Big Books of 2026
Stephanie M. Ward
435 ratings | 299 reviews | avg rating:4.54

more photos (1)

Stephanie’s Year In Books

year in books
Stephanie’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Stephanie’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
Go to Stephanie’s 2025 Year in Books

Stephanie M. Ward’s Followers (89)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo

Add New
Videos

Trailer for Allen the Alien
Add a comment
Teaser for Allen the Alien
Add a comment

More videos…

Stephanie’s Bookshelves

to-read (1098)
currently-reading (16)
read (987)
2020 (4)
armadillo-magazine (19)
audiobook (1)
australia (66)
author-friends (16)
blog-tour (46)
board-book (1)
See all bookshelves »

Stephanie’s Friends (154)

The Can...
The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori)
2,282 books | 2,623 friends

Stacee
Stacee
4,351 books | 4,201 friends

Zoe For...
Zoe Forward
529 books | 364 friends

tracy
tracy
668 books | 19 friends

Shelley...
Shelleyrae at Book'd Out
8,865 books | 2,735 friends

diana
diana
2,681 books | 1,130 friends

Dimity ...
Dimity Powell
4,279 books | 546 friends

Liz Ledden
Liz Ledden
199 books | 51 friends

More friends…

Stephanie M. Ward

Goodreads Author


Born
in Spokane, The United States
Website

Twitter
StephMWard

Genre
Children's, Fiction, Poetry

Member Since
January 2012

URL


Stephanie Ward is a children's book author represented by Erzsi Deak at Hen & Ink Literary. After many years in marketing, Stephanie now spends her time writing sweet, silly and sidesplitting stories and poetry for children including...

ALLEN THE ALIEN, illustrated by Aleck Morton, published by Riveted Press (2024)

5 MINUTE CHRISTMAS TALES, illustrated by Karen Saavedra, published by Bookli (2023)

HELLO SHARK! and DON'T LAUGH GIRAFFE, both illustrated by Bethany Carr, published by Imagine That (2023)

ARABELLA AND THE MAGIC PENCIL, illustrated by Shaney Hyde, published by EK Books (2019)

WALLY THE WARM-WEATHER PENGUIN, illustrated by Vanessa Landin, published by Forwards Press (2017).

Currently, she can be found writing the rainy days away in ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Stephanie M. Ward questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
Stephanie M. Ward I had the opportunity to travel around the world for a year and within three months visited two very remote places, Antarctica and the Galapagos Islan…moreI had the opportunity to travel around the world for a year and within three months visited two very remote places, Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands. When I encountered Emperor Penguins in the extreme climate of Antarctica, I wondered why they never migrated somewhere with warmer weather. A couple of months later, when visiting the Galapagos Islands, I saw the darling Galapagos Penguins playing in the warm ocean waters and frolicking on the beach. And there was the premise for Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin: What if an Emperor Penguin found out there was a colony of penguins living in a much warmer place?

Full blog post (with loads of fascinating background information!) http://stephaniemward.com/2014/07/07/...(less)
flag
Will we be seeing any sequels to Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin?
Stephanie M. Ward Yes, Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin is headed to Australia for his next adventure. You may not think of penguins when you think of Australia but there…moreYes, Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin is headed to Australia for his next adventure. You may not think of penguins when you think of Australia but there is a "little"-known penguin, called a Fairy Penguin or Little Blue Penguin that can be found on southern shores in Australia and New Zealand. They are the smallest penguin in the world. Wally will meet some fascinating new creatures Down Under, so stay tuned for the next edition later this year.

Thanks so much for the question, Carmela.(less)
flag
See all 4 answers from Stephanie M. Ward…

Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.47 · 112 ratings · 73 reviews · 6 distinct works • Similar authors
Arabella and the Magic Pencil
by
4.51 avg rating — 51 ratings — published 2019 — 3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Wally the Warm-Weather Penguin
4.52 avg rating — 50 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Allen the Alien
by
4.29 avg rating — 7 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Hello Shark! (Shake, Roll &...
by
3.75 avg rating — 4 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
5 Minute Christmas Tales
by
0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Don't Laugh, Giraffe Push P...
by
0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
More books by Stephanie M. Ward…

227 posts
Stephanie M. Ward's Blog: Notes from a writer with wanderlust

Book Review + Giveaway: The Last Apple Tree

Title: The Last Apple Tree | Author: Claudia Mills | Genre: Middle Grade | Publisher: Holiday House (2025) |  ISBN: 978-0823461882 Publisher’s Book Summary: Twelve-year-old Sonnet’s family has just moved across the country to live with her grandfather after her nana dies. Gramps’s once-impressive apple orchard has been razed for a housing development, with only one heirloom tree left. …

Continu

Read more of this blog post »
View more on Stephanie M. Ward's website »
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on October 08, 2025 07:04
View all 227 posts »

Stephanie is Currently Reading

AU Children Tashi...
Stephanie Ward is currently reading
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

 
Dec 10, 2025 12:37PM
The House with Ch...
Stephanie Ward is currently reading
by Sophie Anderson (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

 
Nov 03, 2025 12:01PM
Dead End in Norvelt
Stephanie Ward is currently reading
by Jack Gantos (Goodreads Author)
bookshelves: currently-reading
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars

 
Oct 26, 2025 02:46PM

rss
Stephanie’s Recent Updates

Stephanie Ward is now following
17072288
Sophie Anderson
Author of The House with Chicken Legs (The House with Chi...
Nov 03, 2025 12:02PM  · 
Stephanie Ward rated a book it was amazing
The Lights of Shantinagar by Nidhi Arora
The Lights of Shantinagar
by Nidhi Arora (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
An absolutely delightful novel!

The Lights of Shantinagar is a peek through the window of life in a small India village. In goregeous, wise prose, readers are dropped into the intertwined lives of five families dealing with sins of the past and the ri ...more
Nov 01, 2025 05:21AM  ·   · see review ·  preview book
Stephanie Ward rated a book it was amazing
101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up (Revised Edition) by Bianca Schulze
101 Books to Read Before You Grow Up (Revised Edition): Timeless Tales and New Adventures Kids Will Love to Read
by Bianca Schulze (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
A reading reference book for every bookshelf! As a bonafide list maker, I have countless spreadsheets, checklists and good old-fashioned handwritten logs organising the books that I’ve read or want to read. It will save me hours of inputting info wit ...more
Oct 26, 2025 02:15PM  ·   · see review ·  preview book
Stephanie Ward has read
The Last Apple Tree by Claudia Mills
The Last Apple Tree
by Claudia Mills (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
In this multi-generation, contemporary middle grade novel, tweens Sonnet and Zeke clash over a class project that shows just how differently two people can approach the same challenge. But additional layers reveal issues of dementia, family tragedy, ...more
Oct 08, 2025 07:03AM  ·   · see review ·  preview book
Stephanie Ward is now following
55678589
Nidhi Arora
Author of The Lights of Shantinagar
Oct 01, 2025 12:38PM  · 
Stephanie Ward is now following
49256389
Maria Antonia
Author of The Christmas Elephant: a Nativity Story
Sep 29, 2025 01:17AM  · 
Stephanie Ward rated a book it was amazing
Sawyer's Big Idea by Kimberly Horch
Sawyer's Big Idea
by Kimberly Horch (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Sawyer has a lot of ideas...and creativity...and energy! So what project is he going to work on? Maybe, all of them! A sweet story about a boy with big ideas and not enough time in the day to get them all done. This cleverly-written story perfectly p ...more
Sep 15, 2025 01:40PM  ·   · see review ·  preview book
Sep 13, 2025 03:00AM
Stephanie Ward is now following Ryann Jones's reviews
148757105
Aug 28, 2025 03:11PM  · 
Stephanie Ward rated a book it was amazing
O'win and the Moon by Roseanne Baxter Frank
O'win and the Moon
by Roseanne Baxter Frank (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
A very sweet story that introduces young children to constellations and the phases of the moon. Dreamlike illustrations create an ethereal feel to the folktale-style of storytelling. Truly a unique picture book. Wonderful back matter and activities i ...more
Aug 28, 2025 03:06PM  · 1 like ·   · see review ·  preview book
More of Stephanie's books…

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Aussie Readers: [Ends 27 Jan] Australia Day Giveaway 1 13 Jan 23, 2015 09:01PM  
Support for Indie...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Introductions - Retired 3036 3044 Jun 29, 2016 05:22AM  
Aussie Readers: This topic has been closed to new comments. Share Your Reviews (and Thoughts) Here - 2019 3102 330 Dec 31, 2019 06:58PM  
Aussie Lovers of...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Currently reading/Just finished! CLOSED 7094 742 Dec 31, 2019 07:03PM  
Fiction Fanatics: This topic has been closed to new comments. 2019 reads 1653 171 Jan 09, 2020 11:13PM  
Books, Blogs, Aut...: Book review request-book reviewers please post here 124 1474 Mar 28, 2020 08:12AM  
Review Group: * Group 243. Children and YA - Mod. L.N. 117 63 May 28, 2020 11:33AM  
WACKY READING CHA...: What are You Reading? #2 1385 107 Jan 01, 2021 10:16PM  

Stephanie’s Quotes

Patrick Dennis
“Morning, I soon discovered, was one o’clock for Auntie Mame. Early Morning was eleven, and the Middle of the Night was nine.”
― Patrick Dennis
tags: humor, mornings
6 likes

Sue Fitzmaurice
“You must go on adventures to find out where you belong.”
― Sue Fitzmaurice
tags: travel
52 likes

Mary Botham Howitt
“Will you walk into my parlour?" said the Spider to the Fly”
― Mary Howitt, The Spider and the Fly
tags: humor, lessons, poetry
27 likes

Mo Willems
“If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.”
― Mo Willems, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
tags: fairy-tales, humor, humorous, philosophy, psychology
4136 likes

P.T. Barnum
“The noblest art is that of making others happy”
― P.T. Barnum
268 likes

recent posts
Stephanie’s Groups

721 Aussie Readers — 6485 members — last activity 15 minutes ago
A group for all Australian Goodreads members (and those interested in Australia), no matter what they read!
46870 Blogger Lift — 4148 members — last activity 27 minutes ago
Welcome to Blogger Lift, the largest community of Bloggers on Goodreads. Want a little lift for your blog? You have come to the right place. Meet Blo ...more
26989 Goodreads Authors/Readers — 55694 members — last activity 1 hour, 30 min ago
This group is dedicated to connecting readers with Goodreads authors. It is divided by genres, and includes folders for writing resources, book websit ...more
60696 Making Connections — 14765 members — last activity Dec 24, 2025 07:25PM
Read, Review, and Make Connections
69484 Book Promotions — 2996 members — last activity Dec 19, 2025 09:22AM
Well, it seems there is a group for everything else out there, but not one specifically for promoting books. There are places within groups to do it, ...more
33825 How to Promote YOUR book on Amazon — 8717 members — last activity Dec 22, 2025 06:48AM
Are YOU an author? If so I am sure you are aware of how hard it can be to market your book successfully. There is so much you can do on Amazon.com to ...more
25x33 Children's Book Authors/Illustrators — 869 members — last activity Dec 17, 2025 08:02AM
Hello! I am a published children's book author and illustrator! I have published 12 books throughout my writing career so far, illustrated greeting ca ...more
56962 Book Bloggers of Goodreads — 3026 members — last activity Dec 16, 2025 12:31AM
This is a group for the book bloggers of Goodreads and authors seeking reviews. Book bloggers: post events, reviews, giveaways, ask questions, share l ...more
188 Children's Books — 6890 members — last activity 13 minutes ago
From picture-books to juvenile fiction, award-winners to overlooked gems, the world of children's literature provides an endless supply of fabulous bo ...more
220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 304725 members — last activity 9 minutes ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
More of Stephanie’s groups…

Stephanie’s Friend Comments

Comments (showing 1-2)    post a comment »
dateDown arrow    newest »

message 2: by Kate
Dec 24, 2015 11:02AM

Kate Larkinson Hi Steph

Have you seen this?:

LIBRARYBUB FEATURE GIVEAWAY SWEEPSTAKE

Get your book into libraries via a feature with LibraryBub. They connect best-selling and award-winning indie & small press authors with around 10,000 libraries in the USA.

As a best-selling or/and award-winning author, sign up for the giveaway and you can win a feature in their weekly email to around 10,000 US libraries.

The current retail price of the feature is $299.

To enter, click on the link below, answer the difficult (not!) question and fill in your email address.

http://alinkarutkowska.com/giveaways/...

Good luck! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Kate xxx


message 1: by Raven Haired Girl
Jun 05, 2015 10:48AM

Raven Haired Girl Thanks so much for your friendship Stephanie, I look forward to learning more about you and chatting about books. Have a great weekend.


back to top