April Jones Prince

When April Jones Prince was in first grade, she decided she wanted to be an archaeologist. “I envisioned myself digging up precious historical artifacts and living in a palace,” she says. “Obviously, I didn’t know much about the accommodations of archaeologists in the field!” She did know that she was curious about the details of the past—what people did, ate, and wore. “I grew up fascinated by these things. My mom is a costume historian and my dad is practically a walking history book, so maybe it was inevitable.”

April was also fascinated by books, ideas, and stories. As a child, she loved reading and being read to. When she grew older, April realized she also loved to write. Even back then, her work had a strong nonfiction bent. “I secretly enjoyed writing research papers in school,” she admits. “In college I was a journalism major, and I loved that too. But journalistic writing is so practical—nothing as romantic as being a novelist or poet! Perhaps for that reason, I never really thought of myself as a writer until I began writing for children.”

Today, April feels she has found the perfect vocation: writing about history for young people. “I love taking tantalizing people or ‘nuggets’ from history and weaving them into stories that are exciting and engaging for children,” she says. April enjoys both the writing, and the research. “The research stage is exciting and unpredictable. In a way, I guess it’s my own kind of archaeology—digging up old documents and visiting the nooks and crannies of historical sites and museums. I certainly experience an archaeologist’s thrill of discovery.”

April finds a special delight in creating books for young readers. “The books we love as children affect us like no other books we read in our lifetimes—they stay with us and shape us. Plus, they give kids the perfect opportunity to crawl into the lap of someone who loves them and listen to a good story. What could be better?”

Find activities and teacher guides, and learn more about April and her books at www.apriljonesprince.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @AprilEdit.