Darlene Beck Jacobson

Darlene Beck Jacobson has loved writing since she was a girl. She wrote letters to everyone she knew and made up stories in her head. Although she never wrote to a president, she sent many letters to pop stars of the day asking for photos and autographs. She loves bringing the past to life in stories such as WHEELS OF CHANGE, her debut novel.

Darlene’s stories have appeared in CICADA, CRICKET, and other magazines. When not writing, Darlene enjoys baking, sewing and tea parties. She also likes hanging around forges watching the blacksmith work magic. She’s never ridden in a carriage like the one in the story, but hopes to one day.

Her blog features recipes, activities, crafts and interviews with children’s book author and illustrators. She still loves writing and getting letters. Check out her website at: www.darlenebeckjacobson.com

ABOUT the novel, WHEELS OF CHANGE:

Racial intolerance, social change, sweeping progress. It is a turbulent time growing up in 1908. For twelve year old EMILY SOPER, life in Papa’s carriage barn is magic. Emily is more at home hearing the symphony of the blacksmith’s hammer, than trying to conform to the proper expectations of females. Many prominent people own Papa’s carriages. He receives an order to make one for President Theodore Roosevelt. Papa’s livelihood becomes threatened by racist neighbors, and horsepower of a different sort. Emily is determined to save Papa’s business even if she has to go all the way to the President. You can find more interesting information on WHEELS OF CHANGE, including the historical events which inspired the story, at http://www.darlenebeckjacobson.com/books.htm

J&P Voelkel

Did you know that the Maya invented one of the most sophisticated writing systems of the ancient world? They wrote in hieroglyphs that were sometimes whole words and sometimes just syllables. The glyph shown in this dot means both artist and scribe. To the Maya, they were the same thing. Every scribe was an artist too. They painted hundreds, some say thousands, of folding bark-paper books - most of which, tragically, were destroyed in the Spanish Conquest.

To research their Maya-themed Jaguar Stones books, Jon and Pamela (J&P) Voelkel have learned to read and write Maya glyphs; explored over forty Maya sites in Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico; canoed down underground rivers; and tracked howler monkeys in the rainforest. Jon’s most frightening experience was being lost in a pitch-black labyrinth under a Maya pyramid. Pamela’s most frightening experience was being interviewed by Al Roker on Today.

Find out more at www.jaguarstones.com

Marissa Moss

Marissa Moss has been telling stories and drawing pictures to go with them for as long as she can remember. She sent her first book to publishers when she was nine, but it wasn't very good and it never got published. She didn't try again until she was a grown-up, but since then she hasn't stopped.

The idea for the first Amelia's Notebook came from the notebook Moss kept when she was a kid. Amelia is a lot like her and the things that happen to Amelia really happened to Marissa (mostly).

Along with Amelia, Moss has created many characters and is especially drawn to history. Historical books allows her to imagine what it's like to be alive in a different place at a completely different time. And then there are the Max Disaster books which allow her to play with scientific experiments, inventions, and comic strips.

Learn more about Marissa on her website