I'm a former Los Angeles Times reporter who left daily journalism to backpack around the world for a year and write books for kids. I've scuba dived with large sharks in Fiji, trekked in the Himalayas, hunkered down with mountain gorillas in East Africa and climbed steep cliffs to analyze penguin poop in New Zealand. I live in Laguna Beach, where I skateboard, surf and hike—sometimes all in the same day! I'm the founder and president of a small nonprofit, Skateboard Moms Inc., which empowers women and girls through skateboarding and gives new books to kids in need. I have been featured by more than 200 media outlets including NPR, Good Morning America, CBS, Washington Post, Boston Globe, BBC Radio and AARP magazine. My "Rolling for Reading!" school assemblies combine my love of reading and writing with my passion for skateboarding. I tell students learning to read and write well is a lot like learning to skateboard—there will be challenges, even wipeouts, but if you keep at it, it's great fun and so rewarding! Sometimes, I perform as "Skateboard Cow," one of the characters from my book A Crazy Day At The Critter Cafe. For my finale, I offer an introductory lesson in skateboard safety to the school principal, librarian or other (willing) staff member. The students absolutely love this and it makes for an awesome photo opportunity!