About Alice

A children's writer has the unusual task of developing a unique style and voice coupled with bringing to light the so-called magic of childhood. But is childhood truly a magical kingdom?

I do know that childhood is a time so deeply and purely felt that adulthood can rarely match it. It's a time of great heroism, dashed hopes, leaps of joy, lasting friendships, explosive frustration, utter hilarity, the shame of betrayal. Certain smells, certain words bring back powerful memories of childhood. For me, the smell of boiled brussel sprouts even now makes me feel utter revulsion. The smell of rubbing alcohol and the words "tetanus shot" cause sheer terror. The clap of an old, dusty book and the words "hidden staircase" fill me with wonder... Where? Where? Tell me! How could I not write about childhood?

Growing up, everyone in my extended family -- we had those in those days -- liked to sit around and tell funny stories. My grandmother was famous for her jokes and sense of the incongruous. My dad told stories that involved animals and funny phrases and sound effects. My older brother was fixated on Joan of Arc and medieval heroism. My younger brother thinks he’s a comedian. And I wrote stories about rabbits. I thought all families did this and didn't realize till the sixth grade that most people watched TV that whole time. Then they told each other the plots of various shows or movies that I'd never seen -- the Twilight Zone. The Psycho shower scene. The Fugitive.

When I was seven and eight, my family lived in postwar England, in an industrial Yorkshire city that still showed the devastation of World War II and the Nazi bombings. This left a lasting impression on me. The journey there, by ocean liner across the Atlantic, and my later poking about deserted misty castles and the dank Yorkshire moors, and smelling pungent coal fires, all created an unusual and not always pleasant adventure filled with questions. Was Robin Hood real? Was that truly King Arthur's castle? And had I really snapped a photo of the Loch Ness monster? The long, snaky streak still shows plainly in my faded photo.

Early on, I loved Winnie the Pooh (Piglet, actually), the Addams Family, and Laura Ingalls. I read all the Little House books over and over again. We lived with my grandfather, who lived to be 102, in a large farmhouse fifteen miles from New York City. The suburbs sprung up all around us, while in the backyard we made cider and jam, made applesauce, raised chickens, brewed our own root beer.

At that time, school in England was very different from school in the USA. Boys and girls didn't play together on the playground. Children were caned for minor infractions. Watching children having their hands beaten by teachers outraged me. It was an injustice I have never forgotten.

With an out-of-synch childhood like this, it seemed natural for me to become an avid reader. I read in the car, while I was walking, instead of playing sports, instead of lunch period, instead of watching TV. I guess I was a geek. And I continued in my geekdom by going to Bryn Mawr College, where I majored in English literature with the thought of becoming an English teacher. Later I studied art education and became an art teacher.

I studied Russian for many years because I was interested in events in Eastern Europe behind the Iron Curtain. When the wars began in former Yugoslavia, I spent many years traveling to the southeast Balkan states, advocating for children’s rights to education.

 I have written many books about children in other cultures. I believe we make a serious mistake when we view others as different from ourselves. They may appear somewhat different and their culture may be different, but their humanity and ours are one.

I lived in Maine for many years and have two grown sons. In 1994, I developed a chronic illness and was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. When I left teaching, I began to write for kids. Now I live in Maine.

What do I do for fun? I have a hilarious toy poodle named Zoe. I draw cartoons, write standup comedy, talk to kids in the neighborhood, and watch silly movies. I like dogs, nature, painting and travel. My favorite food is chocolate. My favorite color is…gold. No. It’s red. I mean turquoise! Because I can’t make up my mind about this, I have prisms hanging in my windows so I can see all the colors at once.