I'm a teacher as well as a picture book author. How I Became a Pirate evolved from the combination of a girlhood spent burying treasure in my backyard, and an adulthood devoted to teaching literature.

These days, I speak pirate fluently (all teachers say “Aargh!” once in a while) and insist that bedtime stories (the scarier, the better!) are a must for pirates and landlubbers alike.
I'm also the author of Hiccup Snickup, illustrated by Thor Wickstrom (Simon & Schuster, 2001), and When Papa Snores, illustrated by Holly Meade (Simon & Schuster, 2000). I live with my husband and two children in Greenville, South Carolina—not far, in fact, from two former pirate hangouts.

Parents - Click here for a Q&A with Melinda!

Kids - Click here for a Q&A with Melinda!