ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa's Kindergarten picture
Short Bio Long Bio Lisa's Favorites
Listen to a Podcast by students at Mesa Elementary in Clovis, NM!
Check out this new interview at ThreeSillyChicks.com !
See Lisa's updated interviews with Cynthia Leitich Smith and Debbi Michiko Florence
Lisa and Tillie, Dec. 2006
Like Mouse and Mole in
ONE DARK NIGHT, Lisa lived in a 'wee little house'
in Michigan for sixteen years.
The three children who were raised in that wee little house are young adults
now. Lisa and her husband, Glen, are very proud of their "three little monkeys"
The Wheeler Family Thanksgiving 2006
Lisa doesn't actually own pet monkeys, but she does have two pet dogs. Tillie,
a ten year old mix-breed with the silkiest fur in the world ...
...and Cricket, a yellow-eyed, overactive Border Collie. Both dogs stay busy herding
squirrels, leaves, and dust bunnies.
TILLIE CRICKET
One thing I remember about my childhood in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, was how much I loved books -- even the smell! We didn't have a library in our town, but we had a regular library class in my school, where I could check out books. In our home, we only had one children's book. It was called, YOUNG YEARS: Best Loved Stories and Poems for Little Children. I read its cover right off!
My first venture into writing was in fourth grade. I won a Halloween poetry contest. I was so surprised! I wish I had saved that winning poem, because I have no recollection of what I wrote.
My family moved to Michigan when I was fifteen. I was so shy, I spent my lunch periods in the library, hiding behind a book. My biggest fear was walking into that giant cafeteria and sitting alone.
Eventually, I married and raised three children. As the kids grew older, I started to think about the next phase of my life. I'd worked in various part-time jobs over the years, but there was one thing I'd always wanted to do -- write! In 1995, I began to 'get serious' about writing. It took nearly four years to sell my first children's book.
Writing books for children is definitely a dream come true. I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing with my life. Just like when I was a child in Pennsylvania, I love everything about children's books -- even the smell!
My brother Danny and me on my first day of 1st grade.
(Check out those groovy fringes on my vest!)
Color: Yellow, but it is hard on the eyes when reading so I chose my 2nd favorite--green--for the website.
Treat: Strawberry Ice cream with real strawberries.
Sport: (to watch) Football --- (to participate) Swimming. I am not very good at any sport, but I once beat a roomful of guys at pool. (Beginner's luck!)
Animal: (to own) Dogs --- (to write about) Cows. Although I love to write about farm animals, I am a little nervous around them. Guess that's why I am a writer and not a farmer!
Books: Like my children, I can't choose favorites. Like potato chips, I can't have just one! I am always reading something. When I was a little girl, I loved Charlotte Zolotow's OVER AND OVER, and also Lorna Balian's HUMBUG WITCH.
Cartoons: Power Puff Girls, Dexter's Lab, The Tick, The Simpsons, and many more! I don't watch too many grown up shows. I hate the news. It makes me feel sad.
Flower: Daisy. I think it's great that they grow wild. They are a no fuss flower.
Fabric: Cotton! I love the way it feels, the way it fits, the way it smells out of the dryer, and I love how it looks when it is still a plant.
Seasons: Fall and Spring. They are a great reminder that life has seasons and that the world is always turning.
1970--My sister, Gina, brother Jack, me, and my little brother Danny.
If you have scanned down this far, you get to read...
Interesting and Weird Facts about Lisa Wheeler
She has the same birthday as J.R.R Tolkien! (But is MUCH, MUCH younger.;-)
Lisa is a very buoyant author! She floats on water no matter how hard she tries to sink. Even when she was a kid she could never sit at the bottom of the pool and play tea party. (With the help of the 50lb helmet above, I finally sank!!)
Lisa is a TV star! Okay, once when she was in 2nd grade, she was on a local children's show in Pittsburgh called Aziza (or Azuzu, or something like that). Much to her dismay, Hollywood never called.
Lisa Wheeler has freakishly l-o-n-g thumbs! If you ever see her, check them out.
Have you ever met a writer who couldn't type? You have now! Lisa uses the patented Hunt-and-Peck method to type out her books.
Lisa Wheeler has never had chicken pox. She tried to catch them from her brothers and sisters. She tried to catch them from her kids. Apparently, chickens are hard to catch!
Lisa collects Mother Goose books. Here is a picture of some of her
collection:
Contact Humor Me: For Children's Writers
Linda Smith Page Links Lisa's Books