Earliest story memories: The Old Woman in the Vinegar Bottle,
The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tongue-cut Sparrow, The Story About Ping,
The Wild Swans, Diamonds and Toads, The Little Red Hen.

Favorite childhood games: Hopscotch, jump rope, marbles, kickball, ping-pong.
 

Childhood chores: Setting the table; dusting; pulling weeds, raking leaves; folding laundry.
 

Favorite chore: Cleaning out the ashes in the fireplace.
 

College: After changing my major 99 times, and colleges 3 times, I finally landed in the field of education (San Jose State Unversity, CA). I taught on and off for a few years. That led me to graduate studies in Children's Literature (Simmons College, Boston, MA); more schooling in Library Studies (Simmons, again); which eventually led to more graduate work in classics-philosophy-liberal studies (St. John's College, Annapolis, MD), the perfect course of study for people who change their major 99 times as an undergraduate.

What I'm doing now: During the day, during the week, during the school year: middle school librarian, Washington, DC.

Otherwise you can find me eating a delicious snack of cheese, fruit, and bread. After that, I play my djembe drum, my hammered dulcimer, or begin work on a new quilt. So when do I read and write? During all the in-between times.