Author and Illustrator Resources

Where can I find information about an author or illustrator?

When was Mark Twain born?

Where can I find lessons about authors?

man at computer Some authors and illustrators have devoted lots of time to providing a detailed website for their readers. Others see the web as a distraction from their writing and speaking. As a result, author websites are as diverse as the authors themselves.

This page contains information on individual authors as well as links to lists and links pages. In addition, it provides library and classroom ideas. Use the links below to access resources on this page.

Individual Author Websites
Book Character & Series Websites
Collections of Author and Illustrator Information
Author and Illustrator Link Lists
Author Connections

As you explore the following sites, notice that the indicates an exceptional quality resource and the indicates that sound is available.

Individual Author Websites

Explore websites about specific authors. Some provide just basic information, while others provide indepth discussions, biographical sketches, photographs, book information, and activities. The links are divided into authors who write for beginning readers, middle readers, or young adult/adult readers.

Virginia Hamilton - currently unavailable
http://www.virginiahamilton.com/

Stephen King
http://stephenking.com/

Edward Lear
http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/

Anne McCaffrey
http://www.annemccaffrey.org/

Christopher Paolini
http://www.alagaesia.com/

Philip Pullman
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/pullman/index.html

Shakespeare
http://shakespeare.palomar.edu/works.htm

Janet Wong
http://www.janetwong.com/

Paul Zindel
http://www.paulzindel.com/

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Book Character & Series Websites

Many authors are known for their popular characters such as Arthur or Harry Potter or series such as Goosebumps. Many websites are dedicated to these special creations. Explore websites based on characters and series.

Alice by Phyllis Reynold Naylor
http://www.simonsays.com/subs/index.cfm?areaid=510

Akin to Anne - Anne of Green Gables
http://www.booktalking.net/books/anne/

Arthur
http://pbskids.org/arthur/

Captain Underpants
http://www.scholastic.com/captainunderpants/home.htm

Clifford
http://pbskids.org/clifford/

Cut Loose with Dr. Suess
http://k12.albemarle.org/MurrayElem/White/Seuss/home.shtml

Dinotopia
http://www.dinotopia.com/

Don't Know Much
http://www.dontknowmuch.com/kids/index.html

Dr. Seuss's Seussville
http://www.seussville.com/seussville/

Goosebumps
http://www.scholastic.com/goosebumps/

Harry Potter
http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/home.asp

Little House Books
http://www.littlehousebooks.com/

Into the Wardrobe devoted to CS Lewis
http://cslewis.drzeus.net/

June B. Jones
http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/junieb/

Lemony Snicket
http://www.lemonysnicket.com/

Little Critter
http://www.littlecritter.com/

Magic Schoolbus
http://place.scholastic.com/magicschoolbus/games/home.htm

Mike Mulligan
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/mike_mulligan/

Narnia
http://www.narnia.com/

Redwall
http://www.redwall.org/

Winnie the Pooh from NYPL
http://www.nypl.org/branch/kids/pooh/winnie.html

World of Peter Rabbit
http://www.peterrabbit.co.uk/index-xmas.cfm

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Collections of Author and Illustrator Information

Students enjoy learning about the author and illustrator of the book they are reading. It can be frustrating to collect multiple sources for some authors. These collections are a good place to start. The following websites provide information and interviews with a number of authors and illustrators. They provide original content rather than links to other websites.

Many collections are sponsored by publishers. Look on a book by the author of interest and locate the publisher. See if the publisher has a website with author information.

Author Corner
http://www.carr.lib.md.us/authco/index.htm
Authors from Mid-Atlantic and other areas. Also, Newbery Author discussions.

Authors on the Web
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~jbh/author.html
Hundreds of short author biographis for all ages including Nobel Prize winners.

Authors on the Web
http://www.authorsontheweb.com/
Many author bios and links to websites. Includes author bibliographies.

Books by Author from BBC
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/books/author/
Great resources on authors at all levels including audio interviews.

Biographies of Authors and Illustrators from Scoop
http://www.friend.ly.net/scoop/biographies/index.html
Interviews with popular authors for kids and teens.

Booknotes.org
http://www.booknotes.org/home/index.asp
Extensive collection of transcripts and archives of author interviews and discussions. Mostly books for adults readers.

Book Reporter
http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/index.asp
Short bios including all children's and adults.

CBC Author Links
http://www.cbcbooks.org/html/aboutauthors.html
Lots of great children's book author bios and interviews. Also contains author links.

Edupaperback
http://www.edupaperback.org/
Includes Top 100 Authors (K4, 5-8, 9-12) and Author/Illustrator Bios.

Eduplace Author Spotlight
http://www.eduplace.com/author/index_flash.html
Provides author information. Also check their author list.

Harper Children
http://www.harperchildrens.com/hch/author/
Author interviews and bios.

Internet Public Library Spotlights
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/askauthor/
A few author interviews.

Kansas Authors and Illustrator of Children's Books
http://kcftb.tscpl.org/KAIL/index.html
Kansas authors and illustrators

Lobster Press Authors
http://www.lobsterpress.com/html/ai.html
Author information for their authors.

McDougal Littell
http://www.mcdougallittell.com/disciplines/_lang_arts/authors.cfm
Information about their authors.

Penguin/Putnam
http://www.penguinputnam.com/static/packages/us/yreaders/appear/bios.htm
Biographies on young readers authors.

Random House
http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/authors/
Information about Random House authors.

Scholastic: Author Index
http://www2.scholastic.com/teachers/authorsandbooks/authorstudies/authorstudies.jhtml
Great sources of author information.

Scott Foresman
http://www.scottforesman.com/families/
Reading celebrity authors.

Teen Reads from NYPL
http://www.teenreads.com/authors/index.asp
Lots of young adult authors! Great bios and interviews.

Wired for Books
http://wiredforbooks.org/
Great collection of interviews and excerpts. Many adult authors.

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Author and Illustrator Link Lists

Sometimes you just want a list of author links. Rather than original content, the following websites provide directories and lists of author and illustrator websites. Try some of the following author and illustrator sites:

Alexlibris's Meet the Author Program
http://www.alexlibris.com/mta_home.asp
Author information and links.

America Writes for Kids
http://usawrites4kids.drury.edu/
Links to authors and author information. Includes a state-by-state directory. Great for states projects.

Author Websites by Alan Brown
http://www.alanbrown.com/Websites/JustForKids/Authors.html
Links to authors.

Author Guides from LSU
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/hum/lit/authors.html
Links to many adult authors.

Authors Among Us
http://ravenstonepress.com/libwritr.html
Cool list of librarians who are authors! Short bios and links to websites.

American Authors
http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/campbell/enl311/aufram.html
Popular authors through history. Great for literature classes.

American Authors on the Web
http://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/~matsuoka/AmeLit.html
Links to hundreds of authors website - many classics

Children's Book Authors and Illustrators by Cynthia Leitich Smith
http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/authors-illustrators.htm
Lots of links to authors and illustrators.

CLWG Author Links
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/authors.html
Lots of links to authors (some dated)

Fairrosa Cyber Library
http://www.fairrosa.info/cl.authors.html
Links and birthday list.

Google: Authors
http://directory.google.com/Top/Arts/Literature/Authors/?tc=1/
Huge directory - rated

Index to Internet Sites
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/biochildhome.htm
Links to author biographies and information

IPL Author Links - children's authors A-K
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/browse/rzn9300/

IPL Author Links - children's authors L-Z
http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/browse/rzn9600/

IPL Author Links - teen authors L-Z
http://www.ipl.org/div/teen/browse/bw1000/

Kids on the Net
http://kotn.ntu.ac.uk/authors/links.htm#authors

Link-O-Rama from NYPL - teen authors
http://teenlink.nypl.org/PopUpBoxes/Link-O-Rama2.cfm?Trg=1&d1=119

Marilee's Author Links
http://marilee.us/authors.html

Newbery Authors
http://www.atc.unh.edu/~fisk/Newbery.html

Virtual Sharyn November
http://www.sharyn.org/
Links to book authors.

Kay E. Vandergrift's
http://scils.rutgers.edu/%7Ekvander/AuthorSite/index.html
Lots of links and resources

Yahooligans: Authors
http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/school_bell/language_arts/authors/
They also have links where you can listen to authors.

Yahooligans: Illustrators
http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/school_bell/language_arts/illustrators/

Yahoo: Children's Authors
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/Children_s/

Yahoo: Young Adult
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/Young_Adult/

Yahoo: Adult Authors
http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/

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Author Connections

Many resources are available for teachers and librarians who wish to share the love of authors with their children. Use the following websites to integrate author-based activities into the classroom.

Author Birthdays

If you can't find an author's birthday using one of the lists below. Try doing a Google search for the author and add the word birthdate or birthday.

Author Anniversaries
http://www.kingkong.demon.co.uk/aa/aa.htm

Author Birthdays from KidsRead
http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/0201-bdays.asp

Author Calendar
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/calendar.htm

Children & YA Authors' Birthdays
http://www.school.discovery.com/schrockguide/authordate.html

Becoming an Author

Bibliography of Children as Writers
http://ravenstonepress.com/writebook.html
Books and websites about children as writers

Creating A Children's Book
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/pagebypage/index-e.html
Discusses how to write books for kids.

Projects by Kids about Authors

Awesome, Acclaimed, Award-Winning Authors
http://www.thinkquest.org/library/site_sum.html?tname=J001383&url=J001383/
Student project focusing on authors.

Favourite Author by Alan Brown
http://www.alanbrown.com/Websites/JustForKids/Favourite_Authors_Write.html
Students can write about their favorite author and submit it for posting. Postings are fast and current!

Lessons and Resources Based on Authors

42explore: Biographies
http://www.42explore.com/biographies.htm

42explore: Charles Dickens
http://42explore.com/dickens.htm

42explore: Mark Twain
http://www.42explore.com/twain.htm

42explore: Shakespeare
http://www.42explore.com/shakspear.htm

Children's Authors & Illustrators
http://webtech.kennesaw.edu/jcheek3/authors.htm
Popular children's author and illustrator links. Includes lessons related to the authors too! Great for classroom author projects.

Internet Sampler on Favorite Children's Authors
http://www.esc20.net/etprojects/formats/sampler/misc99/AuthorSS/Authors.htm
Questions and web links based on authors.

Kevin Henkes Lesson
http://www.lite.iwarp.com/bltgr2.htm#character

Book Lists by Author

Children's Book Council
http://www.cbcbooks.org/html/75authors.html
A list of 75 Authors/Illustrators (Preschool to Grade 8) everyone should know.

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Explore Authors

Create a lesson focusing on a particular author or book character. What makes this author interesting or unique? Consider ways the Internet resources can be used to bring the author alive for children.

Author and Illustrator Resources

Individual Author Websites

Beginning Readers

Intermediate/Middle School

Young Adults/Adult

Book Character & Series Websites

Collections of Author and Illustrator Information

Author and Illustrator Link Lists

Author Connections

Author Birthdays

Becoming an Author

Projects by Kids about Authors

Lessons and Resources Based on Authors

Book Lists by Author