The Case of the Gasping Garbage

Michele Torrey is the author of twelve books for children. She is a two-time Thurber House Residency in Children’s Literature nominee, plus a two-time winner of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association’s (PNWA) Zola Award. Among other honors, her books have received starred reviews from “Publisher’s Weekly” and “Kirkus,” been chosen by the Junior Library Guild, been nominated for numerous state medals, and are taught in Vermont College’s MFA program. She is a regular presenter at writers’ conferences and retreats, and is a member of the Authors Guild, the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), and PNWA. Born in Wenatchee, Washington, Torrey holds a degree in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Washington (’88), and a Master of Arts in Religion from Graceland University (’06). She currently resides on Fox Island, Washington, and has lived and traveled extensively throughout the world. Torrey has three sons and three granddaughters. In addition to her writing and traveling, she is a co-founder of Orphans Africa, a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity (www.orphansafrica.org). Orphans Africa works primarily in Tanzania, building boarding schools for children orphaned by disease and poverty. Her organization now educates over 650 children, ages 3-19.

Barbara Johansen Newman was a puppeteer, puppet maker, and fiber sculptor before turning to illustration and textile design. Her artwork has appeared in magazines, newspapers, and advertising, and she has illustrated over twenty children’s books, including Tex and Sugar, which she also wrote. She and her family live outside Boston, and in her spare time she enjoys hunting online and in antique shops for vintage treasures, especially new additions to her collection of glamorous glasses. You can visit her website at johansennewman.com.