Jamie Michalak is the author of the acclaimed Joe and Sparky series. She lives in Barrington, Rhode Island.
I was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, and grew up in the same neighborhood that Dr. Seuss once lived in. As a child, my favorite book was Harriet the Spy, which inspired me to write. (It also inspired me to spy, which didn’t go over well with my neighbors.)
Today I edit and write children’s books, including Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels and Joe and Sparky, Superstars! I wrote the first draft of Joe and Sparky Get New Wheels during a visit from my sister, Julie, who was ill at the time. She couldn’t do anything too physical, so we made up the story for our own entertainment. Little did we know it would one day become a book illustrated by one of her favorite illustrators, Frank Remkiewicz. Every time I read the books, I hear Julie’s loud laugh.
When not writing or editing, I can often be found playing with my two boys—marching in parades, walking planks, or flying in the Millennium Falcon. I live in Barrington, Rhode Island, with my family.
Three Things You Might Not Know About Me:
1. I’ve had many odd jobs, including dressing up as a giant mouse at a mouse-themed restaurant. This was a surprisingly hazardous job since the costume’s feet were too big for me, and I often nearly tripped onto birthday cakes and groups of singing children.
2. I’m crazy about karaoke. I can’t carry a tune, but I can clear a room in less than ten seconds.
3. Things that make me laugh: the word nincompoop, the Muppets, and corny jokes. Q: What do you call a deer with no eyes? A: No-eye deer. (Get it? No idea! HA HA! Hoo. Er . . . Oh, dear.)
