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 thirty-five books and numerous short stories and poems, mostly for children. Heidi lives and writes on a big old farm in Massachusetts with a dozen deer, a family of bears, three coyotes, two bobcats, a gray fox, tons of birds, and some very fat groundhogs all of whom live outside. Once a year she calls owls for the Audubon Christmas Bird Count. heidieystemple.com

Awards

MA Book Honor and Must Read, The Riverby Award, NSTA Best STEM Book, NSTA Outstanding Science Book, Northern Lights Book Award, Magnolia Award, Short List for the TX Bluebonnet Award, AudioFile Earphones Award, Margaret Wise Brown Honor Book.

3 Fun Facts

1. I sew rainbow hair ties for a local bookstore to get a discount on books.
2. I think bacon is gross.
3. Before I wrote children’s books, I worked in law enforcement.