What the Moon Said (16 page)

A
CKNOWLEDGMENTS

With special thanks to the members of my critique group: Kathleen Ernst, Amy Laundrie, Eileen Daily, Julia Pferdehirt, Laurie Rosengren, Cindy Schumerth, Nancy Sweetland, and Lisl Detlefsen for their valuable insights and encouragement during the writing of this book—and for their treasured friendship always.

My deep appreciation to Jan Dundon, fellow children's book lover, longtime friend, and enthusiastic supporter, for all her help and for never losing faith.

And to Susan Kochan, editor extraordinaire, my eternal gratitude for believing in Esther and for enabling me to share her story with children everywhere.

GAYLE ROSENGREN
grew up in Chicago. Like Esther, she enjoyed school, was a voracious reader, and loved dogs and horses. She attended Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois, where she majored in creative writing and was the editor of the literary magazine. Gayle never outgrew her passion for children's books, and she worked as a children's and young adult librarian at Fountaindale Public Library in Bolingbrook, Illinois, for several years.

Also like Esther, Gayle eventually moved to Wisconsin, but by then she was a mother with three children. She worked in a reference library and as a copyeditor, and she wrote short stories for children that appeared in
Cricket
,
Ladybug
,
Jack
and Jill
and
Children's Digest
magazines. Now Gayle writes full-time just outside of Madison, Wisconsin, where she lives with her husband, Don, and their slightly neurotic rescue dog, Fiona. She is living her dream, she says, writing books she hopes will make the same difference in children's lives as her favorite authors made in hers.
What the Moon Said
is her first novel.

www.gaylerosengren.com