About Me

I grew up in New Hampshire where my parents treated us to outdoor adventures every weekend. From camping in all types of weather, to picking apples at the local orchards, to exploring the shoreline at low tide, these family excursions instilled a love for the outdoors, curiosity over what lays beyond the next bend, and flexibility in adjusting to whatever the world presents.

A love for books began early with trips to the library and reading bedtime stories with my mother.  My connection to books was so strong that when I was told by my first grade teacher that our class's visit to the school library would happen only once because "first graders ruin books," I decided that my enrollment would end as soon as possible. Of course, my parents wouldn't make a change mid-year, so my mother made a promise to bring me to the public library more often.

The sting of the school rules regarding library use stuck with me, though. On graduation day I refused to walk on stage and accept my 1st grade diploma. Instead, when the principal finally moved to the next name on the list, I left the auditorium and went to the school library! After all, I was a 2nd grader! Haha! Sure enough, the following fall I attended a different school that housed a lovely library. Although I remember the librarian was a bit confused by my inquiry regarding who was allowed to use it.

Over the years, my poems and stories have been published in different venues, from children's magazines such as Babybug and Cricket to books for the educational market. My fondness for books and food was combined in The Book Lover's Cookbook, which I co-authored with Janet Kay Jensen. As I continue to write, I tend to create stories that have heart, can open a child to the natural world, or tickle the funny bone. My greatest hope is that my stories encourage a child to step outside and explore, or look inside themselves, smile at what they see, and share what they have to give.

Thank you for visiting me!

If you have questions, you can reach me via email.   skwenger  at  aol   dot  com