This article give a brief biography of Mercer Mayer, best known for the Little Critter books, which have a long history as bestsellers in the children's book publishing field. A selected bibliography, as well as a list of related resources, is also provided.

This article presents a brief biography of author Arnold Lobel, perhaps best known for giving the world Frog and Toad. Arnold Lobel was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 22, 1933, and was raised by his grandparents in New York. He loved checking out books from the library when he was a little boy and sharing with his classmates the stories…

This column presents a brief biography of author Jan Brett. According to Jan Brett's official webpage, there have been more than twenty-eight million of her books printed. Her titles can always be found on the best-selling children's book author/illustrator lists. Brett is one of the most beloved and recognized children's book illustrators and is…

Bringing a "real live" author into the school can be a great fun for both kids and staff. However, it can also be a disaster. In this article, the author offers ideas on how to host a school visit. Library media specialists can help ensure a successful visit by preparing in advance: define the goals, communicate the expectations, provide…

Janell Cannon was the type of kid who was always coming home with a new pet. Although, we?re not talking about your standard kitten in a shoebox or errant neighborhood mutt. Janell has always had a soft spot in her heart for animals most people might find, well, kind of gross. In fact, her childhood backyard in Minnesota sounds like it was…

John Tyler Bonner, a biologist writings reminded the reader of how his perspective is different from that of many biologists. Bonner's views, his books, his areas of interest and research and his life, which was spent studying slime molds is described.

Sometimes one meet a person and instantly know that he or she share a connection. Such is the case with the incredibly talented author, Kathi Appelt. Kathi's work has won her critical acclaim and many readers. Her exuberant love of language and her dedication to the craft and art of writing shine forth in her books and in her words. In this…

C. Walter Hodges first came to prominence as the author/illustrator of "Columbus Sails" in 1939, which the Junior Bookshelf hailed as "The best book never to have been awarded the Carnegie Medal." Widely acclaimed for the treatment of its subject matter, its powerful narration, and accompanying dramatic line illustrations, "Columbus Sails" was the…

Since Melvin Burgess published his first children's book, "The Cry of the Wolf" (1989) he has had the reputation of being a powerful and challenging writer, discussing issues that many other writers have shunned. But it was with "Junk" ("Smack" in the US) in 1996 that he became a notorious media figure. This Carnegie winning novel showed teenagers…

Voted the greatest book of all time in several polls, J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings has been made into three films between 2001-2003 by New Zealand director Peter Jackson with the complete trilogy out on DVD in 2004. Prompted by the question: "What would Tolkien have made of them?" Mark Sinker discusses the films and the books by way of…

An account of the publishing history of four picturebooks with texts by the major 20th century British author, Graham Greene, and illustrations by Dorothy Craigie and, later, by Edward Ardizzone is presented. Concluding section questions whether the texts of three other books, nominally by Dorothy--or "David"--Craigie, ought more accurately to be…

In this article, the author shares her observations as a member of the City Writers, a community-based fiction-writers' workshop that is not affiliated with any universities or any organizations in the state of Illinois. The group was started with a small grant from the state's arts council, but City Writers no longer receives any form of public…

This article presents a profile of Juanita Havill, who has been writing children's books for nearly 30 years. For this author, each story is a problem to be unraveled in a way that is true to the human heart. What do you do if you have cheated on a test and you feel awful about it? What is your life like if you are a gentle individualist but your…

Lynne Rae Perkins is the author of "Criss Cross," which won the Newbery Medal, the nation's most prestigious prize for children's book. Perkins grew up in Cheswick, PA, near Pittsburgh, majored in printmaking at Penn State, and attended grad school at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She moved to Leelanau County, MI, in 1987 with her…

In this paper, two beginning qualitative researchers describe the challenges and successes of conducting a collaborative self-study. For two academic years, the authors wrote and analyzed personal narratives related to their experiences as a lesbian and a gay man, respectively, in educational contexts. This article addresses the data analysis…