About the Author

Jane Sutton (website: www.jane-sutton.com) is the author of 7 picture books, one YA, and 3 middle grade novels. Her latest project is a new edition of ME AND THE WEIRDOS, a middle grade novel originally published in 1981, (ALA/CBC Children's Choice, Utah Children's Book Award.) Inspired by two talented high school girls in Utah who turned the book into a wonderful musical, Jane decided to get the book back in print. With charming illustrations by Doreen Buchinski and careful text revisions, Jane feels the new edition is better than ever. She hopes that people who've written her countless fan letters over the years and lamented that the book was out of print, will find this new edition! It's been very moving that the humorous book's message, that it's OK to be different, still resonates.Jane's most recent picture book is PAULIE'S PASSOVER PREDICAMENT (Kar-Ben) , about a moose who wants his Passover seder to be perfect, but it's definitely not. Despite his goofy gaffes, the importance of the holiday and warm celebration with his friends shine through. When Jane's friend and backyard chicken raiser, told her about one hen who refused to get off her eggs, Jane knew she had to turn the story into a children's book with both humor and chicken facts. Hence, WHAT'S UP WITH THIS CHICKEN? (Pelican) . ESTHER'S HANUKKAH DISASTER (Kar-Ben) is about a well-meaning gorilla who buys her animal friends what turn out to be wildly inappropriate gifts. Along the way, Esther learns a thing or two about empathy and the true meaning of Hanukkah. Jane began writing stories and poems at a young age. She would turn an assignment to "write a paragraph using all the spelling words" into a three-act play. An essay she penned in fifth grade is entitled "A Criticism of Humanity on Behalf of the Ducks." In response to the indignities of growing up on Long Island, she developed a sense of humor. As an editor of her high school newspaper, she once wrote an article in which she revealed that she was actually Diana Ross. She was elected class comedienne in high school, and to phi beta kappa in college (a rare combination? ) Speaking of college, a touchy-feely sociology class assignment to "do something you always wanted to do and keep a journal on it" prompted her to write children's stories, an experience she enjoyed immensely. She eventually sold the stories to a company that published reading comprehension tests. Post-college writing jobs included newspaper staff writer, the highlight of which was interviewing James Earl Jones, and copywriter for a medical instrumentation company.Several of Jane's books have been published in French, one into Italian. Besides working on her own writing, Jane teaches a class on writing for kids and tutors middle school through college students, helping them express their written ideas clearly. She gives author presentations in schools, libraries

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