2004 Founders Workshop Faculty

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	SANDY ASHER Variety and quality characterize Sandy Asher's work, which includes twenty-one books, three anthologies, more than three dozen plays, and over two hundred articles, stories, and poems published in magazines. Her most recent picture book, Too Many Frogs!, will be released in spring 2005. She's also the editor of three collections of fiction, including With All My Heart, With All My Mind: Thirteen Stories About Growing Up Jewish, winner of the 1999 National Jewish Book Award in children's literature, and On Her Way: Stories and Poems About Growing Up Girl, a Junior Library Guild selection. She is currently at work on an anthology for boys, to be released in 2006. Her best-known play, A Woman Called Truth, has been produced by more than 250 school, community, and professional groups in the United States and Canada. Sandy has been honored with the American Alliance for Theatre and Education's Charlotte Chorpenning Award for a distinguished body of work in theater for young audiences. Workshop: Writing Your First Novel back to top
	KENT L. BROWN JR. Kent is the Editor in Chief of Highlights for Children magazine and has been publisher of Boyds Mills Press since its introduction in 1990. A past-president of the Educational Press Association of America, Kent has served on the publications committee of the International Reading Association and is a member of the National Council of Teachers of English, the American Society of Magazine Editors, and the National Press Club. Kent was recently appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, a national, non-profit nature education organization located in Jamestown, NY. Workshop: The ABC's of School and Library Visits (previously Life in the Spotlight) A Crash Course in the Business of Children's Publishing back to top
	JAN CHERIPKO Jan Cheripko is the author of six books, including Rat, Imitate the Tiger, Voices of the River, and Get Ready to Play T-Ball. His latest, Brother Bartholomew and the Apple Grove, and Caesar Rodney, due to be published in fall, 2004. For the past several years, he has taught English and philosophy at the Family Foundation School. Jan's book awards include the Pennsylvania Librarians' Carolyn Field Honor Book Award, the New York Public Library's Best Book for Teens, the International Reading Association's Children's Choice, the Joan Fassler Memorial Book Award, the American Booksellers Best Book, and the International Reading Association’s Young Adult’s Choice. Jan has been a featured speaker at the National Council of Teachers of English, the International Reading Association, and numerous state and regional education conferences. He has addressed students, teachers, and parents about writing, at-risk teens, heroes, and addiction throughout the nation and abroad. Reaching At-Risk Students: A Weekend of Writing and Literature back to top
	BOBBIE COMBS Bobbie Combs is a freelance children’s book specialist and one of the owners of Two Lives Publishing, a small niche publisher of children’s books. She has spent her entire adult career in the world of children’s books. Some of the jobs she has held include manager of a children’s independent bookstore; children’s buyer and children’s sales/marketing director of a book distributor; publicity assistant; freelance children’s book reviewer; Webmaster for several industry sites; author; editor; and publisher. Nearly all of these jobs have required a special focus on public relations and marketing: working with independent bookstores, chains, and wholesalers to increase their awareness of authors; developing relationships with media (local, national, and niche); ensuring that books reach the right reviewers; developing tailored mailing lists and utilizing the Internet, author Web sites, and e-mail to gain maximum exposure. Workshop: The ABC's of School and Library Visits (previously Life in the Spotlight) back to top
	JOY COWLEY Joy's love for children's literature is "a commitment that borders on obsession." From her ranch on New Zealand's Marlborough Sound, she endeavors to bring "three gifts for the child: achievement, affirmation, and literature" in her early-reading stories. In 1990, New Zealand awarded its Commemorative Medal to Joy for her service to Children's Literature. In 1992, she received the Order of the British Empire, which acknowledges her distinguished service to the arts and sciences. Joy's novels and picture books regularly receive top honors. Countless children know her classic Mrs. Wishy-Washy. Among her most recent titles are The Rusty, Trusty Tractor; Big Moon Tortilla; Agapanthus Hum and the Eyeglasses; Red-Eyed Tree Frog; Starbright and the Dream Eater; Mrs. Goodstory; and Where Horses Run Free. Her book The Silent One received the New Zealand Children's Book of the Year award and has been made into a film shown on the Disney Channel. Workshop: Writing from the Heart back to top
	REBECCA KAI DOTLICH Accomplished children's poet, frequent speaker at IRA and NCTE national and local conferences, and former writer-in-residence in the Dekalb County School District in Northern Indiana. Rebecca Kai Dotlich is an award-winning poet who has published numerous children's poetry books, including When Riddles Come Rumbling; Lemonade Sun: And Other Summer Poems; Sweet Dreams of the Wild: Poems for Bedtime; Away We Go!; What Is Round?; What Is Square?; and What Is a Triangle?. Dotlich has extensive experience speaking about poetry at various venues, including the Buffalo Writing Conference and the Kentucky Bluegrass Writing Project. In addition, she has been a poetry advisor for Creative Classroom magazine. Workshop: Word Play: Writing Poetry for Children back to top
	ANDREA EARLY Andrea has worked in children’s publishing as an author, editor, and publicist, and is currently a consulting editor for Highlights for Children, where she works on online projects. She is the author of two children’s books and has received the John Burroughs Award for Outstanding Nature Books for Children and two National Science Teachers Awards. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Highlights Foundation. Workshops: Various back to top
	JENNIFER EMMETT Jennifer Emmett is a children’s book editor at the National Geographic Society, where she’s worked since 1995. She has edited more than forty books for children, including five books in National Geographic’s popular photobiography series. Some of her recent titles include Inventing the Future: A Photobiography of Thomas Alva Edison, which won the James Madison honor award; 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving, which received three starred reviews; Our Country’s Presidents; and With Courage and Cloth: Winning the Fight for a Woman’s Right to Vote. Before editing, Jennifer was a researcher for the children’s television program Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? for two seasons. While earning her M.A. in English Literature from Boston College, she taught English composition and interned at Little, Brown, & Co. in their children’s book department. She’s a graduate of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband and daughter. Jennifer has worked with Sue Macy on two books to date: Bull’s-Eye: A Photobiography of Annie Oakley, which was named a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an ALA Notable Book, and Swifter, Higher, Stronger: A Photographic History of the Summer Olympics. Workshop: Real People, Great Stories: The Art of Writing Biography back to top
	MARGERY FACKLAM Margery Facklam's first book was based on her own experience as a teenager working in a zoo reptile house. During the years her own five teenagers were heading for college, she worked at a science museum, and then an aquarium where ideas were everywhere. She wrote Wild Animals, Gentle Women, and Frozen Snakes and Dinosaur Bones. Years later, when she and her husband collaborated on a book about weather, Margery joined a research team on a ship in the Galapagos to learn about El Niño. When she wrote about the discovery of the first dinosaur eggs, she visited Mongolia's Gobi Desert. But most of her books are researched from home, including Bugs for Lunch, illustrated by Sylvia Long. The Big Bug Book and Creepy Crawly Caterpillars were illustrated by her son, Paul, and her newest book, Lizards Weird and Wonderful, was illustrated by Alan Male. Workshop: Writing Science and Nature for Kids back to top
	TRACY GATES Tracy Gates has worked in the editorial departments of Philomel, Crown, and Alfred A. Knopf before joining Viking Children's Books as an executive editor. She edits picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, and young-adult fiction, and works with well-established authors, including Rich Wallace, Sally Warner, David Adler, and Elisa Carbone, and newer ones including Ron Woods and Jarrett Krosoczka. Recent books include The Hero by Ron Woods, Girl Coming in for a Landing by April Halprin Wayland, and a new novel by Rich Wallace. Spring Workshop: Writing Novels for Young Adults back to top
	PATRICIA LEE GAUCH Patti is vice-president and publisher of Philomel Books as well as a respected author in her own right. She holds a doctorate in English literature, and has taught children's literature on the college level and reviewed for The New York Times. Patti has written thirty-nine books for young readers, among them the highly acclaimed Thunder at Gettysburg. Her most recent title, Tanya and the Red Shoes, part of the celebrated Tanya ballet series,was published in spring 2002. Workshop: Heart of the Novel back to top
	JAMES CROSS GIBLIN As both an author and editor, Jim has long been active in the world of children’s books. His award-winning nonfiction titles include The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin, The Mystery of the Mammoth Bones, and the latest, The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler. Jim is also a contributing editor at Clarion Books, where he was formerly editor in chief, and is the author of a highly regarded manual for adults, Writing Books for Young People. Real People, Great Stories: The Art of Writing Biography back to top
	KIM T. GRISWELL Kim is the coordinating editor of Highlights for Children. Her service has spanned the worlds of publishing and teaching, leading her to positions as senior editor, book development manager, a university instructor, and a teacher with the Institute of Children’s Literature. She holds master’s degrees in teaching writing and in literature. A prolific writer and committed editor, Kim has published more than two hundred short stories, articles, and columns. Her children’s book, Carnivorous Plants, was recently published by Kidhaven Press. The Hero's Journey—Bringing the Power of Mythic Structure to Your Writing back to top
	JUANITA HAVILL Juanita Havill is the author of sixteen children's books, including Jamaica's Find, a Reading Rainbow Review Book, IRA-CBC Children's Choice, and Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award Winner; Jamaica Tag-Along, an American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"; and Sato and the Elephants, an ALA Notable in the Field of Social Studies, which has been translated into five South African languages. She is also the editor of Booklove: Creating Good Books for Children in an Age that Values Neither. Workshop: Picture Books A - Z back to top
	DIANNE HESS Dianne Hess is executive editor of Scholastic Press. She edits fiction and nonfiction picture books, as well as some chapter books, middle-grade fiction and nonfiction, and YA fiction. Dianne has edited numerous books, including The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth (forty weeks on the Book Sense Bestseller List); Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Jon J. Muth (Society of Illustrators Gold Medal winner); I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by fifteen Coretta Scott King Award and Honor Book artists (winner of the NAACP Image Award); The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin by James Cross Giblin (ALA Notable, Orbis Pictus Honor Book); Blizzard! by Jim Murphy (Siebert Honor Book, ALA Notable); and The Great Fire by Jim Murphy (a Newbery Honor Book, Orbis Pictus Award, Boston-Globe Horn Book Honor). Ms. Hess has taught children's book writing and is a frequent guest speaker at various universities and national conferences. Her publishing credits include an adult nonfiction book on menu design and, more recently, a short story published in the Simon & Schuster collection, Soul Searching (Kirkus starred review). Real People, Great Stories: The Art of Writing Biography back to top
	PETER P. JACOBI Peter is professor emeritus of journalism at Indiana University and a consultant with magazines and corporations, helping CEOs, writers, and editors learn to express their ideas more effectively. His articles have appeared in World Book, The New York Times, Highlights for Children and others. His two guidebooks, The Magazine Article: How to Think It, Plan It, Write It and Writing with Style: The News Story and the Feature, are standard reference sources for journalists. Workshop: The ABC's of School and Library Visits (previously Life in the Spotlight) back to top
	PETER LERANGIS Peter Lerangis is hard at work on Smiler's Bones, a historical novel for teens based on the story of Minik, a Polar Eskimo boy orphaned in New York City at the turn of the twentieth century. Peter is the author of books for kids of all ages, which together have sold over 1.5 million copies. His two-book adventure story, Antarctica, chosen by the Jason organization as one of the classics of polar literature for youth, is a novel that grew out of his passion for Ernest Shackleton's voyage. For Bantam's Time Machine and Time Traveler series, Peter wrote about Benjamin Franklin, World War II codebreakers, and the end of the dinosaurs. He is the author of an award-winning science fiction series, Watchers, for middle-graders, and a chapter book series of magical mysteries, Abracadabra. His teen thrillers, The Yearbook and Driver's Dead were international bestsellers; his many film novelizations include those for "The Sixth Sense," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin." He has also ghost-written over 40 books in the various Baby-sitters Club series. Peter has a degree in biochemistry from Harvard College. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and their two sons, ages 15 and 12. Workshop: Mixing Research with Imagination: The Art of Writing History and Historical Fiction back to top
	LIZA KETCHUM Liza Ketchum is the author of thirteen books for young readers, including Orphan Journey Home (Avon HarperCollins), a novel serialized in 120 newspapers around the country before it appeared in book form; and Into a New Country: Eight Remarkable Women of the West (Little, Brown), on the ALA’s “Best Books for Young Adults” list for 2001. Other books on pioneer themes include The Gold Rush (Little, Brown), a companion to the PBS television series The West; and the popular historical novel, West Against the Wind. Her quartet of young adult novels includes Blue Coyote (Simon and Schuster), nominated for a Lamda Award, and Twelve Days in August, a “Project 21 Book,” also on the ALA’s list of “Books for the Reluctant Reader.” A graduate of Sarah Lawrence College with an M.Ed. from Antioch Graduate School, Liza is a faculty member of the Vermont College MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Workshop: Nonfiction - It's More than Just the Facts! back to top
	SUE MACY Sue Macy is an author and editor with more than twenty-five years of experience producing award-winning books and magazines for children and young adults. A graduate of Princeton University, Sue spent much of her early career at Scholastic Inc. as an editor and editorial director in the company’s Classroom Magazine division. She also served as editor in chief of the best-selling Scholastic Children’s Dictionary (1996). Workshop: Real People, Great Stories: The Art of Writing Biography back to top
	WENDY MURRAY Wendy is editor of Wordsong, the poetry imprint of Boyds Mills Press. She has worked in the publishing field for twenty years, most recently serving as an editorial director at Scholastic Teaching Resources. In her ten years at Scholastic, she held a variety of positions, including editor of the poetry column at Instructor magazine, working with columnists Jack Prelutsky, Paul Janeczko, and Bernice Cullinan. Among the hundreds of language arts books she edited for Scholastic, many were poetry books, including the best-selling Kids’ Poems by Regie Routman and Favorite Poetry Lessons by Paul Janeczko. Murray’s career in publishing began at a New York City-based small press and literary magazine, where she screened poetry and fiction manuscripts. She was a fiction editor at Redbook magazine and also managed the magazine’s annual Picture Book Awards and Short Story contests. She edited young adult biographies at Chelsea House before joining Scholastic. Murray has a B.A. in English from Vassar College. Workshop: Word Play - Writing Poetry for Children back to top
	DONNA JO NAPOLI Donna Jo Napoli is an award-winning writer of children's fiction, from picture books to young adult novels. She’s won the Golden Kite, the Sydney Taylor, the NJ Reading Association, and the Kentucky Bluegrass awards. She holds numerous degrees, has taught at various universities, and has held grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation. Her books include The Magic Circle (1993), Stones In Water (1997), Beast (2000), Breath (2003), and The Great God Pan (2003). The Hero's Journey—Bringing the Power of Mythic Structure to Your Writing back to top
	SUSAN PEARSON Special guest faculty member Susan Pearson began her career in publishing in the early 1970s and has held positions as Editor-in-Chief of Carolrhoda Books, Editor-in-Chief of Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, and currently Editor-at-Large at Chronicle Books. Over the years she has worked with hundreds of picture books creators including Ted and Betsy Lewin, Emily Arnold McCully, Steven Kellogg, Leo and Diane Dillon, Jerry Pinkney, Laura Krauss Melmed, Jim LaMarche, Mark Buehner, Floyd Cooper, Alma Flor Ada, George Ancona, and Juanita Havill. She is also the author of more than twenty books for children, and the anthologist of The Drowsy Hours: Poems For Bedtime (Harper 2002). The first collection of her own verse, Squeal And Squawk: Barnyard Talk, will be published in Spring 2004 by Marshall Cavendish. Workshop: Picture Books A - Z back to top
	MARILETA ROBINSON Marileta is a senior editor at Highlights for Children, where she edits fiction and poetry in addition to writing each month’s installment of the popular feature "TheTimbertoes." A free-lance writer before coming to Highlights, Marileta has published two picture books and several magazine stories. Her background includes teaching in the Peace Corps and on the Navajo reservation, as well as instructing for the Institute of Children’s Literature. She holds a master’s degree in bilingual education and is a regular speaker at SCBWI conferences around the country. The Hero's Journey—Bringing the Power of Mythic Structure to Your Writing back to top
	WENDY SCHMALZ Wendy Schmalz is the principal and founder of the Wendy Schmalz Agency. She has over twenty-five years of experience representing a wide range of writers for both the children's and adult markets. Her current client list includes Sandy Asher, Seymour Simon, and Ed Koch, to name a few. Wendy began her career at Curtis Brown and then moved on to Harold Ober Associates, where she worked for twenty-three years and was a principal of the company. She founded her own agency in 2002. Workshop: Writing Your First Novel back to top
	JENNY SHALANT Jenny Shalant is an assistant editor at Holiday House, where she has worked for the past two years. She is actively involved in all stages of the editing process, including researching, art-checking, and proofreading the sixty titles Holiday House publishes each year. Jenny also helps pair illustrators with manuscripts, regularly reviewing portfolios that are circulated through the editorial department. She has recently acquired a variety of picture books, including fiction, nonfiction, and historical fiction—among them, Neil Waldman’s manuscript The Seventh Sewer, a celebration of New York City’s stickball heritage. Jenny holds a B.A. in English and a concentration in creative writing from Columbia University. Workshop: Breaking into the Field of Children's Book Illustration back to top
	EILEEN SPINELLI Eileen is an award-winning author and poet whose work includes the 1991 Christopher Award winner, Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, Lizzie Logan Wears Purple Sunglasses, When Mama Comes Home Tonight, Sophie’s Masterpiece, Kittycat Lullaby, and Summerbath/Winterbath. Currently, Eileen has eighteen new books under contract. Workshop: Word Play - Writing Poetry for Children back to top
	JERRY SPINELLI With titles like Do the Funky Pickle, There’s A Girl in My Hammerlock, and Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush?, Jerry Spinelli has won the hearts of many young readers. His 1991 release Maniac Magee won the Newbery Medal, and his eighteenth book, Wringer, received a Newbery Honor. Jerry’s latest, Stargirl, was the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers 2001 Book of the Year. Workshop: Word Play - Writing Poetry for Children back to top
	NANCY SPRINGER Nancy has published around forty novels for children, young adults, and adults, including fantasy, magical realism, mystery, contemporary, women's fiction, and suspense. Her work has received numerous honors, including Best Adventure Book of the Year, for Outlaw Princess of Sherwood Forest: A Tale of Rowan Hood, from Disney Adventures magazine in 2004, and two Edgar Allen Poe Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. The Hero's Journey—Bringing the Power of Mythic Structure to Your Writing back to top
	STEPHEN SWINBURNE Writer, photographer, and naturalist Stephen R. Swinburne is the author of many nature books for children, including Safe, Warm, and Snug, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey; Once a Wolf: How Wildlife Biologists Fought to Bring Back the Gray Wolf, photographed by Jim Brandenburg; and Swallows in the Birdhouse, illustrated by Robin Brickman. Born in London, Steve loves to travel and observe nature. A safari in Africa, hiking in Scotland, monitoring sea turtles on a Georgia island, and a winter trek through Yellowstone National Park have all led to book projects. To learn more about Steve, visit his Web site at, www.steveswinburne.com Workshop: Writing Science and Nature for Kids back to top
	NEIL WALDMAN Neil has illustrated nearly fifty books, many of them award winners. His awards include the Washington Irving Award (Bring Back the Deer, The Highwayman), the Parents Choice Award (Nessa's Story), the Christopher Award (The Gold Coin), and the National Jewish Book Award (Next Year in Jerusalem). His illustrations and designs have graced the covers of a number of Newbery winners, including Hatchet, The Winter Room, and A Fine White Dust. One of his most recent books, The Promised Land, was published in 2002 by Boyds Mills Press. Neil holds a B.F.A. and an M.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology. He is currently an art instructor for the State University of New York and the Westchester Art Workshop. Workshop: Breaking into the Field of Children's Book Illustration back to top
	RICH WALLACE Rich is the author of four acclaimed novels for young adults: Playing Without the Ball, Wrestling Sturbridge, Shots on Goal, and Restless. He has also authored a short-story collection called Losing Is Not an Option, and a series of sports novels for middle-grade readers called Winning Season. His columns, profiles, and other features have been published in Highlights, Track and Field News, Runner’s World, and other publications. Rich is a former senior editor at HIGHLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN. Spring Workshop: Writing Novels for Young Adults back to top
	CLAY WINTERS Clay, president of Boyds Mills Press, has been in publishing since 1960. Before coming to Boyds Mills Press, he was president of Putnam/Grosset Books for Young Readers, the children's book group of G.P. Putnam & Sons. Clay has taught the rudiments of publishing to aspiring writers and an entrepreneurial course in marketing for several different institutions. Workshop: A Crash Course in the Business of Children's Publishing back to top
	CAROLYN YODER Carolyn is senior editor of history for Highlights for Children and has been a writer and an editor for the New Jersey Historical Society. From 1983 to 1996 she served as editor in chief and assistant publisher of Cobblestone Publishing, Inc., publishers of nonfiction magazines and books. She also served as the executive director of the New Hampshire Antiquarian Society. Carolyn writes frequently on historical subjects, research, and nonfiction writing. Her latest book, George Washington: The Writer, edited and compiled by Carolyn, was released this spring. Carolyn was recently named editor of Calkins Creek Books, a new history and historical fiction imprint of Boyds Mills Press. Workshop: Mixing Research with Imagination: The Art of Writing History and Historical Fiction Workshop: Nonfiction - It's More than Just the Facts! Real People, Great Stories: The Art of Writing Biography back to top