Shelley Swanson Sateren lives in Minnesota with her busy, fabulous family. Her writing credits include a middle grade novel, Cat on a Hottie’s Tin Roof (Delacorte/Random House), which Publishers Weekly called, “Hilarious, punny, and fun.” She’s had a short story appear in Highlights for Children, plus many non-fiction children’s books published. Her middle grade, non-fiction book, The Humane Societies: A Voice for the Animals, received the Children’s Choice award in 1997.

Shelley graduated magna cum laude with an English major from Augsburg College, Minneapolis. She returned to Augsburg a few years later and earned her K-6 teaching certificate. She worked as a bookseller at the Red Balloon Bookshop for five years and as a non-fiction children’s book editor at Dillon/Macmillan for two years. Shelley enjoys leading summertime writing workshops for tweens at her local library.

In 2007, an elementary school librarian from Ohio wrote to Shelley, “Please find enclosed the filled-up circulation card for your book Cat on a Hottie’s Tin Roof. Please note that this filled up in just over two years. We have some books that are original to the building (built in 1969) in which the cards are still half filled. You should be pleased…. Girls are my most avid readers, and it can be hard to keep them in amusing books which also have some more serious issues…. Thanks for writing. Good books make my job easier.”

Cat on a Hottie's Tin Roof
Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books, 2003
ages 8-12, ISBN 978-0-385-73059-4 (hardback)
ISBN 978-0-440-41919-8 (paperback, 2004)

Sixth grade is about to begin, and there's no way Cathy Carlson can face it since her best and only friend has moved away. Luckily, she finds a fun new girl to fill the gap and a cool nickname to match: Cat (as in meowza!). So what's the problem? Cat is an A+ brainiac who's clueless when it comes to pop music and fashion. Stylish Cassidy is definitely not a bookworm—and she's crazy about Milo Lennox, the hottest singer around. Cat will do anything to fit in, even hide her smarts and learn to like whatever Cassidy does.

But three's a crowd, and when another savvy-dressing Milo fan joins the duo, Cat feels she'll never be able to keep up. Shana has a major attitude, and she's determined to blow the lid off Cat's cover—unless Cat can put her brains to work and come up with the purrfect plan to meet their favorite superstar! Along the way, Cat just might find she's not such a nerdgirl after all.

Humor abounds in this upbeat, fun story about fitting in, staying true—and branching out. Comical moments and fast-paced plotting make this light-hearted story perfect for reluctant girl readers. Sateren is a fresh, funny, and accessible new voice for young readers.

The Black Panther
Crestwood House/Macmillan, 1990
(Wildlife, Habit & Habitats series)
grade 4 reading level, ISBN 978-0-89686-519-8
out of print