K W Penndorf

 

Story time had always been K.W. Penndorf’s favorite ‘subject’ in school. But when her second-grade teacher opted to read from a tattered old diary, K.W. saw how these far away locations, heroes, villains, drama, and quite frankly, story could come from anyone – including herself.

She began her career at CBS before switching over to writing middle grade novels. And although K.W. now writes fiction, her passion for history and research are always woven into any story she creates. Most notably is her FREYA series, where a trip to a Viking graveyard in Denmark inspired the plot

K.W. loves helping other writers hone their craft and expand their creativity. She has taken the excitement she has for presenting workshops and founded the online community Much Ado About Writing. She is also a state coordinator for her SCBWI chapter in Wisconsin.

Lori Degman 2023

 

Lori Degman is the author of the award-winning picture books, Just Read (illus. by Victoria Tentler-Krylov), 2020 – 2021 Illinois Reads Book List; Cock-a-Doodle Oops! (illus. by Deborah Zemke), 2014 International Literacy Association Honor Book; and 1 Zany Zoo (illus. by Colin Jack), 2010 Winner of the Cheerios New Author Contest and 2013 Illinois Reads Book List. Lori’s other titles are Travel Guide For Monsters (illus. by Dave Szalay), Travel Guide For Monsters Part Deux: A Canadian Adventure (co-written with Jocelyn Watkinson and illus. by Marcus Cutler), Like a Girl (illus. by Mara Penny), and Norbert's Big Dream (illus. by Marco Bucci)

Lori was a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing and now writes full-time. She loves doing school visits and presenting at writing conferences. Lori has presented at more than 100 schools and libraries and more than 20 conferences and festivals, including SCBWI’s International Summer Conference; SCBWI Conferences in Illinois, Nashville, New Jersey, and Wisconsin; Printer’s Row LitFest; Kentucky Book Festival; and nErDCamp Kansas. She lives with her family in a suburb of Chicago.

Elizabeth Raum

 

When Elizabeth Raum was in 3rd grade, her teacher predicted that she would become a writer. It seemed impossible. Now, 150 books later, Elizabeth admits that Mrs. Brown could see into the future. Of course, it didn't happen right away. Elizabeth became a teacher and then a librarian before turning to writing fulltime. She's written biographies, nonfiction books, picture books, and several middle-grade historical novels. Colonial and Revolutionary American history are her favorite topics.

She loves visiting with students and sharing her passion for reading, writing, and history. Her most recent middle-grade historical novel, A Kidnapping in Kentucky, 1776, is based on a true event: the kidnapping of Daniel Boone's 13-year-old daughter, Jemima. Another recent novel, Storm Warning, is set during the 1997 Red River Valley flood along the North Dakota/Minnesota border. Nonfiction books like The Dreadful, Smelly Colonies: The Disgusting Details About Life in Colonial America give students a glimpse into early American life. Readers may also be familiar with Elizabeth's You Choose Interactive History Adventures (Capstone Press). Many take place during the American Revolution. Learning about the past is fun and educational.

Elizabeth has lived in seven different states. She is currently based in Greeneville, Tennessee. Wherever she has lived, she had made wonderful friends and discovered exciting adventures. She'd love to visit with your students. Her school programs are designed to meet your curriculum needs from grades K-8. To learn more about Elizabeth's books and school visits, visit her website at: www.elizabethraumbooks.com

Constance Lombardo 2023

 

Constance Lombardo is the author of the picture book Tiny Spoon vs. Little Fork (illustrated by Dan & Jason) and the author/illustrator of the highly illustrated middle grade Mr. Puffball series. Her debut picture book, Everybody Says Meow was chosen as an Anna Dewdney Read Together Award Honor book and included in several ‘best of’ read-aloud series. 

Constance began drawing when she was ten years old, inspired in part by the Illustrators Annuals her dad brought home from the advertising agency where he worked, and in part by her sister doing a drawing and getting lots of attention. She grew up in a home with many books and frequent visits to the library. When she had her son and read him all her favorite picture books (The Story of Ferdinand, Beatrix Potter, Strega Nona, Dr. DeSoto,) her love for that combination of words and pictures was rekindled. 

She gets most of her ideas from her old beagle, Louie, and various feline friends. She and Louie enjoy walking around their neighborhood, feeling curious about squirrels and hoping for a bunny sighting. Her goal as an author is make kids laugh and want to read more books. 

Constance has done all kinds of artmaking: printmaking, abstract painting, mask-making, and mural painting, but is now mostly focused on drawing cats and dogs and the occasional duck or turtle. She loves visiting classrooms and talking to young kids about why books are awesome, how we are all artists, character development and how inspiration is all around us. Drawing with kids is one of her favorite things to do. Other favorites include reading graphic novels, doing crossword puzzles, and eating chocolate-covered pretzels. She lives in Asheville, NC with her family.  

Learn more about Constance on her website!

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/