Bio:

Ann McGovern is a prize-winning author of more than 55 books for children, including STONE SOUP, published in 1967 and celebrating its 42nd year in print. Her books have been translated and published worldwide.




She's a popular featured speaker at university conferences, schools and libraries in the U.S. and abroad.




Among her awards are Best Science Book Award given four times to Ann by the National Science Teacher Association. She was the first woman to receive Scholastic's Author of the Year in 1978. The UK's Earthworm award went to Ann for Little Whale and for the author that does the most to encourage environmental awareness and sensitivity in children. President Clinton presented her with the Arkansas Traveler's Award when he was Governor and she was chosen by NASA to take part in their first satellite educational experiment.




Many of her titles have been named to lists of outstanding books by notable organizations, including 100 Notable Books of the Year, Booklists of the American Library Association, Parents Choice Foundation and Reading Rainbow.




Stone Soup, Too Much Noise, Half A Kingdom and many other books have been dramatized, filmed, turned into songs and have provided an impetus for thousands of creative classroom projects.




She’s active in parent-child literacy programs around the country and speaks to thousands of inner city children, inspiring greater self-esteem through creativity. She was awarded the 2002 Laura Parsons Pratt Award for her efforts to improve the status of women and children.




She founded the Scholastic's See-Saw Book Club for Children, arguing that five and six year olds will have a better head start with books of their own at that age, encouraging them to be excited about reading as they grow. The book club is flourishing after 40 years.




McGovern's books in print number around 22
million.




McGovern has taken a pause from children's books to focus on her love of poetry. McGovern's poems have been published in over 60 literary journals. Her third chapbook, Drawing Outside the Lines, was recently published by Finishing Line Press, and her first poetry book manuscript entitled River of Glass will be published by Tiger Bark Press.




A life-long voyager, Ann currently lives in New York City where she was born and grew up. She has four children and three grandchildren scattered around the world.





Writer
PAL
Member since 1978
Region: New York: Metropolitan

Contact Information

Website:  http://www.annmcgovern.com

Published In Children's Market: Yes
Available for Speaking Engagements? Yes