About Me
I was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in nearby Arlington, Virginia, less than 15 minutes from the White House.
Where I Grew Up
My father worked for the federal government, and my mother stayed home. I have two younger sisters. My sister Karen and I are less than a year apart in age. To this day, I don’t know how we managed to share a small bedroom until I went away to college. But we did build amazing forts between our two beds in the summertime. We had a dog named Wags, who was part basset hound. He was long, with short legs, and a tail that never quit.
My Family
The author (right) and her sister dressed up as pilgrims for Halloween.
I loved to read; we constantly went to Arlington’s Central Library. I devoured books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and Nancy Drew, historical fiction (especially set during the American Revolution), books full of science experiments, and biographies. I joined a swim team the summer I turned 10 and began competing year-round. My best stroke was butterfly.
Having Fun
From the time I was young, I loved school. It didn’t matter what we were studying—history, science, math or grammar. I savored the opportunity to learn something new. I think that’s one of the reasons I became a writer. I can pick any topic I want to learn more about and read up on it, interview experts and write about it. When I was in third grade, I memorized the names of all the presidents in chronological order (there were fewer of them then!) and recited them to my class. In high school, I was famous for winning prizes at science fairs for my projects about solar energy. I even appeared in a filmstrip (like a slide show) produced by National Geographic.
School Days
The author (left) with her sister visiting Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello.
When I was growing up, I thought I would become a scientist or an engineer. I took a journalism class in 8th and 12th grades and loved it. While attending The College of William and Mary, I worked on the newspaper staff all four years, eventually becoming managing editor of The Flat Hat. My first job after college was as a researcher for a consulting firm specializing in economics. After that, I took a job working on a magazine covering the printing industry. I wrote articles every month, handled proofreading and copy editing and helped plan each issue. While I was working there, I decided I would like to try writing books for children. It took many years of practice before I published my first book.
My Writing Career
The author (dark pink coat) and her sisters during a family visit to the White House.