to skate on the cranberry bog. And when school got out, we’d be at the beach all summer long.

Even though I devoured books, I never thought I’d become a writer. I went to college in New York City where I majored in math and went on to business school. After graduation, I moved to San Francisco and spent many years helping non-profit organizations make the world a better place.

When I became a mom, I read to my kids the same books I’d loved when I was young. I realized those books were more than just stories – they were part of my life.

Our family read hundreds of books together, old and new. Whether they made us laugh or kept us guessing, those books gave us the power to wonder or understand or look at the world in new ways.

Some time after we moved back to Massachusetts, I caught the writing bug and learned all I could about the craft. When I noticed our dog’s frantic behavior during a recent move, an idea was born. Now I write stories in the voice of a dog named Fenway, connecting my past and my present every day.

I live with my husband and family in both Boston and my hometown of Duxbury. While we will miss our dog Kipper forever, we are grateful that he kept us safe from delivery trucks. And squirrels."

Learn more about Victoria on her website: https://www.victoriajcoe.com/

Marc Colagiovanni

Marc Colagiovanni was born and raised and currently resides in Cranston, Rhode Island with his wife and three daughters. Marc has been a practicing attorney in the state of Rhode Island for the last 20 years. Marc writes, "While I am honored to be part of the legal profession and enjoy the practice of law, my true passion has always been writing. Through the serendipitous connecting of dots, I met Peter H. Reynolds in 2017. I'm excited to share that my first two picture books will be published through Scholastic and illustrated by Peter! When Things Aren't Going Right, Go Left will be released on March 7, 2023 with The Reflection in Me to be released in the Spring of 2024."

Michael Arndt 2022

 

A new Celebridot for 2022 from Michael Arndt. Michael writes about his dot, "My celebridot, updated for 2022. RAINBOW DOT. My 2022 dot was inspired by two of my books, MY HEART GROWS and ONE YELLOW SUN, as well as recent events. The circle represents singularity, but also community. Continuity, but also completion. Specificity, but also universality. Concentric circles add the idea of both focusing inwards as well as expanding outwards. The rainbow signifies inclusion and diversity working in beautiful harmony, ever more important today than ever. Colors are light waves, sound waves on a xylophone, and vibrations. As chakras, they are: red, grounding—orange, emotions—yellow, intellect—green, compassion—blue, expression— purple, wisdom—and white, consciousness. All of these are qualities of a whole and healthy education and what art can accomplish as part of that. Children need all of these and to be encouraged to explore all the colors in their paintbox."

You can find Michael on Instagram at @MichaelArndtBooks 

Donna Marie

Donna Marie sent this message, "Seeing as we are still in the midst of a pandemic in which we all need to do our best to stay safe, I'm hoping you're all being Hero Helpers and wearing your masks, just like the Pippin Pals do! They each appear in pandemic-themed picture books Pippin Pals are Hero Helpers! written to help children understand, cope and comply with the "new normal" of the pandemic.

The story's message is that Hero Helper Superheroes use their “stay safe” super powers — wearing masks, washing hands, distancing when necessary; they understand that by doing these things, they help themselves, those they love, their community and heroes (all depicted in my books). Also in the books are ideas for activities at home and useful charts on hand washing and how to wear and handle masks and more. There is also a wealth of information, resources and free downloads on the accompanying website.

The story is offered in 8 diverse and inclusive versions so YOU can pick the main character and family that suits you best. You can find them here: PippinHeroHelpers.com

I hope you enjoy this special day, celebrating creatively, and that you all stay safe and hold that 'rainbow of hope' in your heart."

Sharon Creech 2021

Sharon Creech is the author of the Newbery Medal winner Walk Two Moons and the Newbery Honor Book The Wanderer. Her other work includes the novels Hate That Cat, The Castle Corona, Replay, Heartbeat, Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, Ruby Holler, Love That Dog, Bloomability, Absolutely Normal Chaos, Chasing Redbird, and Pleasing the Ghost, as well as three picture books: A Fine, Fine School; Fishing in the Air; and Who's That Baby?  Sharon has created a dot every year since she inspired the Celebridots in 2011. 

Her latest book is One Time. 

Learn more about Sharon on her website.