Award winning author: Wendie Old
Wendie Old wears many hats. She has the very enviable job of children's librarian for the past 30 years. Wendie is also the author of many biographies for children. Her most recent book, "To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers", (Clarion, 2002) has garnered awards as an American Library Association Notable Book, the BCCB Blue Ribbon List and the very prestigious Boston Horn-Book Award Non-fiction Honor Book for 2003. Wendie's life seems to be one immersed in children's literature, but it is a real challenge to juggle parental responsibilities and work two jobs, that of librarian and writer. Wendie uses her weekends and vacations to write. She has written several biographies for the educational publisher, Enslow. Some of these books are on former presidents, Monroe, Washington and Jefferson, musicians; Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong and children's rights advocate, Marion Wright Edelman. Wendie is also a contributor to "Cricket Magazine". In addition to all of her other duties Wendie Old is also a popular speaker at schools and conferences. Some of her speaking topics include, "Bringing the Dead Guys to Life", "Tell Me A Story", "Best Books for Kids" and several presentations on writing picture books. Please visit Wendie's website and get the whole picture of her contributions to the field of children's literature. Also read her books as good examples of great nonfiction writing.
1.SR: How did you get started writing for the educational marketplace?
WO: From 1983 to 1993 I wrote newspaper articles, magazine articles, and lots of (unpublished) picture books. (I am a children's librarians. I KNOW these books. How hard can it be? Ha!)
I actually gave up writing in 1989 and got a full-time librarian job. My oldest daughter was ready for college and I wasn't making money writing. We needed money. I had had a contract to do a book about Oprah Winfrey, but she had just lost weight and had put a freeze on ANY photographs of her throughout the country. (Sounds weird, but she had the clout to do it.) Which meant, since I couldn't get any photographs. Plus, Oprah refused to be interviewed or to allow me to get tickets to her show. In fact, one of her staff members called me and told me that Oprah was going to write a children's biography of herself and therefore reserved all of her information for herself. I couldn't do the book. So I quit writing.
Latest Articles