Meet Megan McDonald

“Pretending to Be a Pencil Sharpener” was Megan McDonald’s first experience as a writer. She was ten years old when she wrote the story about a pencil for her school newspaper. Since earning her BA in English from Oberlin College and Masters in Library Science from the University of Pittsburgh, Megan has since written more than 60 books for children in 22 languages, including the hilarious Judy Moody adventures, which are largely inspired by her childhood memories of growing up with four older sisters. She lives with her husband in Sebastopol, California. Visit her at meganmcdonald.net.

Peter H. Reynolds made his first foray into publishing at the age of seven, when he and his twin brother, Paul, began producing their own comic books on their father’s photocopier. Today, Peter is a New York Times–bestselling author and illustrator whose work has been published in 25 languages. When Peter was first approached about illustrating Judy Moody, he jumped at the chance. The feisty, independent Judy reminded him of his own daughter, who was 11 years old at the time. An incessant doodler since childhood, Peter’s books inspire children with messages about authentic learning, creativity, and empathy. He lives with his family in Dedham, Massachusetts. Visit him at peterhreynolds.com.