Heidi Stemple didn't want to be a writer when she grew up. In fact, after she graduated from college, she became a probation officer in Florida. It wasn't until she was 28 years old that she gave in and joined the family business, publishing her first short story in a book called Famous Writers and Their Kids Write Spooky Stories. The famous writer was her mom, author Jane Yolen. Since then, she has published more than 25 books and numerous short stories and poems, mostly for children. Her books include Counting Birds, You Nest Here With Me, Not All Princesses Dress In Pink, Fly With Me, A Kite For Moon, and this fall, Eek You Reek.
Heidi lives and writes in a new house on a big old farm in Massachusetts that she shares with two cats who lives inside, and a dozen deer, a family of bears, three coyotes, two bobcats, a gray fox, tons of birds, and some very fat groundhogs who live outside. Once a year, she calls owls for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count.
So, what are Heidi's 5 Favorites?:
My favorite place to write:
My favorite mentor text:
Wow—I have so many! I mean boxes and boxes of them! Today, (teaching nonfiction this week) I think it is: Water Is Water by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Jason Chin
My favorite writing tip:
Read everything you write aloud.
My favorite marketing tip:
It costs nothing to be awesome—don't be difficult or a diva. You are selling yourself as much as you are your books.
My favorite book event of the year:
This year? The party I threw for my mom's (author Jane Yolen) 365th book at the Carle Museum.
To learn more about Heidi and her work, visit her website.
As always, if you have read the author’s books, please take a moment to write a quick review using the links above.