Phoebe and Digger

I’ve loved stories all my life–stories in books, stories my grandmother told me, secret stories I made up just for myself. I became a reader early on, but it took a while to figure out I was a writer, too. I had lots of jobs, all of them working with children, before I figured out that what I REALLY wanted to do was put my two great loves–kids and stories–together. I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to be a writer for young readers, the most passionate and loyal readers on the planet. My books range from picture books (Phoebe and Digger) through chapter books (the four Cody books) through middle grade novels (What Happened on Fox Street, Mo Wren Lost and Found, Moonpenny Island, Every Single Second). They’ve won awards and starred reviews, but best of all is that they’re no longer just my stories–they belong to you now, too. I live in Cleveland with my retired teacher husband. We have three grown daughters and two grandbabies. In my spare time, I garden, walk, read (of course) and look for more stories to tell.

Jeff Newman grew up in Ashland, Massachusetts, and attended The Art Institute of Boston. His picture books include Hippo! No, Rhino; The Boys; Hand Book; The Greedy Worm; and Found. He currently lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.