Betty G. Yee
Betty G. Yee was born and raised in Massachusetts. She spent much of her early life reimagining stories or writing sequels to them. Betty has taught elementary school for over twenty years. When she’s not teaching, reading, or writing, she enjoys traveling, biking, and eating French fries. She lives in Medford, Massachusetts with her two bossy cats, Zara and Piper.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“There’s no such thing as a faceless stranger. Every face is someone’s. It has a name” –Margaret Atwood, Bodily Harm
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Jane Austen, Margaret Atwood, Mo Willems
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
When I was a little girl, stories were my haven. I was able to climb into a book and live in that world. I never wanted the stories to end, and so I found a way to keep the worlds alive, by making up new stories and adventures for the characters I loved. Sometimes authors wrote sequels to their books, and I was surprised that more often then not, I liked my stories better than the sequels! I wrote some of them down, but eventually, the more I wrote, the more I discovered that I loved growing my own characters and worlds.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
First and foremost, write for yourself. Write about what you love, what makes you laugh, what makes you cry. The amazing thing is there are so many people who feel the same way, and many others who will discover a new way of seeing the world.