Authors on the Internet

There are quite a few author websites posted on the World Wide Web. Some are written and maintained by the authors others by fans, academics, students, or by the publishers. I have chosen to link to sites written by the authors with some rare exceptions.

Did you like Skellig? David Almond has written several other books as well as a play since he published Skellig. Find out more at his website.

We were lucky enough to have a visit in May of 2004, from Philip Ardagh. He has written the Eddie Dickens trilogy and The Fall of Fergal. His website is quite entertaining.

No one draws nature like Jim Arnosky. I thought I knew most of his books until I visited his pages.

Jim Aylesworth, author and illustrator has a colorful site to visit. He wrote the words to one of my favorite alphabet books, Old Black Fly. He retold and brilliantly illustrated such fairy tales as The Gingerbread Man and Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Avi won the 2003 Newberry for Crispen Cross of Lead. Find out about this and other books by this profoundly prolific author, on his site.

Caldecott winning illustrator, Molly Bang's website is wonderful. She writes a story about each of her books and suggests activities to go along with the story.

T.A.Barron is one of my personal favorites and the author of "The Lost Years of Merlin" saga. We were lucky enough to have him visit our school in October of 2004.

Calling all Spiderwick fans. Holly Black has a website. She has also written a young adult novel, so I am sure she has young fans and young adult fans. Of particular interest is the page on touring NJ according to Tithe. I have read a Spiderwick book and Tithe and recommend them both for their particular age groups. Click on the names to link to the page with my annotations.

Jan Brett's website is as charming as her books and contains coloring pages for young fans. Her newest book, The Umbrella, was donated to the library during the Book Fair.

Molly Moon fans will enjoy a visit to Georgia Byng's Molly website. The sequel to Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism is out.

The artwork and animations on Eric Carle's website are fabulous. His site is worth a visit. So is his museum, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, in Amherst, MA. If you can't make a visit to the museum in person, visit it virtually by clicking the museum's name.

Lynne Cherry's books are wonderful celebrations of nature, chock full of lessons about the natural world and respect for the environment, as is her website.

I happen to adore Gennifer Choldenko's books and was thrilled when Al Capone Does My Shirts won a Newbery Honor in 2005.

Andrew Clements is a very popular author at the library. While he doesn't yet have a website, he does have one about his popular book, Frindle, and promises that the Andrew Clements website is coming soon.

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books are very popular at Haworth Public School. His website takes awhile to load, even with a high speed connection.

Newbery Honor winner, Audrey Couloumbis' web site contains information about her three books, FAQ's and how to contact her.

Fans of Bruce Coville should visit his official site which is not maintained by him, but by a fan.

Chris Crutcher's books are intense. He is a frank writer of Young Adult novels which explore the often brutal world of high school with its elite social structure. Bad things happen in his novels, but there are scenes which are laugh-out-loud funny. His books are often censored and he has some strong opinions about that. His website is great.

The estate of Roald Dahl has launched an official website. It is very graphics and animation oriented and takes a fair amount of time to download, but worth the wait if you like Roald Dahl.

I had the privilege of hearing Tomie dePaola speak. He is wonderful, funny and inspiring. His books are fabulous and so is his website. Just be patient because the gorgeous art might take a little while to load.

Mem Fox is an Australian author/ illustrator. Her website is beautifully illustrated and personal. There are quite a few references to books which I don't believe were published in the United States.

Jack Gantos is a true original and funny too. He writes across the age groups. His "Rotten Ralph" picture books are quirky, his "Joey" books are so poignant and funny/sad, his "Jack" books are amazing and his memoir (for Young Adults) is riveting.

Scooby-do mystery writer, Jim Gelsey resides in Haworth and has inspired Haworth Public School students with some truly original writing workshops.

Jean Craighead George wrote the Julie of the Wolves stories as well as There's an Owl in the Shower, and other books concerning the natural world.

Gail Giles' books are for students in grades seven and up and they are riveting. She grabs you by the throat on the first page and doesn't let go. I have read her first two books and am looking forward to her third.

Mel Glenn is a New York City high school teacher, poet and writer of quite a few novels told in blank verse. His books are for young adults and they certainly capture the drama of life in high school.

Fans of The Baseball Card Adventure series by Dan Gutman will enjoy visiting his website.

Our own library lizard (an African fat-tailed gecko), Chet, was named for Chet Gecko, the fourth grade detective of Bruce Hale's Chet Gecko Mysteries. Together with his sidekick, Natalie Attired, Chet solves mysteries in and around school while trying to avoid actual school work.

Goose Girl, Shannon Hale's first novel was one of my favorite books of the summer (of 2004). Click on the words "Goose Girl" above to link to the annotation I wrote in my recommended books list. Visit Hale's interesting site, Squeetus and take the Goose Girl quiz, read her biography, or read a deleted chapter from Goose Girl. Congratulations to Shannon Hale for winning a 2006 Newbery Honor for The Princess Academy.

Brent Hartinger writes wonderful books for young adults and the link to his informative site can be found on the YA Booklist page.

Kevin Henkes is one of my favorite authors/ illustrators in the whole wide world! I love Lily, Wemberly, Chrysthanemum and Chester and his novels are great too. He is winner of a Caldecott award for Owen as well as a 2004 Newbery Honor for Olive's Ocean.

Adventure writer, Will Hobbs hosts a website in which he provides a biography, FAQ page and advice for teachers and librarians (me!)

According to the book flaps containing author information, Anthony Horowitz is the busiest writer in England. Although our library had a book or two of his, I hadn't gotten around to reading him until several years ago, when a now tenth-grader was in sixth grade and asked me if I had read Stormbreaker. I hadn't but soon did and was hooked on Alex Rider Adventures so much so that I order the next adventure directly from England instead of waiting for the U.S. publication of his books. They are very good.

If you haven't read Patrice Kindl's books, you ought to try them, Goose Chase and Lost in the Labrynth are two favorites of mine.

Suzy Kline, author and illustrator of the Horrible Harry series is on the web with an interesting site.

Kathryn Lasky has written over 100 books for children and young adults, including books for the Dear America series and her own "Guardians of Ga'Hoole" series. Check out Scholastic's website if you like that series.

Caldecott winner, Gerald McDermott's website is small but gorgeous.

Judy Moody fans who can't get enough of her can now read Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid and visit Megan McDonald's website.

Kate McMullan has written over 70 books for children. Among them are the picture books, I Stink and I'm Mighty. She also has written books for older students such as the Myth-o-Mania series.

Garth Nix fans (Sabriel, Lireal, Shade's Children) can visit his site for news, a biography and an interactive adventure.

Laura Numeroff, of Monster Munchies and If You Give a ..... (Moose a Muffin, Pig a Pancake, Mouse a Cookie) fame, has a website and a new If You Give a ... book coming out. Visit it.

Kenneth Oppel, author of Sunwing, Silverwing, and Firewing books, has a dramatically beautiful website.

Mary Pope Osborne's Magic Tree House series is enormously popular at our school, but she has written so much more than that. Check out her website.

Hilarious Margie Palatini's site is colorful and animated and includes a sneak peek at three new books coming in 2004, including a sequel to Moosetache!

If you haven't read Eragon by Christopher Paolini yet, you don't know what you are missing! It is the first book of a planned trilogy about a fifteen-year-old boy named, Eragon and his dragon, Sapphira. If you like fantasy or you liked The Lord of the Rings trilogy or The Dragonriders of Pern series, you will like Eragon. Visit his website.

Fans of Barbara Park's Junie B. Jones may enjoy the Junie B. Website that Random House has put together which contains activity sheets, a biography of Barbara Park and previews for her newest books.

Julie Anne Peters' Define Normal has a following among the seventh grade and her books are young adult. Her newest book, Luna is amazing and was recently nominated for the National Book Award in the Young People's Literature category.

Fantasy writer, Tamora Pierce, author of Emperor Mage, the Circle series and Trickster's Choice, has an informative website.

Most children love the story Officer Buckle and Gloria and Bootsie Barker Bites. Peggy Rathman has a colorful and informative web site.

The newest installation of the Harry Potter series is due out in stores on July 16, 2005. Have you pre-ordered your copy yet? J.K. Rowling finally has an official site regarding all things Harry.

Jon Scieszka's (pronounced sheska, see Pronouncing Dictionary) Website, GuysRead, is dedicated to all boys, especially those who don't love, or even like to read.

Fans of Alex Sanchez's YA novels will find a link to his straightforward, informative site on the YA Booklist page.

Darren Shan's Cirque du Freak series has a number of young horror fans engaged and panting for the next book. His official website is a treat.

Peter Sis is the author of Madelenka books and Caldecott Honor winner for Starry Messenger.

"If I were you, I would immediately turn your computer off rather than view any of the dreadful images, read any of the wretched information, play any of the unnerving games or examine the unpleasant books presented within this website." Do these words have a familiar ring? Fans of The Series of Unfortunate Events recognize Lemony Snicket's warnings of the dire and the unfortunate. This website does not disappoint.

William Steig, 1907-2003, won two Newbery Honor medals, a Caldecott Honor and was a National Book Award Finalist twice. Check out his lovely website to find out which books won.

And the Dish Ran Away with the Spoon by Janet Stevens has not spent too much time on the shelf at Haworth School Library and for good reason. It's a great book. And her other books are just as witty and wonderful. Visit her website and check out her work.

Max and Ruby, Shy Charles, McDuff and Timothy are just a few of my favorite Rosemary Wells characters. Her art is humorous and warm. Her stories are sweet and timely. She is one of my all-time favorites.

Mo Willems' pigeon books, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog, don't spend too much time gathering dust on the shelves. His newest book, Knuffle Bunny, has a waiting list and the library doesn't even own it yet!

Ellen Wittlinger is another favorite YA writer of mine. Fans of Heart on my Sleeve among others may enjoy a visit to her informative, informal website.

Jane Yolen is a diverse and interesting writer of everything from poetry to picture books, fairy tales to scary tales.

After reading Contents Under Pressure, I just had to visit author Lara Zeises' website.