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From kindergarten through graduation, I attended school in Affton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Then I graduated from Webster College (now Webster University) in Webster Groves, Missouri. Of course, I majored in English and kept on writing.

After working in advertising in St. Louis, Missouri and in Chicago, Illinois, I eventually moved to Southern California. First, I worked for Disneyland (fun job!) in the advertising department. The monorail whizzed past my window all day long. Then I worked at the Disney Studio in Burbank, where I had another fun job, writing and producing television and radio commercials and theatrical trailers (previews of coming attractions) for everything from re-releases of "Cinderella" and "Fantasia" to "Tex."

When the Disney Channel was started, I became a writer and story editor for WELCOME TO POOH CORNER. Since then, I've written more than 200 episodes of animated and live-action television programs including MADELINE, DOUG, BOBBY'S WORLD, DUMBO'S CIRCUS, THE PUZZLE PLACE, CAMP CANDY, LITTLE MOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, WHERE'S WALDO, FRAGGLE ROCK and ZOOBILEE ZOO. That's right, I write cartoons! I also wrote a number of award-winning afterschool specials and many interactive CD-ROM programs, including the award-winning "Berenstain Bears on their Own," "Richard Scarry's Busiest Neighborhood Ever," and "The Crayon Factory."

A made-for-television family movie I wrote, MARY CHRISTMAS, starring John Schneider, Cynthia Gibb and Tom Bosley, aired on the PAX network in 2002. It was the highest rated movie in PAX history and has aired each Christmas season since then.

I have been fortunate enough to win a Writer's Guild of America Award and three Humanitas Prizes (as well as two other nominations). In 2002, I won a Daytime Emmy Award for MADELINE, after two previous Emmy nominations. More recently, I received the Christopher Award for FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY, many children's choice awards for THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY and was inducted into the Affton (MO) School District Hall of Fame.
]]> 204912 1416934898 9781416934899 70 <![CDATA[The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172670576m/204912.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172670576s/204912.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204912.The_Seven_Wonders_of_Sassafras_Springs 3.80 226

Even doesn't think he'll have any luck -- he can't think of one single thing that could be considered wondrous in Sassafras -- but he's willing to try. Little does he know that the Wonders he'll discover among his neighbors, friends, relatives, and family will give him the adventure of a lifetime...without ever leaving his home.



An 11 year old boy living in a small town thinks his town is BORING. After reading about the 7 wonders of the world in a book he is convinced he will leave as soon as he is grownup. His father offers him a deal that if her will find 7 wonders in Sassafras he can take a train ride to Colorado.
Eben doubts he will even find 1.

]]> 119740 4.00 660 210 2006 825679 0142403520 9780142403525 67 <![CDATA[The World According to Humphrey]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178723017m/825679.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178723017s/825679.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825679.The_World_According_to_Humphrey 4.20 181 119740 4.00 660 210 2004 2371074 0399247300 9780399247309 15 <![CDATA[Surprises According to Humphrey]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/books/23/74/2371074-m-1255919875.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/books/23/74/2371074-s-1255919875.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2371074.Surprises_According_to_Humphrey 3.87 53 Even with all that’s going on, Humphrey makes time to help a few classmates with their problems. But could Mrs. Brisbane leaving school be one problem that’s just too big for this little guy to solve?

Friendship According to Humphrey received a Christopher Award, and kids voted The World According to Humphrey the winner of children’s choice awards in six states. Plus, it’s been nominated for ten others.

]]> 119740 4.00 660 210 2008 825680 0399245057 9780399245053 6 <![CDATA[Trouble According to Humphrey]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178723017m/825680.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178723017s/825680.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/825680.Trouble_According_to_Humphrey 4.41 44 Friendship According to Humphrey received a Christopher Award and kids voted The World According to Humphrey the winner of state book awards in RI, MD and PA. Plus, it's nominated for eleven others so far (WA, MN, FL, LA, OK, SC, PA, NC, UT, IA, ME). Reviewers have called him “delightful,” “irresistible,” “big hearted” and “perky.”

]]> 119740 4.00 660 210 2007 1965975 0060847204 9780060847203 17 <![CDATA[The Princess and the Peabodys]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1190996952m/1965975.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1190996952s/1965975.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1965975.The_Princess_and_the_Peabodys 3.80 46 In the kingdom of Pine Glen . . .

When a teenage wizard blunders a spell that sends a real, live medieval princess to the Peabodys' house, fourteen-year-old Casey Peabody is in for a royal mess! It was bad enough attending Pine Glen Junior High with a squad of cheerleading princesses. Now suddenly Casey has to contend with a real princess of her own.

Her Highness, Princess Eglantine, is an expert at the three Ps: Prettiness, Perkiness, and Popularity—but she can't play soccer like Casey, and she hasn't got a clue about junior high! With ribbons in her hair and her nose in the air, the princess will need Casey to battle the cheerleaders . . . and though she doesn't know it yet, Casey will need the princess, too.

With laughs at every turn, this magical tale proves that you don't have to wear a tiara or be a great soccer player to be cool. It doesn't take a wizard's spell to figure it out: Confident girls rule!

]]> 119740 4.00 660 210 2007 2457359 0571238629 9780571238620 5 <![CDATA[Adventure According to Humphrey (World Book Day 2008)]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2457359.Adventure_According_to_Humphrey 4.14 21 119740 4.00 660 210 2008 1840562 0571233244 9780571233243 2 <![CDATA[Friendship According to Humphrey]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1189052054m/1840562.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1189052054s/1840562.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1840562.Friendship_According_to_Humphrey 4.60 10 Friendship can be tricky, but Humphrey is an intrepid problem-solver. If any hamster can become buddies with a frog, he can.
Praise for The World According to Humphrey:]]> 119740 4.00 660 210 2005 5528765 0571237185 9780571237180 0 <![CDATA[More Adventures According to Humphrey]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5528765.More_Adventures_According_to_Humphrey 5.00 2 119740 4.00 660 210 2009 1417396 0395765013 9780395765012 1 <![CDATA[Pie's in the Oven]]> http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1183430563m/1417396.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1183430563s/1417396.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1417396.Pie_s_in_the_Oven 2.50 4 119740 4.00 660 210 1996 4989387 0307128385 9780307128386 0 <![CDATA[Black Beauty (Golden Books)]]> http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4989387.Black_Beauty 5.00 1 Black Beauty throughout this century, and no doubt will continue through the next. Although Anna Sewell's classic paints a clear picture of turn-of-the-century London, its message is universal and timeless: animals will serve humans well if they are treated with consideration and kindness.

Black Beauty tells the story of the horse's own long and varied life, from a well-born colt in a pleasant meadow to an elegant carriage horse for a gentleman to a painfully overworked cab horse. Throughout, Sewell rails--in a gentle, 19th-century way--against animal maltreatment. Young readers will follow Black Beauty's fortunes, good and bad, with gentle masters as well as cruel. Children can easily make the leap from horse-human relationships to human-human relationships, and begin to understand how their own consideration of others may be a benefit to all. (Ages 9 to 12)

]]> 119740 4.00 660 210 123105 3.57 7 0 2530 3.82 9792 581 1994