Authors and Books
for Children

Book Picks

Additional reading about authors and their lives.

Biography Today: Author Series, Vol. 1 edited by Laurie Lanzen Harris First volume of a biographical series for older children, includes twenty profiles of authors ranging from cartoonist Gary Larson to animal-story writer James Herriot. Bookpeople: A Multi Cultural Album by Sharron L. McElmeel Illustrated by Deborah L. McElmeel Information about authors from diverse cultural backgrounds. Children's Authors Speak by Jeannine Lackey Laughlin and Sherry Laughlin Forty-eight authors and illustrators, recipients of the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion, discuss topics pertaining to children's literature. Dear Author: Students Write About the Books That Changed Their Lives by Weekly Reader's Read Magazine A selection of seventy-five letters to authors from students, telling how the books influenced the readers' lives. How to Capture Live Authors and Bring Them to Your Schools by David Melton Practical advice for contacting authors for school programs, including to-do lists. Inventing Wonderland: The Lives and Fantasies of Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, J. M. Barrie, Kenneth Grahame, and A. A. Milne by Jackie Wullschlager Examination of five British authors of children's literature, dealing both with their individual histories and the cultural influences of their times. Lives of the Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull Illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt Breezy biographical sketches of twenty writers from around the world. Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults by Joyce Nakamura and Alan Hedblad Biographical information and bibliographies for a selection of children's authors and illustrators, compiled by the Gale Group, which publishes the multivolume Something About the Author. Margaret, Frank, and Andy: Three Writers' Stories by Cynthia Rylant For children, brief biographies of Margaret Wise Brown (Goodnight Moon), L. Frank Baum (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), and E. B. "Andy" White (Charlotte's Web). Meet the Authors and Illustrators: 60 Creators of Favorite Children's Books Talk About Their Work, Vol. 1 by Deborah Kovacs and James Preller Brief biographies of authors and illustrators from all over the world, along with descriptions of their work, from Scholastic. Meet the Authors and Illustrators: 60 Creators of Favorite Children's Books Talk About Their Work, Vol. 2 by Deborah Kovacs and James Preller A second volume of author and illustrator biographies, from Scholastic. Meet the Authors: 25 Writers of Upper Elementary and Middle School Books Talk About Their Work by Deborah Kovacs Profiles of authors and insights about their work, as well as suggestions for writing activities. More Authors and Illustrators Through the Year: Ready-to-Use Literature Activities for Grades K-3 by David J. Fiday Suggestions for literature-related activities for younger children. The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children by Eden Ross Lipson Annotated bibliography of almost one thousand noteworthy fiction and nonfiction titles, organized by reading level. Popular Nonfiction Authors for Children: A Biographical and Thematic Guide by Flora R. Wyatt, Margaret Coggins, and Jane H. Imber Introduces sixty-five nonfiction authors, from Bruce McMillan to Kathryn Lasky, and Gail Gibbons to Franklyn Branley. Terrific Connections with Authors, Illustrators, and Storytellers: Real Space and Virtual Links by Toni Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz Guide to using both traditional methods and email, virtual visits, and cyberspace chats to connect students and authors. Trust Your Children: Voices Against Censorship in Children's Literature by Mark I. West Interviews with authors--including Katherine Paterson, Roald Dahl, Robert Cormier, Maurice Sendak, and Judy Blume--and publishers about censorship. Winter in July: Visits with Children's Authors Down Under by Janet Crane Barley Top New Zealand and Australian children's authors tell the stories behind their books. Writers by Shaun Hunter Part of the Women in Profile series, includes sketches of Beatrix Potter, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Astrid Lindgren, Maya Angelou, Jean Little, and Judy Blume.