When I was growing up . . .
As a kid, I loved dogs, books, and baseball. Back then, I loved riding my bike to the library and stuffing my baskets full of books. When I got home, I’d turn on the Cubs game and figure out which book I wanted to read first.
Even though I loved baseball, I didn’t get to play in Little League. Girls were not allowed. (It was an official rule until 1974!)
When I started high school, my family moved to a small town in Kansas. Later, I went to Luther College in Iowa and then to graduate school at Kansas State University where I studied literature while my husband was in vet school.
Sometimes, we studied together at the vet school. When we got tired of studying, we’d look at the animals. I’ll never forget the evening we saw a calf being born!
And now . . .
I live in South Dakota where I am a children’s librarian at a public library. I live seven miles from town and have 3 horses and 3 dogs — two German wire-haired pointers (Frieda and Kate) and a crazy English setter puppy named Wendy.
My house is packed full of books, and I love to write about sports, animals, history, and people who refuse to give up on their dreams. I also love to speak at schools, libraries, and conferences.
My newest book (co-written with Maria Pepe herself!) is The Girl Who Changed Little League: The True Story of Maria Pepe and Her Battle to Play Ball.
Just like me, Maria wanted to play in Little League back in the early 1970s. But as you’ll find out, Maria’s bravery and the court cases that followed paved the way for girls everywhere to play the sport she loved.