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Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved being outdoors and learning about nature. And more than anything, I have always loved to read! Anne of Green Gables, Nancy Drew, and Little Women, were among my very favorite stories.

 

As for nonfiction? I checked out each and every biography on the shelves of the library at the Thomas V. Nash School in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the town where I grew up. Stories about real people fascinated me, and they still do!

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I still love books as much as I ever did, especially now that I get to write them.

Did you know that people sneeze at 100 miles (161 km) per hour? Or that brown-headed cowbirds trick other mama birds into hatching and raising their babies? Or that there is a ship in the U.S. Navy where things are supposed to go wrong? (It's used to train new sailors!) These are some of the fun and interesting things that I've learned while writing books for young readers. I get to share fun facts like these when I make author visits to libraries and classrooms.

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Once upon a time, I taught literature and writing at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. Recently, I moved to Maine, and I now work in a library where I get to spend my days surrounded by books and other people who love books! 

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When I'm not reading, writing, or teaching, I spend time hanging out at home with my family and our silly rescue dog, Alice.