avg_rating: 4.08
name: Sandra J. Howatt
about: Sandra grew up in Massachusetts on a dirt road near the top of a steep hill, not far from the Atlantic Ocean. She spent a lot of time walking and biking up and down that steep hill and she also spent a great deal of time making up stories. Before she learned to read, she looked at a book’s illustrations, made up her own stories to go with them and “read” them aloud to anyone who would listen. Once she actually could read, she found a perfect reading spot by the small square window on the front hall stairs. She dove into book after book and cozied up inside until someone or something insisted she come out. She wishes she had kept an exact count of those books because she thinks it might be a rather impressive number.When she turned five, bot Sandra grew up in Massachusetts on a dirt road near the top of a steep hill, not far from the Atlantic Ocean. She spent a lot of time walking and biking up and down that steep hill and she also spent a great deal of time making up stories. Before she learned to read, she looked at a book’s illustrations, made up her own stories to go with them and “read” them aloud to anyone who would listen. Once she actually could read, she found a perfect reading spot by the small square window on the front hall stairs. She dove into book after book and cozied up inside until someone or something insisted she come out. She wishes she had kept an exact count of those books because she thinks it might be a rather impressive number.When she turned five, both her grandmothers decided she would benefit from dance classes. So, off she went on her first life-changing journey. She not only learned dance technique, she learned a wondrous new way of telling a story­—with movement instead of words—and many years and many… many… many dance classes later, she became a dance teacher. Sandra loved teaching and once again, she made up her own stories. She used choreography, costumes, scenery, props and lighting to help her dancers make the stories come alive on stage.After she had been teaching and choreographing for a few years, she married a man who now looks a bit like Santa Claus. Soon afterwards, they moved a short distance away to New Hampshire where Sandra continued to teach and tell stories through dance. She had three beautiful daughters and as you might expect, they attended dance classes. They also did swimming, horseback riding, gymnastics, soccer, art and piano lessons—busy years, indeed. With two daughters grown, just when she thought life might slow down a bit, Sandra got two big surprises. A lovely one from her oldest daughter—a beautiful grandson! Soon afterwards, a most unexpected one from her husband—a move to Texas. Yes, all the way to TEXAS! Sandra, her husband and youngest daughter packed up and moved from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, away from everyone and everything they’d always known. Sandra missed her family. She missed her friends and teaching. She missed brilliant colors in fall, and snow in winter. As time passed, though, she discovered wonderful people, places and opportunities exist even as far away as Texas, y’all! That first grandchild started her thinking about making up stories again, this time with words on a page instead of movement on a stage. She began attending a local writers group, became a member of the SCBWI and headed out on another life-changing journey to the first of many writing conferences. After one more move (this time the rest of the way across the country to CALIFORNIA near the Pacific Ocean), the journey led her to a contract for SLEEPYHEADS with Beach Lane Books of Simon and Schuster.While Sandra waited impatiently in California, the search began for exactly the right illustrator for SLEEPYHEADS. Her publisher found Joyce Wan clear across the country in New York. As Joyce began her illustrations, Sandra and her husband began packing for a move back to Texas.Much has changed since those early days on the hill. Sandra has moved from The Atlantic, to The Gulf, to The Pacific and back to The Gulf again, and has seven incredible grandchildren. But she still loves walking, biking and dancing. She still loves sitting by a window and diving into a good book until she absolutely has to come out. And, of course, she still loves making up stories. In May of 2014, SLEEPYHEADS dances into bookstores and online. Sandra hopes it dances into the hearts of young ones everywhere as well as the adults who read with them. Should any of those adults be former students, she hopes they smile because “Mrs. Howatt” is still making up stories, and she especially hopes they enjoy sharing her newest one with all the sleepyheads in their ...more