All About Cheryl
I grew up in the city of Kingston Upon Hull, in Yorkshire, England. Hull was the second-most-bombed English city in World War II (after London) and when I was a child I played on “bomb sites” (empty lots where houses had once stood). I have two siblings — a sister and brother both younger than me. I was ten years old when my brother was born and since I was more responsible than my sister, I had to share my bedroom with him. I didn’t like sharing my personal space but I loved reading to him.
In Primary (Elementary) and Junior (Middle) school my report cards mostly said things like "Cheryl could do better" or "Cheryl does not try hard enough" but I was a confirmed bookworm. Our nearest library was in a trailer. (I think now that the library must have been destroyed in the war and the trailer was a temporary solution — but I’ve never checked that fact). I had to walk there whenever I wanted to borrow a book and it was a long walk from my house but I didn’t care because I loved reading so much. By the time I was about nine, I had read all the children's books and wanted to borrow some of the adult books. The librarian set me a test — she pulled an adult book off the shelves and said if I could read it to her I could have an adult library card. I don't remember what book she chose, but I read it and earned my adult library card. I was proud that day!
Find out about My favorite books.
After High school (an all-girls’ school with the ugliest possible uniforms) I studied for a degree in Geology at Durham University (England) where one of the colleges is housed in a castle that was originally built by the Normans — parts of it are almost 1,000 years old. Some of my most memorable moments in college were attending dinner in the great hall. (Think Hogwarts!) Bits of Durham Cathedral were used as locations in the Harry Potter movies.
I worked for several years as a primary school teacher in Sheffield, Yorkshire. I was responsible for teaching all subjects to my classes of 5, 6, and 7 year olds, including music (I can't play an instrument or sing), art (I can't draw, but I love being messy), science (cool!), math (I'm hopeless), and, most important to me, reading and writing. The best part of the day was story time. I still have some of the books we loved — they traveled all the way to the U.S. with me. My copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl is falling apart now because we read it so many times!
So how did I end up in Minnesota and become a children’s writer?
I left my teaching career when my husband and I made a momentous decision. We packed up our two children, all our belongings, and moved to Minnesota. In January. When the temperature (or windchill, or something) fell to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit a few days after we arrived. I was terrified to go outside and I couldn't believe the ice on lakes could be thick enough to drive cars over them. I was astonished that butter came in little sticks and that strangers in grocery stores would ask me to "Say something in English."
"Don't worry. It's only for two years," we told our distraught parents when we broke the news that we were moving to the US. Many, many years later we're still here and my parents are still reminding me it was only supposed to be for two years!
Life in the U.S. has been a constant adventure. I've raised two children, four cats, two rats, and an iguana (although he didn't live very long). I've worked in bakeries and child care centers. I've competed in triathlons and run a marathon (one was enough). I've worked for small companies and huge companies. I've written scripts for The Oregon Trail computer game and manuals for high-tech instruments. I've gained a Masters Degree and traveled the world. But the one thing I wish I'd done sooner is write for children. When my children were small, I thought of writing children's books but I didn't know where to begin and I pushed the desire to one side and focused on other things. But the urge, the need, the compulsion to write for children never left me and eventually I gave up my career in technical writing and devoted myself to children’s books. I worked hard. I wrote many terrible stories and a few good ones. And in 2011 I finally achieved my ambition to hold a copy of a book with my name on the cover. It's a third-grade, non-fiction book about Colombia. That's not what I thought my fist published book would be but it was fun to research and write. Since then I've had other books published — both fiction and non-fiction (you can read about them on my books page) and I'm working on many more). It is a thrilling feeling to hold a printed book in your hand, see your name on the cover, and know that somewhere at that very moment a child might be reading, and enjoying, your story.
In Primary (Elementary) and Junior (Middle) school my report cards mostly said things like "Cheryl could do better" or "Cheryl does not try hard enough" but I was a confirmed bookworm. Our nearest library was in a trailer. (I think now that the library must have been destroyed in the war and the trailer was a temporary solution — but I’ve never checked that fact). I had to walk there whenever I wanted to borrow a book and it was a long walk from my house but I didn’t care because I loved reading so much. By the time I was about nine, I had read all the children's books and wanted to borrow some of the adult books. The librarian set me a test — she pulled an adult book off the shelves and said if I could read it to her I could have an adult library card. I don't remember what book she chose, but I read it and earned my adult library card. I was proud that day!
Find out about My favorite books.
After High school (an all-girls’ school with the ugliest possible uniforms) I studied for a degree in Geology at Durham University (England) where one of the colleges is housed in a castle that was originally built by the Normans — parts of it are almost 1,000 years old. Some of my most memorable moments in college were attending dinner in the great hall. (Think Hogwarts!) Bits of Durham Cathedral were used as locations in the Harry Potter movies.
I worked for several years as a primary school teacher in Sheffield, Yorkshire. I was responsible for teaching all subjects to my classes of 5, 6, and 7 year olds, including music (I can't play an instrument or sing), art (I can't draw, but I love being messy), science (cool!), math (I'm hopeless), and, most important to me, reading and writing. The best part of the day was story time. I still have some of the books we loved — they traveled all the way to the U.S. with me. My copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl is falling apart now because we read it so many times!
So how did I end up in Minnesota and become a children’s writer?
I left my teaching career when my husband and I made a momentous decision. We packed up our two children, all our belongings, and moved to Minnesota. In January. When the temperature (or windchill, or something) fell to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit a few days after we arrived. I was terrified to go outside and I couldn't believe the ice on lakes could be thick enough to drive cars over them. I was astonished that butter came in little sticks and that strangers in grocery stores would ask me to "Say something in English."
"Don't worry. It's only for two years," we told our distraught parents when we broke the news that we were moving to the US. Many, many years later we're still here and my parents are still reminding me it was only supposed to be for two years!
Life in the U.S. has been a constant adventure. I've raised two children, four cats, two rats, and an iguana (although he didn't live very long). I've worked in bakeries and child care centers. I've competed in triathlons and run a marathon (one was enough). I've worked for small companies and huge companies. I've written scripts for The Oregon Trail computer game and manuals for high-tech instruments. I've gained a Masters Degree and traveled the world. But the one thing I wish I'd done sooner is write for children. When my children were small, I thought of writing children's books but I didn't know where to begin and I pushed the desire to one side and focused on other things. But the urge, the need, the compulsion to write for children never left me and eventually I gave up my career in technical writing and devoted myself to children’s books. I worked hard. I wrote many terrible stories and a few good ones. And in 2011 I finally achieved my ambition to hold a copy of a book with my name on the cover. It's a third-grade, non-fiction book about Colombia. That's not what I thought my fist published book would be but it was fun to research and write. Since then I've had other books published — both fiction and non-fiction (you can read about them on my books page) and I'm working on many more). It is a thrilling feeling to hold a printed book in your hand, see your name on the cover, and know that somewhere at that very moment a child might be reading, and enjoying, your story.