PUBLISHED GRAD

What are the titles of your books? Who is the publisher?

I have written over 130 books for a variety of publishers, including ABDO, Arte Público Press, Capstone, Cavendish Square, Jump!, Lerner, Little Gestalten, Nomad Press, Rourke Educational Media and more.

Give us a short summary of your book.

Many of my books are about high-interest topics including life in space, animals that change colors, strange foods, and humanoid robots.I also have written more than 50 books about places around the globe – from Singapore to Dubai to New York City.

Tell us a bit about your path to publishing, from idea to submission to published book.

I got started in writing by writing adult magazine and blog articles. Next, I moved into writing magazine articles for kids in many outlets such as National Geographic Kids, FACES, Appleseeds, and others. After proving myself as a magazine writer, a book publisher gave me a chance. And the rest, as they say, is history…

How long have you been writing?
I wrote a couple of magazine articles in the early 2000s but really started writing part-time in 2010. My first book was written in 2013.

What’s your favorite genre to write and why?
Nonfiction—I love learning new things every day!

What ICL courses have your taken?

Writing for Children and Teenagers

Do you have a favorite writing tip you’d like to share?
Don’t get too stressed about the first draft. Just get your ideas out and fix things later!

What was your dream job as a kid?
I wanted to be a geography teacher when I took a geography class in the seventh grade. I did that for years in Massachusetts before becoming a writer. I still am a geography nerd!

From vampires to jellybeans, Alicia Klepeis loves to research fun and out-of-the-ordinary topics that bring the world to young readers. Alicia began her career at the National Geographic Society. A former middle school teacher, she is the author of more than 130 children’s books including Living in the Rain Forest, Francisco’s Kites, Animal Allstars: AfricanAnimal Facts and Folklore, and Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts.  She lives with her family in upstate New York.