About Suzanne
I write adventurous, silly, fast-moving stories for curious kids—and for families who still believe childhood is worth protecting.
I remember a lot of my own childhood. More than most adults, probably. Maybe that is because I never let myself get too serious about being an adult. Frankly, it is overrated.
The world is becoming less kid-focused, less kid-friendly, and much too adult-only for my taste. That makes me sad. Kids deserve wonder, awe, adventure, terrible ideas, spectacular mistakes, and the chance to discover that messing up does not have to be the end of the story. Sometimes it is where the growing starts.
My books celebrate childhood in all its chaotic glory: curiosity, learning, friendship, family, bravery, bad decisions, monster fights, secret powers, and the occasional speculation about supernatural underwear.
I am a wife, mother of five, and someone who has spent an embarrassing amount of her adult life in schools. On purpose.
The funny thing is, I hated school as a kid. I was good at it (meaning I got good grades) but I hated going. I faked sick. A lot. Later, I went into education partly because I wanted to figure out if school really had to be so awful. (It doesn’t.)
I’ve taught elementary, middle school, and high school, and I have even run a few schools. I’ve been reminded over and over again that kids have no patience for adult condescension. They know when a story has been written by someone who remembers what it feels like to be them. And they also are the absolute best, most honest critics.
One reason I write books that are fun first is because that’s the kind of book I want to read. It’s a bonus that it’s the kind of book kids keep reading. The kind they smuggle into class, pass around to friends, or read under the covers when they are supposed to be asleep.
My first book, Benedict Barnabas vs. the Ballistic Banshee, was published in 2016. One of my favorite moments came when I found out my twins had smuggled two copies into their fourth-grade classroom and the books were making the rounds—with glowing reviews.
When I am not writing, I am an avid reader, a dedicated killer of houseplants and sourdough starter, and a devoted admirer of chickens. Chickens are beautiful, funny, and the only pet it is socially acceptable to eat.
Start an Adventure
For funny middle-grade monster fights, meet Benedict Barnabas.
For secret powers, sibling battles, and superhero trouble, meet Rose and Thorne.
