Q & A

Natalie, a third-grade student from Arkansas, loved my ADVENTURES AT TABBY TOWERS series. She decided to write a biography project about me for school. She emailed me a list of questions, and I answered them. Her questions, below, are in bold face.

Place of birth: Slayton, Minnesota

Family information: Shelley is married and has two grown sons. She has three brothers.

Important childhood experiences/interests: Shelley took piano lessons; loved to ride her bike; loved to swim. Her dad was a pastor, an English professor, and a student in graduate school; the family moved often to his different churches or colleges. They lived in Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, Alberta, and Saskatchewan. Shelley’s three wild brothers drove her crazy, so she escaped to her room a lot and read books.

Information about education/development as a writer: Shelley was a double major in college: English and Education (she is a certified K-6 schoolteacher). She wrote a lot as an English major. She worked with many children and studied children’s literature to become a teacher. It all built a foundation to become a professional children’s book writer.

Other important/relevant experiences that helped shape the writer (relationships, other occupations, etc.): After college, Shelley worked at the Red Balloon Bookshop in Saint Paul, Minnesota, (all children’s books). She met another writer there who shared her editor’s contact information with Shelley. That led to Shelley’s first book contracts. Then she worked as a children’s nonfiction book editor, and that led to more children’s book contracts.

Writing influences (other writers/works author admired): A Wrinkle in Time; Pippi Longstocking; Harriet the Spy; Charlie Brown comic books; any children’s mystery book she could get her hands on (Nancy Drew, etc.). Shelley annoyed the town’s public librarian in Alberta, Canada, when she’d asked for more mysteries a little too often.

Significant works (books/magazine): one middle grade novel; twelve easy readers (the Max and Zoe series); twelve chapter books (eight in the Adventures at Hound Hotel series, four in the Adventures at Tabby Towers series); fifteen children’s nonfiction books; a story in Highlights for Children magazine (“I Don’t Like Tomatoes!”), which is also an audiobook.

Common topics and themes in author’s work: fun, funny childhood experiences; typical, frustrating childhood problems; humorous, entertaining adventures; typical sibling upsets; love for and care of animals; love of nature, history, the arts.

Success during author’s lifetime (awards, money): Shelley’s nonfiction book, The Humane Societies: A Voice for the Animals, was an International Literacy Association Children’s Choices Book.

Influence/relevance of author today (what is unique about her writing?): Shelley combines humor with childhood problems. An elementary school librarian from Ohio wrote to Shelley: “Girls are my most avid readers, and it can be hard to keep them in amusing books which also have some more serious issues…thanks for writing. Good books make my job easier.”

How did the writer’s life experiences shape her work: Shelley’s family valued reading, adventure, and humor. Someone was always telling a funny story. Her father was a published author of many books and much poetry. Her mother was an artist, illustrator, and graphic designer. Shelley’s mother bought many children’s books for the family and took her children to the library often. Everyone in the family was creative: building; designing; writing; painting; sewing; drawing, sculpting; making pottery, etc.