DONNA GEPHART -- AUTHOR BIO
Photo by Rhea Lewis
Photo by Kiera Sorrell Photography
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Photo by Kiera Sorrell Photography
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Short bio:
Award-winning author Donna Gephart's middle grade novels include: Abby, Tried and True, The Paris Project, In Your Shoes, Lily and Dunkin, Death by Toilet Paper and others. Her first picture book, Go Be Wonderful, comes out soon from Holiday House. She's a popular speaker at schools, conferences and book festivals. Donna lives in the Philadelphia area with her family and her canine office assistant, Benji, a sweet retriever mix. Visit her online at www.donnagephart.com.
Award-winning author Donna Gephart's middle grade novels include: Abby, Tried and True, The Paris Project, In Your Shoes, Lily and Dunkin, Death by Toilet Paper and others. Her first picture book, Go Be Wonderful, comes out soon from Holiday House. She's a popular speaker at schools, conferences and book festivals. Donna lives in the Philadelphia area with her family and her canine office assistant, Benji, a sweet retriever mix. Visit her online at www.donnagephart.com.
Longer bio:
Donna Gephart is a professional nerd.
Her love for libraries and reading have led her to a career as a children's book author for Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and Holiday House. Her books now reside on the shelves of the library she frequented when she was a child.
Her humorous/heartbreaking middle grade novels include:
1. ABBY, TRIED AND TRUE -- Abby Braverman thinks it's the worse thing that could happen when her best (and only) friend, Cat, moves to another country. But when her beloved older brother is diagnosed with cancer, Abby needs to uncover her strength in order to help herself and her family get through many challenges with hope and humor. Abby also explores her feelings for the sensitive new boy who moves in next door.
2. THE PARIS PROJECT -- Cleveland Rosebud Potts has a six-point plan to get out of her small, scorching town of Sassafras, Florida and to Paris, France. She wants to escape the fact that everyone in her tiny town knows her father was recently sent to jail and Cleveland feels ashamed. Through the support of her family and friends, Cleveland learns to bloom where she's planted.
3. IN YOUR SHOES -- A nervous boy, Miles, and a writing-obsessed girl, Amy, meet when Miles's bowling shoe connects soundly with Amy's forehead. In this Cinderella-inspired story, the two become friends and figure out how to navigate life's hardest challenges among the settings of a funeral home and a beloved bowling center.
4. LILY AND DUNKIN -- In this dual narrative, Lily, a big-hearted, word-nerd transgender tween will do anything to save a beloved banyan tree and to convince her dad she needs to take hormone blockers. Dunkin, who deals with bipolar disorder, tries to fit in at a new school in a new town and decides to join the basketball team, even though some of the boys on the team are tormenting Lily. Can Lily and Dunkin save themselves and their friendship with each other?
5. DEATH BY TOILET PAPER -- Will Ben be able to keep a promise to his recently deceased dad and save his family from eviction, using his creativity and contest skills?
6. OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN -- Can Olivia overcome huge obstacles to achieve her dream of appearing on the TV quiz show Jeopardy!?
7. HOW TO SURVIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL -- David is famous online from his hilarious YouTube videos, but how will he ever survive middle school?
8. AS IF BEING 12-3/4 ISN'T BAD ENOUGH, MY MOTHER IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT -- won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award and the Florida State Book Award. Can spelling bee champ, Vanessa, do what's necessary to save her mom from an assassination attempt on the campaign trail?
Donna's books have won a number of awards, received starred reviews and landed on many state reading lists.
She's a popular speaker at schools, book festivals, libraries and conferences, including the S.C.B.W.I. National Conference, the Erma Bombeck Humor Writers' Workshop, N.C.T.E., A.L.A., I.L.A., F.A.M.E., the Conference on Children's Literature and many others.
Donna now lives in the Philadelphia area with her family, including her canine office assistant, Benji.
Donna Gephart is a professional nerd.
Her love for libraries and reading have led her to a career as a children's book author for Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster and Holiday House. Her books now reside on the shelves of the library she frequented when she was a child.
Her humorous/heartbreaking middle grade novels include:
1. ABBY, TRIED AND TRUE -- Abby Braverman thinks it's the worse thing that could happen when her best (and only) friend, Cat, moves to another country. But when her beloved older brother is diagnosed with cancer, Abby needs to uncover her strength in order to help herself and her family get through many challenges with hope and humor. Abby also explores her feelings for the sensitive new boy who moves in next door.
2. THE PARIS PROJECT -- Cleveland Rosebud Potts has a six-point plan to get out of her small, scorching town of Sassafras, Florida and to Paris, France. She wants to escape the fact that everyone in her tiny town knows her father was recently sent to jail and Cleveland feels ashamed. Through the support of her family and friends, Cleveland learns to bloom where she's planted.
3. IN YOUR SHOES -- A nervous boy, Miles, and a writing-obsessed girl, Amy, meet when Miles's bowling shoe connects soundly with Amy's forehead. In this Cinderella-inspired story, the two become friends and figure out how to navigate life's hardest challenges among the settings of a funeral home and a beloved bowling center.
4. LILY AND DUNKIN -- In this dual narrative, Lily, a big-hearted, word-nerd transgender tween will do anything to save a beloved banyan tree and to convince her dad she needs to take hormone blockers. Dunkin, who deals with bipolar disorder, tries to fit in at a new school in a new town and decides to join the basketball team, even though some of the boys on the team are tormenting Lily. Can Lily and Dunkin save themselves and their friendship with each other?
5. DEATH BY TOILET PAPER -- Will Ben be able to keep a promise to his recently deceased dad and save his family from eviction, using his creativity and contest skills?
6. OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN -- Can Olivia overcome huge obstacles to achieve her dream of appearing on the TV quiz show Jeopardy!?
7. HOW TO SURVIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL -- David is famous online from his hilarious YouTube videos, but how will he ever survive middle school?
8. AS IF BEING 12-3/4 ISN'T BAD ENOUGH, MY MOTHER IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT -- won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award and the Florida State Book Award. Can spelling bee champ, Vanessa, do what's necessary to save her mom from an assassination attempt on the campaign trail?
Donna's books have won a number of awards, received starred reviews and landed on many state reading lists.
She's a popular speaker at schools, book festivals, libraries and conferences, including the S.C.B.W.I. National Conference, the Erma Bombeck Humor Writers' Workshop, N.C.T.E., A.L.A., I.L.A., F.A.M.E., the Conference on Children's Literature and many others.
Donna now lives in the Philadelphia area with her family, including her canine office assistant, Benji.