Susan Hood is the award-winning author of many books for young readers, including ADA’S VIOLIN; ALIAS ANNA; HARBORING HOPE; THE LAST STRAW; LIFEBOAT 5; LIFEBOAT 12; SHAKING THINGS UP; and SPIKE, THE MIXED-UP MONSTER. Starting her career as an editor at Scholastic, Sesame Workshop, and Nick Jr. Magazine, Susan now writes books for kids ages 0-14. She’s published with Candlewick, HarperCollins, Penguin, Random House, and Simon & Schuster. Based in Connecticut, Susan loves to travel, play with her granddaughters, hike with her rescue dog, and spend summers sailing with her husband along the New England coast. Visit Susan at susanhoodbooks.com.

Awards

Susan is the recipient of the E.B. White Honor Award, two Christopher Awards, the Américas Award, the SCBWI Golden Kite Award, and the Bank Street Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, given to “a distinguished work of nonfiction that serves as an inspiration to young people.” ALIAS ANNA was named a 2023 Sydney Taylor Notable Book and was a finalist for the 2023 National Jewish Book Awards.

3 Fun Facts

1. I’ve sailed from Tortola to Bermuda to Connecticut on a 38′ boat. Three days out we lost our engine, navigation equipment, and lights!
2. My great-great-grandfather was a lighthouse keeper.
3. As a writer, I’ve gotten to meet some of my heroes–Ruby Bridges, Jane Goodall, and Arnold Lobel!