Mary Lindeen
Mary Lindeen has been interested in learning about the world around her since she was a little girl growing up on a farm in Iowa. She thought learning new things was so much fun that she became an elementary school teacher. She loved sharing books with her students and wanted to know more about how those books were made, so she became an editor. Now she reads, writes, and edits children’s books and still loves learning new things. She and her son live in Minnesota and enjoy traveling together whenever and wherever they can, including making frequent trips back to that farm in Iowa.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
I loved reading the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I also read as many of the books in the Childhood of Famous Americans series as I could find in my school library.
What’s your favorite line from a book?
”Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” (Albus Dumbledore from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling)
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
E.B. White, Anne Lamott, J.K. Rowling
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I have loved reading for as long as I can remember. Books have allowed me to visit places I will likely never go to, know people I will likely never meet, and find answers to my questions about the world. As a teacher and now as a parent, I want to feed the spark of curiosity and creativity in young minds and encourage kids to read books in order to find answers to their questions and to discover the world beyond their doorstep. I am very lucky to have the opportunity to write books for young people.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Be curious. Ask questions. Try new things. Meet new people. Have an open mind. The more you know about the world, the more ideas you’ll have about how to share that knowledge with others. And read, read, read! It will teach you how books work, how to recognize good writing, and how to think like a reader.
