IN THE WORKS:

What else have I been up to? Well, several books are in the works---four have been completed, and more are "under construction".

Completed:

* I have completed a second middle grade novel called Mallomar Season about Jack, a boy whose mother is his school principal. Things heat up when he is accused of cheating and has a run-in with the class bully. A grandfather and a girl named Parker also play major roles in Jack's story.

* Recently finished is a funny picture book entitled Coyote Is a Smarty Pants. It's a fun, factual description of one of the most determined and clever animals around - a true survivor. Did you know that coyotes can be found everywhere in North America, including New York City's Central Park? And who'd guess that they love watermelon!

*Never call a duck a bird brain! A Good Day to be a Duck is a picture book based upon a real-life rescue. When a brood of baby ducks falls down a storm drain, their mother snaps into action, as any good parent would do. She grabs the pant leg of the town's judge and lets him know what he must do to help. Will this unlikely team save the day?

* I've also completed a middle grade novel called Hand-It-Over Hanover, about a legendary school librarian who stops at nothing to get those overdue books back--she even makes house calls and conducts car searches! Pity poor fifth grade Sam who can't find his long-overdue book!

In Progress:

* I'm currently working on a biography of Ellen Swallow Richards (1842-1911, and yes, a relative), who was M.I.T.'s first female graduate and first female professor. She is the founder of ecology, environmental science, and home economics. She was an astonishing woman and a wonderful example of what can be accomplished when you're determined.

On the "back burner":

* Melvil and Dewey have had many challenges, but none perhaps as great as trying to get kids to understand the Dewey Decimal System. The gerbil brothers have their own unique, hilarious teaching style, guaranteed to make kids laugh while at the same time helping them to understand that famous library organizational system.