Graduated from Univeristy of Texas at Arlington. Lived in Houston, TX for 23 years where my friendship with Vietnamese families inspired me to write several books about that culture.  As a fifth generation Texan, I have set several books in the Lone Star State.  I also love American history and have several books on that topic.

My books have won over forty awards and honors, such as ALA Notable, BBYA, Reading Rainbow, WWA Spur Award, California Young Readers Medal, Texas Institute of Letters Award, RWA Rita Award, Texas Bluebonnet List and, many more. For a comprehensive list, please visit my website.