Meet the INK THINKers

Let it be known by way of introduction and in the interest of brevity and avoiding repetition that every INK-Thinker is:

an award-winning writer of nonfiction and an expert in Language Arts
a professional speaker who can present any audience with an engaging program.
willing and able to offer workshops and personal insights into the processes of writing and research.

AND INK-THINKERS VISIT SCHOOLS!

Vicki Cobb


	Science (Physical, Life Science, History of Science, Technology)

	Home base: White Plains, NY www.vickicobb.com She’s gone gorilla trekking in Uganda, snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, and hiked a Hawaiian volcano. She’s combined science and show-business on her website with her entertaining 1 min. videos of kids doing hands-on science, Vicki’s main focus. “All of my work is dedicated to giving the joy of discovery to children, which creates the foundation for a lifetime of ongoing inquiry and learning.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Keynotes, Teacher in-services, Webinars, Video conferences.

Sneed Collard III


	Science (Life Sci., Biology, Tech.; Hist. & Nature); Soc. Studies (US Hist., Govt., Civics)

	Home base: Missoula, MT www.sneedbcollardiii.com Sneed’s background as a marine biologist as well as his adventures in Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America, and at the ocean’s floor are reflected in his many books, known for their high literary content. “Teachers can ‘double-dip; when using them, teaching literacy while working in important – and fascinating – concepts of science.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Writing in the Deep “I take kids on a trip in a deep-sea submersible…[teaching] bioluminescence & [researching] without the internet…other programs focus on tropical cloud forests, reptiles, & my life as an author.”

Marfé Ferguson Delano


	Science (Earth, Space, Environmental Sci., Tech., Hist. & Nature); Soc. Studies (Biography; US Hist., Multicultural Understanding)

	Home base: near Washington, DC www.marfebooks.com Among the many places and subjects that this gifted singer, writer, editor and researcher has explored are caves, the rain forest, a live volcano, Mayan ruins, a genius’s laboratory, and the home of a heroine. Marfé and her lively books bring our vast and varied world as well as some of its most remarkable people into your classroom.

Susan E. Goodman


	Science (Thrilling discoveries from space travel to adaptation); History (Heroes with warts, regular people doing great things); Etc. (Humor and adventure)

	Home base: Boston, MA www.susangoodmanbooks.com To research her books, Susan has flown up to the Arctic icecap with the Air Force, paddled down the Amazon to share a bathroom with a tarantula, and made countless calls to find the perfect fact to evoke a kid's sense of wonder. Teaching at Lesley University’s MFA in Creative Writing Program has taught her how to help others learn to write vivid, narrative nonfiction. “Awe…fascination … admiration…amusement … outrage – I want to show kids that the world – and books about it - contain all of these things and more.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	School visits, writing workshops, keynotes and conference sessions, teacher in-services including ways to help kids improve nonfiction writing by getting emotionally and intellectually involved with their subjects.

Jan Greenberg


	K-8 Fine Arts (Art and Architecture, Dance); Social Studies (Biography, History)

	Home base: St. Louis, MO Website Jan has traveled all over the world visiting artists' studios and museums to write groundbreaking books that open children’s eyes to contemporary art. “What do you say,” Jan asks them, “after you say ‘I like it or I don’t like it?’” From Vincent Van Gogh to Christo and Jeanne-Claude, her biographies of artists and architects tell stories of risk-takers and innovators, who challenged old ideas and created new forms. Her anthologies of poetry inspired by art offer teachers and students a fresh approach to both writing about and looking at artworks. She loves finding connections between art forms and her next book will be about dance, sculpture and music. “My goal has been to help young readers come to new art with a fresh and open mind and to begin a conversation that will continue throughout their lives.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Teachers’ and Librarians’ In-services

Cheryl Harness


	Social Studies (US Hist.; Geography, Biography, Transportation); Science (Hist. & Nature)

	Home base: Independence, MO www.cherylharness.com Cheryl’s lively biographies and social histories are noted for their detailed illustrations, researched in her travels round the nation. She and her books help educators teach about the vast panoply of life going on in America, from the 1600s to the 1900s. “I see my job as countering the notion that history consists of boring factoids about dead people and wars. No, it’s a big, fat ongoing drama! History’s how we understand ourselves.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Keynotes, Teacher in-services focusing on the social studies with a special focus on American History, Banquet Talks, and School Visits.

Deborah Heiligman

Science (Physical & Life Sci., Biology, Tech., Human Body, Hist. & Nature); Soc. Studies (Multicultural Understanding, US Hist., Biography, Regions); History of Science


Photo credit: Matt Peyton

Home base: New York, NY
www.deborahheiligman.com

Deborah’s love is researching and writing about complex subjects in a lively way for children of all ages. She loves to write about both science and religion, and, if possible on both at the same time. She hopes that her books will help teachers and kids shine a brighter light on the world. And she encourages everyone to be observant and curious.

“Remember, a good researcher is nosy, so be nosy.”

Additional Programs Offered:

Teacher In-services, conferences, talks to writers.

Steve Jenkins


	Science (Animals, Earth Science, Outer Space)

	Home Base: Colorado www.stevejenkinsbooks.com For the past 15 years Steve has lived and worked in a house built in the 1880’s in Boulder, Colorado. Right now he’s off on a year-long road trip with his wife and 11-year-old son. Before moving to Colorado, Steve lived in North Carolina, Panama, Virginia, Kansas, and New York City. The son of a physics professor and astronomer, Steve imagined, growing up, that he’d also be a scientist. He became a graphic designer and illustrator instead, eventually opening a design office with Robin Page (now his wife and frequent co-author). He began writing and illustrating children’s books about the natural world in 1994, and, having finally found a way to combine his love of art and science, has never looked back.


	Additional Programs Offered:
	I am on sabbatical this year, so I'm not scheduling any school visits at this time.

Barbara Kerley


	Social Studies (Biography; US Hist.; Hist. of Peoples of World Cultures)

	Home base: McKinleyville, CA www.barbarakerley.com Her service in Nepal as a Peace Corps volunteer and other far-flung adventures are reflected in her insightful books, invaluable in illuminating your lessons, Teachers, about the complex world and its people, past and present. “Curiosity is what drives my writing, and it’s what I try to nurture in kids – an eagerness to dig deeper and learn new things.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Teacher in-service on writing biographies and works of narrative nonfiction.

Susan Kuklin


	Fine Arts (Dance); Social Studies (Human Rights, Ethics, Law, Civics)

	Home base: New York, NY www.susankuklin.com With photographs and interviews, books by this former photo- journalist explore such diverse subjects as chimpanzee language studies, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Japanese children, and the juvenile justice system. Susan invites students to be curious and ask probing questions to broaden their own research in new and creative ways. "Curiosity doesn't kill cats, it makes them more beguiling."


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Teacher In-services: “I share…innovative ideas about ways to research, do interviews:…invaluable teaching tools.”

Loreen Leedy


	K-3 Math, Writing, Science

	Home base: Central Florida www.loreenleedy.com Loreen has explored a wide variety of subjects in her picture books and enjoys finding a neglected or seemingly dull topic to investigate such as nutrition, similes, or measuring. Many of her books encourage children’s creativity. The characters in her books make graphs, write and illustrate their own books, make maps, and many other hands-on activities. “The goal for my books is that young readers will learn something new, be inspired to read further, and be creative.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Conference sessions and keynote speeches

Sue Macy


	Social Studies (Biography, US Hist., World Hist., Geography, Human Systems)

	Home base: Englewood, NJ www.suemacy.com Sue wrote a paper on early female tennis players in college, and her fascination with sports history has only increased since then. Her books show how individual achievements both reflect and have an impact on society at large. Her research, her love of photography, her experiences as an editor & athlete - all are reflected in her books and biographies. “Sports is the perfect backdrop to make history come alive.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Teachers’ In-Services, School Visits (Video and In-Person), Keynote Speeches.

Jim Murphy


	Social Studies (US History, World History, Biography)

	Home base: Maplewood, NJ www.jimmurphybooks.com Jim sees his dramatic, narrative histories as journeys, not just to a different time and place, but journeys into the thoughts, emotions and motivations of the individuals - young and old - who shaped our country’s history. “Research is like detective work -- I snoop around until I uncover the hidden, surprising details that bring the people and the era alive for readers.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	School visits (in person and via video), Keynote Speeches, Panel Discussions, Conference Presentations.

Dorothy Hinshaw Patent


	Science (Life & Physical Sci., Botany, Ecology, Environmental, Zoology); Social Studies (Regions, Geography, US Hist., Plains Indian history)

	Home base: Missoula, MT www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com To the many books she has written about nature and history, Dorothy came well-equipped: with her own adventures in Asia, Europe, and the Americas; a Ph. D. in Zoology; and a childhood spent (mostly) out of doors, “collecting butterflies, snakes, frogs, etc.” She and her insightful books can bring the natural world into your classroom and show how the study of science “can help children think logically…and enhance their enjoyment of life.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Several topics for school visit presentations at all age levels, conference presentations.

Susanna Reich

Fine Arts (Dance, Visual Arts, Music Hist.);
Soc. Studies (Biography, Cultural Diversity, US. Hist.)



Photo credit: Laurel Golio

Home base: Ossining, NY
www.susannareich.com

Susanna’s background as a designer and professional dancer and her graduate work in dance and South Pacific cultures are reflected in her meticulously-researched biographies of historical figures in the arts. What roles do art and artists play in society? What can they teach us? How and why do people become artists? Susanna and her books answer these questions, “helping kids understand the world by seeing it through the eyes of artists.”

Additional Programs Offered:

School Visits for grades K-12, Conference Presentations, Keynotes

April Pulley Sayre


	K-8 Nonfiction writing; rain forests/biomes/continents

	Home base: South Bend, IN, Richmond, VA www.aprilsayre.com April has followed lemurs in Madagascar, pursued army ants in Panama, and eaten Piranha in the Amazon. This photographer, videographer, and nature-sound-collector loves to share her rain forest adventures and lively writing techniques with students. “I want kids to feel connected – to understand those big and small links between creatures, plants, stars, sunsets, and their lives.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	School visits. Keynotes, online chats, teacher in-services: Voice & Fluency in Nonfiction; Joyful Nonfiction Structure: Expository & Narrative; What Scientists Do to Find, Follow, and Study Wild Animals; Secrets of Sound.

Rosalyn Schanzer


	History (Great adventures, exploration); Science (Inventions and breakthroughs); Biography (Making superstars from the past spring vividly to life.)

	Home base: near Washington, DC www.rosalynschanzer.com In her quest for adventure and facts for her books, this author, illustrator, photographer, and nationally ranked swimmer has explored 22 countries from Tanzania to Thailand to Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. "I aim to uncover the secret inside scoop about some of the most extraordinary people of all time...a perfect way to keep kids tuned in."


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Videoconferences, School Visits, Keynote Speeches, Panel Discussions, Teacher In-Services, Banquet Talks. All programs are interactive and vividly illustrated. And they’re funny too. Schanzer can also tell how a true tale of adventure from a single book can explore almost every subject in the curriculum in ways kids can't forget.

David M. Schwartz


	Math; Science (Life Sciences)

	Home base: Oakland, CA www.davidschwartz.com As a child David wondered about many things and now he pursues his lifelong curiosities by traveling, researching and writing books. In schools, he will do anything to get kids to wonder, learn and laugh at the same time, whether it¹s holding up giant bags of popcorn that grow by powersof ten or showing photos of himself reading in some of the world¹s most unlikely places. “Wondering is wonderful. You don’t have to wait until you’re 25 years old to have a great idea. You already do, so long as you wonder about the world.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Keynotes, banquet talks, in-services emphasizing using literature to teach math concepts showing student work that is impressive, inspiring and hilarious; big numbers across the curriculum; Nature’s Numbers (linking math, science and literature); math vocabulary

Melissa Stewart


	Science (Life, Physical, Earth, & Space Sci., Tech. Hist. & Nature); Math

	Home base: Acton, MA www.melissa-stewart.com celebratescience.blogspot.com Melissa (biologist/ journalist/ educator/ author) helps both teachers and students unlock the secrets of the powerful, natural world. “I want to encourage people, especially kids, to go outdoors and explore. If one of my books inspires them to chase a butterfly to see where it goes or to take a closer look at a rock, then my job is done.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Teachers’ In-services focusing on nonfiction writing and teaching science through literature (Science Reading Buddies, Science-themed Readers Theater, Twin Texts)

Tanya Lee Stone


	Social Studies (Biography, US Hist., Women’s Hist., Human Experience, Govt.); Science (Phys., Life, Earth, Space Sci., Tech., Hist. & Nature)

	Home base: Burlington, VT www.tanyastone.com In her many books, Tanya specializes in making connections for kids, so they see that things that happened in the past have a direct relevance to their lives today. They can't know where they're going until they know where they've been. She believes that nonfiction books can be as exciting as any novel. “I am passionate about sharing some of the fascinating people in our world.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	School Visits, Conferences, Keynote Speeches, Teachers’ In-services

Gretchen Woefle


	Science (Environmental, Ecosystems); Social Studies (Biography; US History)

	Home base: Los Angeles, CA www.gretchenwoelfle.com This far-traveled writer/singer/urban farmer has lived in such places as the Himalayas, a Pacific island, and London, England. Gretchen brings her rich experiences to the writing of biography. She and her books can bring the histories of music, women, environmental activism, and African Americans alive in your classroom. “I’m intensely curious about people and the worlds they live in—past & present. I write to pass on my passion.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	Teachers’ in-services

Karen Romano Young


	Science (Physical & Life Sci., Tech., Hist. & Nature); Social Studies (Geography)

	Home base: Bethel, CT www.karenromanoyoung.com To learn about the world, this author-illustrator has gone to Europe, Canada, and to extremes: “two miles deep in the Pacific Ocean.” Looking to find a way to help your students the amazing world? Look to Karen and her lively books. “Crazy for writing, art, and science my whole life, my goals involve finding ways to do all at once.”


	Additional Programs Offered:
	“I am developing an in-service on teaching science through art, with science & art educator Amy Holt Cline of the U. of NH.”

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