The Long Version:

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Born in Warsaw, Poland and raised in Westborough, Massachusetts, I grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. I spent many hours of my childhood churning out terrible poems and books (in English) on an ancient, Polish typewriter. I dreamed of being a writer, a teacher, an actress, and a ballerina.

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After high school, I attended Sarah Lawrence College where I received a BFA in Theater. After some twists and turns, I found myself working at the Eric Carle Museum in Amherst, Mass. Being surrounded by people who were wildly passionate about children’s books rekindled my love of writing. I moved to Boston and attended Simmons University where I received an MA in Children’s Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children.

 

In 2006 I was lucky enough to be chosen as the Writer-in-Residence for the Boston Public Library. After my residency, I began teaching courses on writing and children’s literature in the Boston area. In 2009, my manuscript, The Tinkerers, was chosen as a winner of the Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award. In 2011, my dream of becoming a published author finally came true with the release of my first novel, My Very UnFairy Tale Life.

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These days, I no longer write on an old typewriter; instead, I have a small office where I sit at a tiny desk and type away on my slightly-less-noisy computer. I’m represented by Ammi-Joan Paquette at the Erin Murphy Literary Agency, and I continue to teach courses on writing and children's literature. I am the author of over thirty books for young readers, including the novels Clique Here and The Wonder of Wildflowers; the picture books Dogosaurus Rex and My Cousin's Mermaid; and the Once Upon a Fairy Tale chapter book series.