Megan McDonald

"Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody," says Megan McDonald, author of the wildly popular, award-winning JUDY MOODY books. "I'm certainly moody, like Judy. But she’s also an independent thinker, has a strong voice, and speaks up for herself."

Being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. The author grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, PA. “With four older sisters, I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. I'm told I started to stutter. That’s when my mother gave me a notebook, and I first began writing everything down.”

Megan has since written over thirty picture books and novels for children, including Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs, Saving the Liberty Bell, and Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid. Many of her books are inspired by growing up with all those sisters. “I remember everything, whether it happened or not,” McDonald says, quoting Mark Twain.

The author now lives in northern California, but still thinks of herself as a Minnesotan. She spent a few wonderful years living in Minneapolis, working as a children’s librarian at the Minneapolis Public Library. “It’s where I wrote my first novel.” Megan still has family and friends in the Twin Cities, and jumps at any chance to visit, preferably “not in January.” “I’m a Californian now!”

The Hinky-Pink: an Old Tale
illustrated by Brian Floca
Atheneum, 2008
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0689875885

A happy Hinky-Pink is a fine thing. An unhappy Hinky-Pink pinches! That is what happens to Anabel, a young seamstress in Old Italy who has only days to finish her dream: sewing a gown for the princess to wear at the Butterfly Ball.

Thanks--or no thanks--to the Hinky-Pink Anabel is woozy for want of sleep. Her lace looks like cheesecloth; her hems, like saddle cinches. Night after night, the Hinky-Pink keeps wrestling her bedclothes to the floor--and pinching. What is its problem? And how is Anabel to help?

Judy Moody Goes to College
illustrated by Peter Reynolds
Candlewick, 2008
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 978-0763628338

Judy Moody is in a mood. Not a good mood. And definitely NOT a math mood. The substitute teacher in Class 3T thinks Judy's math skills need improving. So Judy has to start meeting with a math tutor. Does this mean flash cards? Does this mean baby games? Does this mean school on weekends? But when Judy meets her tutor — a sick-awesome college student with an uber-funky sense of style — and gets a glimpse of college life, Judy's bad math-i-tude turns into a radical glad-i-tude. Pretty soon, Judy's not only acing her math class; she's owning it. Time to say good-bye to Judy Moody, old skool third-grader, and say hello to Miss College! Small-tall upside-down backward non-fat capp with extra whip, anyone?

Stink and the World's Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers
illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Candlewick, 2007
ages 4-8, ISBN 978-0-7636-2834-5

Stink Moody’s class is going on a field trip to the Gross-Me-Out exhibit at the science museum, and he can’t wait to see the Vomit Machine, the Burp-O-Meter, and the Musical Farts. Best of all, when he gets to the Everybody Stinks exhibit, Stink discovers that his very own nose has amazing sniffing abilities—and he learns that some people have real jobs sniffing stuff for NASA! Soon the junior olfactory wiz is engrossed in toilet water, corpse flowers, and all things smelly, and he and Sophie of the Elves are set to go toe-to-toe in a stinky sneaker contest. Will Stink’s fetid footwear be foul enough to earn him a Golden Clothespin Award? Stink’s loyal fans will be holding their breath for his latest outrageous solo adventure.

When the Library Lights Go Out
illustrated by Katherine Tillotson
Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, 2005
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 0-6898-6170-2

CLOSED may mean "closed" to you. But for three story-hour puppets, CLOSED means "open for adventure."

At first there are only Rabbit and Lion. Hermit Crab is missing. Where can she be in the library darkness? Find out for yourself when—magically—only puppets are up and about.

Saving the Liberty Bell
illustrated by Marsha Gray Carrington
Picture Book, 2005
ages 4-8, ISBN 0-6898-5167-7

Some tall tales are actually true. This little-known piece of American Revolutionary history tells the exciting story of eleven-year-old John Jacob Mickley and his father, who were in 1777 Philadelphia when the Great Bell began ringing, Brong! Brong! Brong! to warn the people that the Redcoats were coming. A group of Pennsylvania farmers hatched a clever plan to keep the Great Bell (today known as the Liberty Bell) from falling into enemy hands!

Judy Moody Declares Independence
illustrated by Peter Reynolds
Candlewick, 2005
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 0-7636-2361-X

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Look out! A visit to Boston has put our favorite moody third grader in a Revolutionary mood! Inspired by the likes of Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Paul Revere, Judy writes her own Declaration, declaring independence from brushing her hair, going to bed on time and being nice to her pesty little brother Stink. Complete with a Boston Tub Party and a “midnight” ride of Sybil Ludington, Girl Paul Revere. Huzzah!

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid
illustrated by Peter Reynolds
Candlewick, 2005
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 0-7636-2025-4

Stink was short. Short, shorter, shortest. Short as an inchworm. Short as a… stinkbug!

Stink was the shortest one in the Moody family (except for Mouse, the cat.) The shortest second grader in Class 2D. Probably the shortest human being in the whole world, including Alaska and Hawaii.

Every morning, Judy measures Stink, and it’s always the same: three feet, eight inches tall. Even the class newt is growing faster than he is. Then one day, the ruler reads three feet seven and three-quarters inches!
Can it be? Shrink, Shrank, Shrunk. Is Stink shrinking?

Beetle McGrady Eats Bugs!
illustrated by Jane Manning
Greenwilliow Books, 2005
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 0-0600-1354-0

Beetle McGrady dreams of being an explorer like Marco Polo or a pioneer like Amelia Earhart. She dreams of being brave and daring, and she begins by eating… an ant!
It’s dare double dare on the school playground, but will Beetle be able to live up to… bite and chew and swallow… GULP!

Ant and Honey Bee: What a Pair!
illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Candlewick Press, 2005
ages 4 to 8, ISBN 0-7636-1265-0

Ant and Honey Bee are tired of dressing up as pilgrims every year. So the two buggy best friends make a perfect two-things-that-go-together pair of costumes for Cricket’s big party. When the walk to Cricket’s house turns windy and rainy, the dynamic duo ends up looking like a couple of soggy, blobby mud pies. Two heads are better than one, and the quick thinking friends turn their mushy problem into a smashing success. What a pair!

Judy Moody, M.D.: The Doctor is In!
illustrated by Peter Reynolds
Candlewick, 2004
ages 6 to 10, ISBN 0-7636-2024-6

Judy Moody is in a doctor mood. An Elizabeth Blackwell First Woman Doctor mood. When Class 3 T studies the Amazing Human Body, Judy brings something yuckier than her scab collection for Share and Tell, and she gets the idea to perform an operation… on a zucchini!
That’s only the beginning. Wait till she tries to clone the class guinea pig!

Judy Moody gets a taste of her own medicine in this funny adventure that is sure to tickle your humerus (aka funny bone!)

All the Stars in the Sky:The Santa Fe Trail Diary of Florrie Mack Ryder, 1848
Scholastic, 2003
ages 9 to 12, ISBN 0-6062-9364-7

Starting their journey from their home in Missouri, Florrie Ryder and her family are headed towards the promise of a new life in Santa Fe. As they cross the Great Plains of the midwestern prairie, fording rivers and climbing mountains, the Ryders encounter endless hardship as they undertake this great adventure.

The Sisters Club
American Girl, 2003
all ages, ISBN 1-5848-5782-X

Three sisters, Stevie, Alex and Joey, take turns telling what it’s like to live in a family of nutty actors, how to survive Macaroni Disaster and escape being a Human Pinata, and when it’s OK to kiss something (stuffed animals, school papers that get an A) and when it’s not (praying mantises and boys who look like praying mantises!) No matter what, sisters are forever.

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