Janet Taylor Lisle (born on February 13th) has been writing for years, and gets many of her ideas from the world around her. "The best part of being a writer," she says, "is being a watcher. I like to stay in back in the shadows where I can see without being seen." She likes to explore the fantastical worlds of elves and fairies as in her first published work The Dancing Cats of Applesap (1984) and 1990 Newbery Honor Book Afternoon of the Elves.
"I think of magic as that which is still waiting to be discovered. I put it in my books to remind readers (myself included) to keep a sharp eye out. The unknown is everywhere, all around us and lurking even in our own minds."
