Short Bio
Rebecca E. Hirsch, PhD, is the author of more than eighty books about science and nature for young readers. She is dedicated to connecting children to nature and helping them understand how scientific discovery works. She was awarded the 2017 John Burroughs Riverby Award for Excellence in Nature Writing for Plants Can't Sit Still and the 2018 Green Prize for Sustainable Literature in Youth Books for Climate Migrants: On the Move in a Warming World. Rebecca is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and the National Association of Science Writers.
Complete Press Kit Long Bio
I grew up on a 45-acre farm in the Appalachian foothills of western Pennsylvania, the second of four children. I spent my childhood roaming the outdoors as well as reading, writing, and drawing. When I wanted some time to myself, I discovered that I could retreat into the woods to read, write, and draw in peace.
I studied science in college: biochemistry at the University of Massachusetts (MS) and cellular & molecular biology at the University of Wisconsin (PhD). My graduate research on plants landed on the cover of Science, a prestigious scientific journal. While in graduate school, I got married and had the first of my three children. After two years of postdoctoral research and the birth of my second child, I was ready for a change. I hung up my lab coat, bought a laptop, and set out to share my love of science and nature through writing. I've written over eighty books for young readers with more on the way. My books have been NCTE Notable, Junior Library Guild, and Bank Street Best Books selections. They have won a Green Prize for Sustainable Literature, a John Burroughs Riverby Award for Excellence in Nature Writing, and a Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award. Today I live in the Appalachian Mountains of central Pennsylvania with my family, two cats, and a dog. When I'm not writing, I'm usually planting gardens, tending a small flock of chickens, or walking in the woods. |
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With my husband, Rick
With my daughters, Eva, Anna, and Ellie
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