What did you study as a scientist?

I studied how plants grow and survive in their environment. I did experiments in a laboratory to try to understand how a plant’s DNA (its genes) helps it sense and respond to its surroundings. The type of plant I studied was Arabidopsis thaliana. It’s small and weedy and it grows quickly, which makes it easy to use for experiments.

For a short time, I studied a tiny worm called C. elegans. It is smaller than an eyelash. But I found it kind of creepy, and I didn’t enjoy studying it. So after only a few months, I returned to plants.

How did you become a writer?

When I worked as a scientist, I had to do a lot of writing. I noticed that my favorite days were the ones where I didn’t do any experiments but I just wrote.

After I had kids, I decided I wanted a job that gave me more time with my children. I thought how much I enjoyed writing as a scientist. I decided to try my hand at writing about science instead of being a scientist.

Where do you get your ideas?

A lot of my ideas come from spending time in nature and noticing things and wondering about them. I also get ideas from books or from newspaper articles I read. Or from an interesting fact someone shares with me. Or from an editor who asks me to write a book on a certain subject.

One thing I’ve learned is to keep track of my ideas. I keep a giant notebook where I jot ideas down as they come to me. I find if I don’t write them down, they can just float away.

What do you like best about being a writer?

I love learning new things about science and nature. Learning is probably one of my favorite things to do in the whole world. I also love sharing what I’m learning with readers. And I love spending time outdoors — walking in the woods with my dog or working in my garden — and thinking about ideas for new books.

How long does it take to write a book?

The whole process, from start to finish, takes a long time. It takes at least a year, but often longer.

First I have to research my subject and then write about it. I've written books that take a few weeks or maybe a few months. But I’ve also written books that take many years. During those many years, I'm working on them on-and-off, not steadily.

Once I've written (and rewritten and rewritten) the words, then I send the text to my editors. They make comments and send the text back to me with requests for more revisions. So I do more rewriting.

After I’ve got the words nailed down, it's time for someone else to add images. That work can done by an illustrator or a photo researcher, depending on the type of book. If an illustrator is creating the images, it can take that person a year to create all the illustrations.

Then the book goes to a book designer. That’s the person who puts the words and images together so everything works together smoothly. They also design the cover.

Finally, the book is ready to be printed. That can take a few more months.

See? I told you it was a long process!

What is your favorite animal?

I love my golden retriever, Sadie. She keeps me company when I write and takes walks in the woods with me. I love my two cats, Cleo and Cosmo. I call Cleo “The Queen,” because she’s bossy and loves to be pampered. Cosmo is “Little Miss Trouble,” because she can’t help herself from sneaking up and pouncing on Cleo (which Cleo does NOT like). I also have a flock of chickens. They each have their own unique personalities, and they always make me laugh.

Are you wondering what wild animal is my favorite? I love black bears. Every now and then I see one in the woods, or I see a mama bear with her cubs, and I get so excited! I also love owls. Polar bears. Sea turtles. Penguins. Monarch butterflies. The list goes on and on.

What is your favorite book that you’ve written?

I really, truly love all of my books! But the book that I’m currently working on is always at the top of the list. If I didn’t absolutely love my current book project, it would be hard to keep going with it.

A few books that I’ve written do hold a special place in my heart. Top 50 Reasons to Care About Polar Bears was my very first authored book. Plants Can't Sit Still was my first picture book and took me a long time (nine years!) to write.

What is your favorite book that you’ve read?

This is a hard question, because I’ve read so many books that I love. I could make a list of 100 favorite books and it wouldn’t be complete. But I will say Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey and Night in the Country by Cynthia Rylant are two of my favorite books.

What is your favorite color?

Finally, an easy question! My favorite color is green.

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. I had a big sister and two younger brothers. My mother was a nurse, but she spent most of her time raising four kids. My father was a diesel mechanic by trade and a naturalist at heart.

When I was seven, my family moved to a house in the country near Clarion, Pennsylvania. There were fields, streams, and woods, all of which I loved to explore. It was a magical place to be a kid.

What were you like as a girl?

I loved to play outdoors with my sister, Jennifer. We waded in streams, built tree houses, and took long hikes through the woods. We had a knack for getting into scrapes, like the time we pretended to be witches and tried to “fly” by riding our bikes down a steep hill. We ended up crashing into a ditch full of briars. That kind of thing happened a lot.

I also loved to draw, read, and write. I was a good student and I loved learning new things in school. My best subjects were English, art, and science. My least favorite class was gym. My least favorite activity in gym was dodge-ball.