Fun Facts About Me

Favorite Foods

Steak salad, dark chocolate, fresh crab in any form

Places I’ve Lived

Arlington, Virginia; Williamsburg, Virginia; Falls Church, Virginia; Mahwah, New Jersey; Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa City, Iowa

Things I Love

LEGO, living history museums, a good mystery, pink tulips, remote lighthouses, a roaring fire on a cold night, and anything Dr. Seuss

Craziest Ambitions

To attend a dinner at the White House or appear on an episode of Sesame Street.

Favorite Lighthouses

Minnesota’s Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior and Maine’s Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

Favorite White House Pets

For cuteness, President Franklin Roosevelt’s Scottie dog Fala. As for the unusual, I marvel that First Lady Grace Coolidge had a pet raccoon named Rebecca.

Jobs I’ve Had

Newspaper carrier, lifeguard, secretary, economic researcher, magazine editor and children’s writer.

Favorite Character From

I loved the little red lighthouse from the picture book, The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge by Hildegarde Swift and Lynd Ward.  When I lived in the New York City area, I learned that the lighthouse was real. I visited it several times and even got to climb it!

Children’s Literature