I always wanted to be a writer and I always wrote. I wrote a really bad novel when I was 15 and since then have kept writing. CLICK HERE, my first published novel for tweens, was the SIXTH novel I'd actually written. I write for kids and teens because books saved me when I was young. They were my escape, they let me experience things I never would have experienced, they showed me what could be. I also have very clear--often painful--memories of my tween and teen years and find I can go back to that place in my writing. I am very grateful to my many teachers, mentors, and librarians who supported me and continue to support me as a writer of books for young people.

Click Here (To Find Out How I Survived Seventh Grade):
* Winner, Colorado Book Award
* NY Public Library Book for the Teen Age
* VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers