Stone, Tanya Lee

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Stone, Tanya Lee

Personal

Married; children: two. Education: Oberlin College, B.A. (English); Southern Connecticut State University,

M.A. (science education). Hobbies and other interests: Reading, writing, sushi, travel, singing, musical theater, playing piano, dancing.

Addresses

Home—VT. Agent—Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio, 308 Chase Ct., Edgewater, NJ 07020. E-mail—[email protected].

Career

Author. Worked for thirteen years as an editor for Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Macmillan, Grolier, and Blackbirch Press, New York, NY.

Member

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Authors Guild, National Council against Censorship, Assembly on Literature for Adolescents, PEN American Center, Authors Supporting Intellectual Freedom (AS IF!).

Awards, Honors

Sydney Taylor Notable Book, 2003, for Ilan Ramon, Israel's First Astronaut; Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers selection, American Library Association, and Books for the Teen Age selection, New York Public Library, both for A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl.

Writings

FICTION

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl (young-adult novel), Wendy Lamb (New York, NY), 2006.

Also author of a play based on A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl. Contributor to periodicals, including Voice of Youth Advocates, School Library Journal, and New York Times.

PICTURE BOOKS

D Is for Dreidel: A Hanukkah Alphabet Book, illustrated by Dawn Apperley, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 2002.

P Is for Passover: A Holiday Alphabet Book, illustrated by Margeaux Lucas, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 2003.

M Is for Mistletoe: A Christmas Alphabet Book, illustrated by Claudine Gevry, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 2003.

B Is for Bunny: A Springtime Alphabet Book, illustrated by Sue Ramá, Price Stern Sloan (New York, NY), 2006.

Elizabeth Leads the Way: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and the Right to Vote, illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2008.

Sandy's Circus, illustrated by Boris Kulikov, Viking (New York, NY), 2008.

NONFICTION

Medical Causes, Twenty-first Century Books (New York, NY), 1997.

Diana: Princess of the People, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CT), 1999.

Rosie O'Donnell: America's Favorite Grown-up Kid, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2000.

(With Edward Ricciuti and Jenny Tesar) America's Top 100, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 2000.

Laura Welch Bush: First Lady, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2001.

Oprah Winfrey: Success with an Open Heart, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2001.

Ilan Ramon: Israel's First Astronaut, Millbrook Press (Brookfield, CT), 2003.

Abraham Lincoln, DK Publishing (New York, NY), 2005.

Amelia Earhart, DK Publishing (New York, NY), 2007.

Up Close: Ella Fitzgerald, Viking (New York, NY), 2008.

Almost Astronauts: The Right Stuff at the Wrong Time, Candlewick Press (Boston, MA), 2009.

"AMERICA'S TOP TEN" SERIES

America's Top Ten National Monuments, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 1998.

America's Top Ten Construction Wonders, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 1998.

"MADE IN THE USA" SERIES

Teddy Bears: From Start to Finish, photographs by Gale Zucker, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 2000.

Snowboards: From Start to Finish, photographs by Gale Zucker, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 2000.

Toothpaste: From Start to Finish, photographs by Jill Brady, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 2001.

"LIVING IN A WORLD OF …" SERIES

Living in a World of Blue: Where Survival Means Blending In, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 2001.

Living in a World of Brown: Where Survival Means Blending In, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 2001.

Living in a World of Green: Where Survival Means Blending In, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 2001.

Living in a World of White: Where Survival Means Blending In, Blackbirch Press (Woodbridge, CT), 2001.

"MAKING OF AMERICA" SERIES

The Great Depression and World War II, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2001.

The Progressive Era and World War I, Raintree Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2001.

"BLASTOFF!" SERIES

Mars, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Saturn, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Venus, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Mercury, Benchmark Books (New York, NY), 2003.

"WILD WILD WORLD" SERIES

Ants, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Butterflies, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Crocodilians, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Dragonflies, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Fireflies, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Flamingoes, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Grasshoppers, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Hamsters, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Kangaroos, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Ladybugs, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Lions, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Lizards, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Mantises, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Mosquitoes, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Sea Lions, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Spiders, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Turtles, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

"WILD AMERICA" SERIES

Earthworm, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Mouse, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2003.

Also author of Beaver, Crow, Rabbit, Deer, Raccoon, Turtle, Opossum, Skunk, Squirrel, and Toad.

"REGIONAL WILD AMERICA" SERIES

Unique Animals of the Pacific Coast, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of the Northeast, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of the Mountains and Prairies, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of the Midwest, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of the Islands, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of the South, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of Alaska, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of the Southeast, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of the Southwest, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Unique Animals of Hawaii, Blackbirch Press (Detroit, MI), 2005.

Sidelights

Tanya Lee Stone is the author of dozens of nonfiction books for young readers, including titles in the "Regional Wild America," "Wild Wild World," and "Making of America" series. "I am passionate about nonfiction," Stone told Suite 101 online interviewer Sue Reichard. "I just love coming across a little-known piece of history or an interesting topic in science and finding a way to get kids just as excited about it as I am." In 2006 Stone expanded into fiction with A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, a young-adult novel that was described as "one of the most honest treatments of teenage sexuality to be found in YA fiction" by Kliatt contributor Claire Rosser. "I absolutely love reading and writing within this genre," the author remarked to Teri S. Lesesne in Teacher Librarian. "The urgency, passion, drama, and importance, all wrapped up in transitioning from being a kid to an adult, is the stuff of life. I love immersing myself in it." In addition to her nonfiction titles, Stone has also published picture books that include B Is for Bunny: A Springtime Alphabet Book.

Stone, whose father was also an author, developed an early interest in telling tales. "I've been writing stories since I was seven years old," she noted on the Random House Web site. "Some of them were even published—in the school newspaper." After graduating from Oberlin College with a degree in English, Stone moved to New York City, where she spent thirteen years in the publishing industry. "My editorial background has definitely been an advantage in terms of craft," she explained to Cynthia Leitich Smith on the Cynsations Web site. "I edited hundreds and hundreds of books before I wrote my first one for publication."

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Since becoming an author, Stone has published dozens of titles about the natural world, and in her books for the "Living in a World of" series she examines animal camouflage. Ellen Heath, writing in School Library Journal, praised the "clever organization and … attractive, readable format" of the series titles. Stone's contributions to the "Regional Wild America" series, which focuses on animals from a variety of geographical regions, include Unique Animals of the Mountains and Prairies and Unique Animals of Alaska. Stone's "writing is clear," stated Kathy Piehl in a review for School Library Journal, "and the well-designed pages feature photographs that reinforce the written information." Stone has also written a number of well-received biographies, including Oprah Winfrey: Success with an Open Heart—dubbed "an upbeat title" by Booklist critic Gillian Engberg—and Ilan Ramon: Israel's First Astronaut, which School Library Journal contributor Jeffrey A. French deemed "an appealing and informative book."

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl concerns three highschool students—Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva—who each fall for and are betrayed by the same manipulative senior, a young man who wants them only for sex. "Stone's novel in verse, more poetic prose than poetry, packs a steamy, emotional wallop," in the opinion of Booklist contributor Cindy Dobrez, and School Library Journal reviewer Susan Oliver similarly noted that "the free verse gives the stories a breathless, natural flow and changes tone with each narrator." In an interview with Brent Hartinger for the AS IF! Web site, Stone remarked that her focus in writing the novel was "in exploring the emotional ups and downs and realizations that go along with heading into that new and uncertain territory of intimate relationships." Her message to readers: "‘Hey, this happens to all of us at one point or another—and pay attention, because this is how it happens, so if you can learn from these fictional girls' experiences, I hope it can help you avoid some pain and make you smarter about who you are and who you want to be.’"

A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl marked the emergence of a new theme in Stone's body of work. Since writing that young-adult novel, she has focused on strong female characters and the empowerment of girls in books such as Amelia Earhart, Up Close: Ella Fitzgerald, and Almost Astronauts: The Right Stuff at the Wrong Time. Almost Astronauts is the story of thirteen women pilots who began astronaut training in 1961. Although NASA did not allow them to join the space program, their efforts paved the way for the first female astronauts—among them, Sally Ride—who were admitted in 1978. Women's history is a broad stroke that appeals to Stone and she uses it to highlight strong women as role models for girls.

Asked if she had any counsel for aspiring authors, Stone told Smith: "My advice is to make your nonfiction subject come to life for yourself as much as possible; make interesting connections, highlight unusual things kids may not know about a topic, and always keep in mind what is important to you, the writer, about your topic while you're writing. If you're passionate about the subject, I think that comes through in the writing." In thinking about what drives a writer's best work, whether it is nonfiction or fiction, Stone added: "It stems from an authentic desire to express both how we see the world as it is, and how we hope it can be."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, December 15, 2000, Ilene Cooper, review of Rosie O'Donnell: America's Favorite Grown-up Kid, p. 818; June 1, 2001, Gillian Engberg, review of Oprah Winfrey: Success with an Open Heart, p. 1876; September 15, 2001, Ilene Cooper, review of Laura Welch Bush: First Lady, p. 218; April 1, 2003, Carolyn Phelan, review of Mercury, p. 1395; December 1, 2003, Kay Weisman, review of Ilan Ramon: Israel's First Astronaut, p. 680; January 1, 2006, Cindy Dobrez, review of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, p. 86.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, April, 2006, Karen Coats, review of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, p. 375.

Horn Book, January-February, 2006, Christine M. Hepperman, review of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, p. 90.

Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2006, review of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, p. 45.

Kliatt, January, 2006, Claire Rosser, review of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, p. 12.

Publishers Weekly, February 24, 2003, review of P Is for Passover, p. 29.

School Library Journal, January, 1998, Kathleen Isaacs, review of Medical Causes, p. 120, and Stephani Hutchinson, review of America's Top Ten National Monuments, p. 132; February, 1998, Elden Younce, review of America's Top Ten Construction Wonders, p. 122; August, 1999, Lisa Gangemi Krapp, review of Diana: Princess of the People, p. 180; December, 2000, Steve Clancy, review of Snowboards: From Start to Finish, p. 166; June, 2001, Lana Miles, review of The Progressive Era and World War I, p. 160; September, 2001, Debbie Feulner, review of Laura Welch Bush, p. 222; January, 2002, Ellen Heath, reviews of Living in a World of Green: Where Survival Means Blending In and Living in a World of White: Where Survival Means Blending In, p. 126; October, 2002, Mara Alpert, review of D Is for Dreidel: A Hanukkah Alphabet Book, p. 64; October, 2003, Susan Patron, review of M Is for Mistletoe: A Christmas Alphabet Book, p. 68; January, 2004, Jeffrey A. French, review of Ilan Roman, p. 160; March, 2005, Kathy Piehl, review of "Regional Wild America" series, p. 203; January, 2006, Susan Oliver, review of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, p. 144.

Science Books & Films, May, 2003, reviews of Mars, p. 23, and Venus, p. 116; November-December, 2005, Robert Goode Patterson, review of "Regional Wild America" series, p. 271.

Teacher Librarian, February, 2006, Teri S. Lesesne, "Opening Floodgates: An Interview with Tanya Lee Stone," p. 56.

Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 2006, Michele Winship, review of A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl, p. 52.