I grew up in a pointy white house in Baltimore, MD, with my mom, dad, older brother, and
persnickety dog. From grades 6-12, I attended an all-girls school where I learned, among
other things, that I really loved to read, and that writing English
papers wasn't as painful for me as it was for other
people. (I also learned that I was not meant to do Calculus. There
are several people who will vouch for this.)
I went on to major in English at James Madison University. When I
graduated, I moved to New York City, and for several years entertained
myself by pursuing careers that were wrong for me. Eventually I succumbed to my urge to write and enrolled in a fiction-writing workshop.
I was hooked. I continued taking
workshop courses, and in 2005 obtained my MFA in Creative
Writing from the New School. Shortly thereafter, I got an agent, sold my first book,
and here we are.
Q: How long have you been writing?
A: I've always loved words--reading them and writing them. I
started writing bad poems when I was about eight years old.
I even had one published in our school lit journal in sixth
grade. It was about a bird and the first line went something
like, “Oh, happy is the bird that sings in flight, whose eyes shine like jewels in the early sunlight.”
It was putrid.
Q: Why do you write for kids and teens?
A: Mostly because I love children's books more than adult books. But also because books are one of the ways kids and teens learn about the world, and for an author, it's exciting to know you are helping to shape your readers.
Q: What are some of your favorite books?
A: Rules, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, A Northern Light, Hattie Big Sky, The Adoration of Jenna Fox, Princess Ben, Slam. I have a million favorites.
Q: Did you always want to be a writer?
A: No, I wanted to be a ballerina. Then a pediatrician. Then
a judge. Go figure.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: A new teen book about a girl whose relationship with her best friend suddenly changes, and how she tries to fix it. The working title is We're Not Freshmen Anymore.
