Lola M. Schaefer

When I was a child I never imagined that one day I would be a published author. Reading was so important to me. I ran to the bookmobile every week and exchanged one tall pile of books for another. At school, I read every biography and novel in our small library. And at the holidays, a book was the most treasured gift. Fifty-eight years later, I still have my original copies of BLACK BEAUTY, HEIDI and KIDNAPPED. Today I'm still an avid reader. It's impossible to keep up with all of the wonderful literature that debuts each year, but I try. While traveling in the car, I listen to audio books and marvel at how talented readers bring the words to life. At home, I read as many of the newest picture books and middle grade novels as I can manage. (Some for industry research, but most for pure fun!) As you can see from my own published titles, I have a lot of diverse interests from geology to animals to humor to the teaching of writing and more. The best part about writing for children is meeting my audience. There's nothing more rewarding than learning that one of my books is important to a young reader. So, what's coming out next? Sprinkles and Swirls: A Fun Day at Fun Park - my first graphic easy reader from Ready-to-Read at Simon and Schuster debuts in December, 2021. And soon after in 2022, Lift, Mix, Fling! Machines Can Do Anything at Greenwillow Books.