To write my nonfiction books for kids, I have had a lot of adventures. I've flown onto the polar icecap with the Air Force, shared a bathroom with a tarantula in the Amazon, and spent three days at a Monster Truck rally without ever buying fried dough. Which was the hardest? I'll let you guess.

My book All in Just One Cookie was an ALA Notable and On This Spot was a Washington Post Best Picture Book of its year. It's a Dog's Life and How Do You Burp in Space? share seven State Book Award nominations between them.

My latest book was illustrated by the wonderful E. B. Lewis. The First Step: How One Girl Put Segregation on Trial is about an African American family who, over 160 years ago, had the courage to take the city of Boston to court for having segregated schools.

Besides writing for kids, I speak at conferences, schools, and libraries and teach writing for children at Lesley University's MFA program. Visit me at www.susangoodmanbooks.com.