"The more you read, the more things you know.  The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."  -Dr. Seuss

As a kid, learning to read was really hard for me.  (I wish I'd had Piggie and Gerald to cheer me on back then.)  I didn't give up, and after a lot of work--and a few tears--I ended up loving to read on my own.  In fact, I loved it so much that I read everywhere...in the car, at the table, and even in the pool!  Who knows where reading will take you!
Here are a few books that I really enjoy...some of them I loved as a kid and some of them I love now.  

A Few of My Favorites

The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats 
​Elephant and Piggie Book Series, by Mo Willems
Frog and Toad Series, by ​Arnold Lobel
The Undefeated, ​by Kwame Alexander
​Winnie-the-Pooh, by A. A. Milne
​Hello Lighthouse, by Sophie Blackall 

Before She Was Harriet, by Lesa Cline-Ransome​
The Scarecrow's Dance, by Jane Yolen
Windows, by Julia Denos
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi
The Chronicles of Narnia Series, by C. S. Lewis
The Story I'll Tell, by Nancy Tupper-Ling

Q & A

Did you always want to be a writer?  I always wanted to be a teacher.  As I got older I enjoyed writing so much that I began dreaming of being an author, as well.
​Did you have an imaginary friend when you were little?  Yes!  Her name was J. D. Propher and we had wonderful adventures together during nap-time, when I was supposed to be sleeping.  My sweet mom let me set a place for her at the table at dinner-time, and she even helped me host a tea party for all my friends, in J. D. Propher's honor!  
Do you have any brothers or sisters?  I have two "little" brothers...they are much bigger than me now!  Growing up with them has given me lots of good ideas for stories and characters.  Thanks, guys!
How do you get your ideas?  I try to listen and observe as much as possible and keep my imagination ready.  A bird gathering twigs for her nest, a squirrel dangling from a branch, or a conversation overheard in a restaurant are all things that could prompt a story idea.  When I do get an idea, I'm quick to write it down in my notebook so that I don't forget it.  When I'm ready to work on a new story, I have lots of ideas to choose from.
Favorite author?  C. S. Lewis.  (Did you know that C. S. Lewis and his brother created their own land called Boxen? They designed maps of their magical world and it even had its own history and government system!  Foreshadowing of Narnia?  I think so.)
Favorite color?  Red!
Favorite season?  Winter.
Marvel or D. C.?  Marvel.  (Did you know Stan Lee loved to read so much as a kid, that his mom gave him a stand for his books so that he could read at the table while he ate?  Now, that's a reader!)