Jeanne Walker Harvey

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Jeanne Walker Harvey loves finding a true story that is inspiring and fascinating, and then using her creativity to tell the story. She hopes children will have a love of words and understand the power and beauty of words.

Ever since she was a child, Jeanne dreamed of being a children’s book author.
In high school, she was the editor of her high school newspaper, and entered writing contests (“write-offs”) on weekends which gave her a love of journalism and nonfiction writing. Along the way Jeanne has had many jobs, ranging from being a roller coaster ride operator to an attorney for high-tech companies to a writer of magazine articles to, most recently, a middle school Language Arts teacher. She studied literature and psychology at Stanford University.

She lives north of the Golden Gate Bridge with her husband. She has two sons in college, and a black Lab who sits at her feet when she writes. As Jeanne prefers silence when she is writing, her dog is a perfect companion because she only snores or whines (when she feels they have been sitting long enough and it’s time for a walk).




			My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden's Childhood Journey illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon Marshall Cavendish, 2011 ages 4 to 10, ISBN 978-0761458104 As a young boy growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, Romare Bearden listened to his great-grandmother's Cherokee stories and the whistles of trains steaming through town. When Romare’s family, faced with unjust Jim Crow laws, decided to head north, tears stung Romare's eyes but he watched out the train window as the world whizzed by. Later he captured his childhood memories in a famous painting, Watching the Good Trains Go By. Using that painting as inspiration and creating a text influenced by the blues and jazz that Bearden loved, Jeanne Walker Harvey has created a story of Bearden's childhood. She describes the patchwork of daily Southern life that he saw from the train's window and the story of his arrival in shimmering New York City. Resources about the artist are available. Teaching tips are available for this title. Awards & Recognition International Reading Association Children's and Young Adults' Book Award Winner; New York Public Library's Best Books to Read and Share; Bank Street list of Best Children's Books of the Year



			Astro the Steller Sea Lion illustrated by Shennen Bersani Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2010 ISBN 978-1607180760 A TRUE STORY Astro is a stellar Steller sea lion! He lost his mother when he was only a few days old. No one knows what happened to her. Luckily, a scientist spots Astro, hungry and all alone, on an island off the coast of northern California. The young pup is brought to The Marine Mammal Center, a special place that cares for sick, hurt, and stranded marine mammals. When Astro is big enough to be released in the ocean where he belonged, he has other plans! Just like a lost dog finding his way home, Astro keeps swimming back towards the Center and under the Golden Gate Bridge. He even joins a walk-a-thon at a school! The book tells of his journey to his current home at the wonderful Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut. Videos of Astro's journey can be seen on the author's website. A teaching guide is available for this title. Resources about Astro are available. Awards & Recognition 2011 Gold Mom's Choice Award