BIOS
50-word Bio
Robert F. Sibert Honoree Colleen Paeff starts every book with a sense of wonder for her subject. Whether writing about pollution and infrastructure, as in The Great Stink, or the intersection of humans and the natural world, as in Pufflings Fly Free and Firefly Song, she aims to provide readers with equal doses of information and awe. Colleen lives in Los Angeles, CA.
150-word Bio
Colleen Paeff is the award-winning author of The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem, Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson Faust and the Great Smoky Mountain Discovery and Pufflings Fly Free!: A Rescue Tale from Iceland. A lifelong Californian, she received a Bachelor’s Degree in set design for theater from California State University Fullerton, before becoming a bookseller, preschool teacher, and newspaper columnist. (She never did become a set designer!) Eventually, she figured out how to roll books, kids, and writing into a career as a children’s book author, and now she gets to share her enthusiasm for books and learning by visiting with students both at home and abroad. Colleen is a Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient and winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction Text for Young Readers. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and daughter. Learn more about Colleen at www.colleenpaeff.com or on Instagram @ColleenPaeff.
Colleen is represented by Lori Steel at Steelworks Literary.
Pronunciation: Colleen’s last name, Paeff, rhymes with laugh.
Awards and Accolades:
Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient, Golden Kite Award winner, California Young Readers Medalist, Cook Prize Silver Medalist, Best Informational Book of the Year by the Chicago Public Library, Best STEM Book by the National Science Teachers Association, Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People by the Children’s Book Council, Texas Topaz Gem from the Texas Library Association.
Interviews:
- Colleen and Kirsten Larson talk about the nonfiction/informational fiction divide on the Nonfiction Kidlit Craft Conversations Podcast
- TeachingBooks.net interviews for The Great Stink
- Colleen and Nancy Carpenter in conversation with Jules Danielson on 7-Imp
- John Schu asks about Colleen’s favorite Joseph Bazalgette facts on Watch. Connect. Read.
- Talking about primary sources on The Primary Source Podcast
Interested in an interview? Contact Colleen.
