Short Bio
Heather Shumaker writes books for children and adults. She began writing books in elementary school and is now an award-winning author. The Griffins of Castle Cary is her first book for young readers.
Before she became an author, Heather tried many jobs, including: milk maid, tall ship sailor, llama trek guide and fire crew. She also lived at the South Pole and sorted garbage and recycling in Antarctica. Heather now lives in northern Michigan with her family where she co-hosts the children's book podcast BookSmitten.
Read more about Heather: Longer Bio | Fun Facts
Meet Heather
I always wanted to be an author. Even before I could read and write, I wrote my first book, Leo the Lion. I got my first rejection letter in third grade, but I kept trying.
I've always loved dressing up for Halloween. This is me without a head. I’m dressed up as the Headless Horseman (that pumpkin was heavy to carry around).
Besides costumes, I like to make cool cakes. Here are some of my creations:
Fun Facts
- I don’t believe in homework for elementary school aged children. (And, yes, you can tell your teacher I said so.) I never had homework in elementary school. Know what’s better? Play, sleep, family time and reading books!
- I’ve been chased by dogs, geese, cows, sheep, and monkeys.
- I love snow and cold. The coldest I’ve been outside was -54 F° when I lived in Antarctica.
- I love words and name origins. Heather is “Ling” in Middle English.
Longer Bio
Heather Shumaker is the author of books for children and adults.
Her newest book, The Griffins of Castle Cary, is a charming and slightly spooky read for middle grade readers, ages 8-12 (Simon & Schuster, 2019). The story features three adventurous siblings, a ginormous, drooly Newfoundland dog, and a bit of a ghost problem. It was awarded Best Children's Fiction in 2020 by the Society of Midland Authors. Heather is also co-host of the kidlit podcast BookSmitten.
In the parenting and education realm, Heather has two “renegade parenting” books that question conventional practices. With It’s OK Not to Share, and It’s OK to Go Up the Slide, Heather promotes play, conflict mediation skills and no homework for young children. Her books have won awards (Nautilus Silver Award, Books for a Better Life finalist) and been translated into Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean, Romanian, and Russian.
She’s also the author of Saving Arcadia, a narrative nonfiction book about Great Lakes land conservation that’s been called a “page-turning environmental action thriller.” Saving Arcadia has won state and national awards including: Michigan Notable Book Award, Eric Hoffer Award finalist, and Next Generation Indie Book - Environment Winner.
Heather is a nationally known speaker who frequently keynotes and teaches workshops. She speaks at early childhood conferences around the U.S. and Canada, as well as schools, libraries and writing conferences. She loves to share her joy of books and children with audiences everywhere.
Heather holds a BA in sociology/ anthropology from Swarthmore College and an MS in land resources from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Today Heather lives up in northern Michigan with her husband and two children.