Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul (33 page)

Mary Beth Olson
is a former human services worker turned freelance writer.

Shaquille O’Neal
was the number-one pick in the 1992 NBA Draft and is one of basketball’s greatest centers. Known worldwide as the Shaq-Attack, his athletic awards include 1993 Rookie of the Year, Olympic Gold Medalist and Most Valuable Player. Shaq is also a rap artist who released two hit CDs, and an actor with several feature films to his credit, including
Kazaam.
Shaquille also makes time to give of himself and his resources.

Glenda Palmer’s
sixteenth children’s book,
God Must Have Smiled When He Made Animals,
is currently being published. She lives in San Diego with her husband, Richard. They have two grand cats, and a grand iguana, but no grandchildren yet. Glenda can be reached at 1687 Via Elisa Dr., El Cajon, CA 92021.

Diana Parker
is a thirteen-year-old living in Birmingham, Michigan, with her parents and her brother, Nate. She has a dog named Abby and a cockatiel named Lori. She enjoys reading, drawing, hiking, playing the flute, and engaging in political debates. Someday she hopes to be a scientist and help the world.

Lucas Parker
, age eleven, is a seventh-grader who enjoys baseball, snow skiing, surfing and hiking. He does well in school, and earned a place on the principal’s honor roll. He would like to attend UCLA, and perhaps work as a volcanologist.

Judie Paxton
, born and raised in West Virginia, has lived in the Atlanta, Georgia area for the past twenty-six years. Wife, mother, and proud owner of a Jack Russell terrier, Judie’s interests include reading, walking on the beach and enjoying sunsets. You may contact Judie at 2320 Melrose Trace, Cumming, GA 30041.

Jan Peck
loves to write children’s books and contribute to children’s magazines such as
Highlights for Children
and
Boys’ Life.
Dial Books published her most recent picture book,
The Giant Carrot,
for young readers in March of 1998. Jan can be reached at 6217 Loydhill, Fort Worth, TX 76135 or by e-mail at: HYPERLINK mailto:
[email protected].

Joanne Peterson
lives on the Olympic Peninsula in the Pacific Northwest. She has produced expository writing for business and civic organizations and is the author of stories for both children and adults. Her poetry has appeared in several publications and received awards at The Northwest Writers’ Conference.

Berniece Rabe
is the author of sixteen children’s books; her first five novels earned nominations for The Newbery Award, and two children’s books won The Society of Children’s Book Writer’s Golden Kite Award. She is a sought-after speaker for schools and educators. She can be reached at 724 Smokerise, Denton, TX 76205.

Deborah J. Rasmussen
is a freelance writer/editor with a special interest in children’s literature, and was a winner of the Highlights for Children Fiction Contest in 1995. Deborah resides in Florida with her husband and eleven-year-old son. She can be reached at 9149 Arundel Way, Jacksonville, FL 32257-5080.

Lacy Richardson
is thirteen years old and lives in a log cabin in Blue Ridge, Virginia. She is the eldest of four children—two sisters and a brother. Her hobbies include reading and playing the flute. Lacy swims on a local swim team and plans to continue in college.

Belladonna Richuitti
, age thirteen, loves to sing, write poetry and read mystery books. Her favorite sports are basketball and volleyball. She would like to thank her English teacher, Ms. Moronta, for all her help and support.

Ann McCoole Rigby
loves people, nature, healing ideas and words. She combines these loves as a wife, mother, teacher, astrologer and writer. Ann is the author of
Why Moon Goes Round
and other astrological materials for children. She can be reached at 5313 E. McDonald Dr., Paradise Valley, AZ 85253, or by calling 602-952-0127.

Linda Rosenberg
is a freelance writer, middle-school English teacher, and a writer for Disney In-School Video Programs. Since 1991, she has been involved with Disney, scripting the in-school versions of
Aladdin, Snow White
and
Pinnochio.
Linda’s hobbies are reading and writing and teaching her students to do the same. Her most important editors are her two children, Daniella and Mark. She can be reached at 3353 Caminito Gandara, La Jolla, CA 92037.

David Roth
is a musician, songwriter, recording artist, conference presenter, occasional NBA national anthem singer, animal lover, playwright and workshop facilitator. David’s work can also be found in other
Chicken Soup for the Soul
books. He can be reached at 18952 40th Place NE, Seattle, WA 98155-2810; phone: 1-800-484-2367 ext. 3283; e-mail: HYPERLINK mail to:
[email protected]
: Web page:
http://songs.com.dr.

Donna Russell
is a native New Yorker who has earned masters degrees in education and corporate finance. She is currently self-employed and spends her free time writing fiction. Married with one daughter and a grandson, she loves to play tennis.

Mary Ellyn Sandford
is a happily married mother of seven children. Her writing has been published in several magazines, including
Venture, Counselor, Reader’s Digest
and
Police Magazine.
She enjoys making homemade bread and chicken soup. Mary Ellyn can be reached at 4507 Chelsea Ave., Lisle, IL 60532, or via e-mail at
[email protected].

Beth Schaffer
, age sixteen, enjoys reading and writing poetry. She would like to dedicate her piece in
Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul
to her mom, dad, and Ms. Jan who have given her guidance, love and support.

Kristin Seuntjens
has pursued a career as an elementary educator, but enjoys being a full-time mom the most. Kristen makes time to read, draw, sing and play the violin. She is currently working on her first chapter book for children. She can be reached at 227 Isanti St., Duluth, MN, 55803.

Matt Sharpe
is twelve years old and lives in San Diego, California. He plays on his school’s basketball and football teams. He likes skateboarding, bicycling and playing at the beach. Matt would like to dedicate his story to the memory of his father, “the best dad ever,” Steve Sharpe.

Katie Short
, age twelve, is a seventh-grader at Read Mountain Middle School in Cloverdale, Virginia. She likes to read and listen to music. She is a softball player and an Atlanta Braves fan. She has two older sisters and a dog named Peaches.

Alan D. Shultz
resides on an Indiana farm with his wife, Deb, and their three teenage children. He is a lawyer, real-estate broker and award-winning newspaper columnist. Alan can be reached at 5852W. 1000 North, Delphi, IN 46923.

Bernie Siegel, M.D.
, lives in a suburb of New Haven, Connecticut, with his wife and coworker, Bobbie. Dr. Seigel (Bernie) has cared for and counseled people whose mortality has been threatened by an illness. In 1986 his first book,
Love, Medicine & Miracles,
was published.
Peace, Love & Healing
and
How To Live Between Office Visits
followed. He is currently working on other books with the goal of humanizing medical education and medical care.

Stacie Christina Smith
is a twelve-year-old seventh-grader from Lincoln, Massachusetts, who enjoys singing in church, talent shows and plays. Stacie spends a lot of time with her family and friends. Her hobbies include basketball, swimming and softball.

Valeria Soto
is a twelve-year-old student attending Ensign Intermediate School in Newport Beach, California. Her favorite subject is science and she enjoys writing. Her family is the most special part of her life.

Rider Strong
, seventeen-year-old star of ABC’s hit show
Boy Meets World,
landed his first professional acting job at the tender age of nine when he played the coveted role of the ill-fated Gavroche in
Les Miserables.
Since then, he has made numerous guest star appearances on many hit television shows including
Home Improvement, Empty Nest, Evening Shade, Time Trax,
and most recently a recurring role on FOX Television’s
Party of Five.
Rider, a prodigious writer, is currently putting the final touches on his book of poetry entitled
On the Impulse,
which he is showcasing at local clubs in the Los Angeles area. He also attends college in the Los Angeles area.

Jessica Stroup
is a freshman in high school who dreams of singing on stage in front of millions of fans. For now, she enjoys being a teenager; shopping, spending time with friends, and writing poems. She lives with her mother, stepfather and two younger brothers.

Audilee Boyd Taylor
is the published author of a children’s picture storybook entitled
Where Did My Feather Pillow Come From?
Her other children’s books in progress are
The Other 99 Sheep, The Mulberry Connection,
and
The Savannah River Pirates.
Audilee can be reached at P.O. Box 60728, Savannah, GA 31420-0728.

Kenan Thompson
began his acting career at the age of five, playing a gingerbread man in the school play. From his kindergarten classroom to the silver screen, Thompson’s acting career has skyrocketed with roles in the major motion pictures
D-2 The Mighty Ducks, Heavy Weights
with Ben Stiller, and the Nickelodeon release
Good Burger.
A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Thompson’s other television credits include reporting for CNN’s
Real News For Kids,
co-host of the ABC special
Night Crawlers
and
T-Rex,
which won an Emmy Award.

Tia Thompson
is a fifteen-year-old who enjoys writing fiction and non-fiction stories, letters and poems. She loves listening to music and spending time with her friends. She considers herself to be an outgoing, talkative person.

Heather Thomsen
, age thirteen, is from Shoreline, Washington, where she likes to play soccer and run track and cross-country. She plays the French horn and sings in the school concert choir. Heather enjoys reading and writing stories about her detective agency called The Four Investigators.

Reverend Mark Tidd
is the pastor of Crestview Christian Reformed Church in Boulder, Colorado. He is the father of five children ranging from four to twenty years old. He records and performs with NO I NO, an acoustic rock/funk/Latin/pop (but no rap) group.

John Troxler
is fifteen-years-old and lives in Summerfield, North Carolina, with his parents and two brothers. His hobbies include playing soccer, playing video games, reading and crafts.

Sabrina Anne Tyler
is a twelve-year-old from Costa Mesa, California. She wants to be a Harvard-educated lawyer or a marine biologist when she grows up. She enjoys biking, doing theatre work and writing short stories.

M. A. Urquhart
is a freelance writer and the author of a dozen children’s books. She lives in Maine with her husband and three children, all of whom have had enormous influence on her writing.

Julie J. Vaughn
, Tyler’s mother, is a student earning her certificate in drug and alcohol counseling. She enjoys cycling and is learning to play golf.

Adrian Wagner
is a twenty-six-year-old sports writer for
The St. Cloud Times,
a daily newspaper in central Minnesota, who says he is more concerned with the heart of the team than the score of the game. Adrian aspires to be the sports editor of a large daily newspaper. He may be reached at 3200 N. 15th St., Apt. #315, St. Cloud, MN 56303.

Jody Suzanne Waitzman
, age thirteen, loves to read, listen to music and write about human rights and racism. She has had the fortune to travel, which she says has made her more open-minded to other cultures and customs.

JoelWalker
, age eleven, is a sixth-grader from Costa Mesa, California, who has enjoyed playing soccer and baseball since he was five years old. He is a member of “THE UNDERGROUND” at Calvary Church Newport Mesa and thanks God for the blessings he receives daily.