Melissa Hart
Oregon journalist Melissa Hart is the author of the middle-grade novels Daisy Woodworm Changes the World, and Avenging the Owl, as well as Better with Books: 500 Diverse Books to Ignite Empathy and Encourage Self-Acceptance in Tweens and Teens. She grew up near Los Angeles with her brother who has Down syndrome, and she taught people with intellectual and disabilities for several years before moving to Oregon to write full-time. Her essays and articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Smithsonian, CNN, Nat Geo Kids, and numerous other publications. In her free time, she loves to hike, bike, kayak, run, and hang out with her husband, teen daughter, and four cats, four chickens, and one very patient rescued terrier. She loves Ben and Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Cookie ice cream, and she loves searching Pacific Northwest forests for mushrooms--just don’t make her eat them! www.melissahart.com Instagram/Twitter/TikTok @WildMelissaHart