Kelly Milner Halls and the Wonders of Weird
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    • Cryptid Babies
    • Sea Monsters: A Field Guide
    • A Dinosaur for Washington: The True Story of the Suciasaurus
    • 15 Artists
    • Apollo 11
    • All About Horses
    • 19th Century American History
    • 2 Titanic Books
    • 4 World War II Books
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    • Death Eaters
    • Rourke Trio
    • Animal Rescues series
    • Civil War: A Day in the Life
    • Ghostly Evidence
    • The Story of the Hoover Dam
    • Courageous Canine
    • Uncle John's
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    • In Search of Sasquatch
    • Saving the Baghdad Zoo
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     join us Saturday, march 8 at the shadle park library in spokane.

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We'll be sharing tips on writing for the children's book and magazine markets at the Shadle Park Library, ​2111 W Wellesley Ave, Spokane, WA 99205.  Would love to see you there! 

   Humbolt County Children's Author Festival was awesome!

For more information about the festival, click HERE! 

My event at Auntie's Bookstore on September 22, 2024 was so much fun! Thank you Teri, the events coordinator at Auntie's and all the people who shared the hour. I'm beyond grateful.    

9/7/2024 Bricks & mortar sponsored event was so fun! Pictures below! 

    Franklin County Literature Festival in Ottawa, Kansas was Great!

I'm virtually visiting the FVRl on June 26 at 6:00 pm.  Sign up to join us.

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Thank you, Owen! Your "Nessie" drawing is GReat!

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colfax, WA -- weird at the library!

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thank you for having me, balboa elementary -- may 1, 2024.

upper new york really knows how to host a great school visit!
april 2024

I spent the week of April 22 in Rochester, New York suburbs and I loved every single minute of it.  Thank you for having me. I'll always be here for you!  These pictures are from Avon Elementary and Letchworth Elementary. I forgot to take pictures at Warsaw Elementary, but I loved that school, too. 

dino readers!

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DINOSAUR MUMMIES has been out of print for more than a decade, but my friend Mary Jane Rants shared this photo of her family members sharing their copy today. I hope to update this book relatively soon. More on that as it develops.

Bookapalooza in Sugar Land, Texas on April 29 was a blast! 

I had so much fun at Franklin Elementary in Pullman in March 2023.

       A sweet letter and drawing from anna, a fellow horse lover. 

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Camp Read-a-rama for SCLD--Summer 2023

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More Camp Read-a-Rama images below. 

a seaside school in tacoma!

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Thank you, Lowell Elementary in Tacoma, WA, for the lovely welcome banner on February 23. I loved your school!

dinosaurs at the shadle park library!

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dinosaurs in colfax, wa at the library.

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bookapalooza promo

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Humbolt photo collage, october 2022

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talk radio on ufos

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weird fun at the endicott library

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why do i write for kids?  because they are awesome! 

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This brilliant young reader emailed me about TALES OF THE CRYPTIDS, so I sent her CRYPTID CREATURES! 

    November 18, 2020 -- a Virtual visit with Lewis & Clark elementary!

THANK YOU Janie Einerson and Nicole Davis, third grade teachers from Lewis and Clark Elementary in Liberty, MO for sharing these pictures with me from our Virtual Visit Nov. 18th.  I loved every minute of it. And we get to do it again December 3. Can't wait. 

florida went virtual, thanks to covid

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Saturday, April 10, 2021 I did two virtual panels for BAM in Palm Beach County, Florida with my illustrator friend, Rick Spears. We had one on cryptozoology and one on dinosaurs. It was GREAT and we gave away 50 of our new stickers, designed and illustrated  by Rick. If you missed it and want a sticker, just let me know!  [email protected]. 

fbisd book club fun

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scbwi inland northwest virtual workshop

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​         THANK YOU, BRICK & MORTAR BOOKS IN REDMOND, WA FOR HOSTING
                  A "CRYPTID CREATURES" BOOK EVENT ON SEPTEMBER 25, 2019. 

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Martin Warren Elementary in warrensburg, Missouri - Nov 2017

I had a great day at Martin Warren Elementary, thanks to super librarian Kirsten Shaw, her students and her amazing kids, Logan, Rory and Griffin!  Thank you so much for making my four day dash in Missouri so outstanding!  

          Thanks for having me, Athol, idaho! DEATH EATER mask rocked!

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schools make me feel so welcome!

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thomas, one of my favorite readers!

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Many thanks to Allison Murphy Dabler for sharing this picture (above) of her son holding my book, IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH at the Copper Creek Mercantile, 15 S. Main Street in Joseph OR.  I am delighted!

ghostly evidence is a nyc favorite

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one of my all-time favorite events in california.

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Friday, April 29, 2016 at 8:00 am.
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Thank you, Norman rockwell Elementary in Redmond, WA!

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RENO, NEVADA...WAS WONDERFUL! 

I joined Matt de la Pena, Laura Vacarro Seeger, Kimberly Willis Holt, Brad Herzog, Suzanne Morgan Williams and dozens of other amazing authors and educators this weekend --  Friday and Saturday, February 27 and 28, 2016 -- at the Nevada Reading Week Conference!  I also got to visit Roy Gomm Elementary in Reno, and both events were wonderful.  Thank you, Reno!   

Check out Marci Hay and her amazing students & bookmarks! <3 <3

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Amazing second graders from Reid School share their WONDERS OF WEIRD bookmarks!

               Thank you, Cascade View Elementary for a great day!!

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Cascade View Elementary in Snohomish, WA welcomed me and my weirdness on March 5 and boy did we have fun!  Pictured is Principal Tessa O'Connor, yours truly and Teacher/Librarian Kathy VanHorn.  Such a great day!  Thanks!

                                 Beijing, china -- ISB & WAB -- simply amazing! 

Audubon Elementary, thank you for having me in December of 2013
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                          Sketches by David Hohn, Portland SCBWI 2012

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Portland, Oregon illustrator David Hohn sketched some of the speakers at the Portland SCBWI Conference last month, including yours truly (upper left corner).  Thank you, David, for giving me permission to post your work on my website.  I love it.   You'll also notice illustrator Robyn Waters, agent Kristy King, illustrator Ward Jenkins, editor Leila Sales, editor Melissa Manlove and editor Andrew Karre. 
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     How cute is this?  Queen Pug reading "IN SEARCH OF SASQUATCH," as featured HERE!  Thanks, Suzanne.

Dig, dig, dig...sweat, sweat, sweat...

Highlights for Children sent me to Ekalaka, Montana to cover the excavation of a T. rex.  Rick came with me because he's an illustrator, and because it was a T. rex dig.  How often do you get the chance to do that?  Man, it was SOOO fun.  It was so hot, you never had to go to the potty.  You sweat all liquids out through your sun drenched pores.  And there was no such thing as cool water -- or anything else.  But I wouldn't have missed it for the world.  I think Rick had a good time too.  How do you say that city name?  The ranch owner (the woman who let the diggers chip away at her land) told us, "To remember how to say it, just remember, "EEEEEEEK.  A lock A."  Don't cha know, that's one thing I never forgot. 


Dinofest in Tempe, AZ

Rick Spears, pictured between the meat eater's teeth (I'm right behind him) was about ten years younger when this picture was taken.  So was I, obviously.  But even then, I knew he'd always be one of my best friends.  He illustrated my first book, DINO TREKKING.  And we both went to Dinofest, a dinosaur convention, in Tempe Arizona this year. Jurassic Park was HOT stuff -- one kid kept asking, "Hey, where's the old guy with the beard," when he saw the Jurassic Park display -- and so were all things paleo.  So Rick, who makes 3D dinosaurs as well as illustrating fantastic children's books, and I had a fantastic time.  It was one of the first of many, many things to come. 


Northern Ohio SCBWI

One of my earliest presentations was for the Northern Ohio SCBWI, man, a LONG time ago...maybe eight years, I guess.  Mike Lyons, the art director for Guidepost for Kids and Guidepost for Teens was also there and we'd worked together a lot of years on all the articles I wrote for them.  Mike is one of the sweetest, most talented art directors I've ever known.  And the RA was a super hard working young mother and writer.  I did okay, even critiqued a few writers (including Nancy Roe Pimm) who went on to publish books of their own. And I handed a monthly column I used to write for Child Life magazine off to the RA.  I didn't have time to write it anymore, and she was so smart and enthusiastic, I knew she'd do a great job in my place.  I had a good time in Ohio.  I hope they ask me back again, someday.


One chick to another...

Is this the cutest picture you've ever seen?  Maybe not, but it's pretty cute.  A scientist I knew for a while -- one I hope to know again one day, named Dave Gallo at the WHO Institute --  sent me this picture of a baby chick sitting on my book I BOUGHT A BABY CHICKEN, inspired by the real chickens my girls raised when we lived in Colorado.   He once told me a story of an octopus that cllimbed out of his tank, slid his way over to the tanks across the room, climbed up and ate the fish "safely" harbored at a distance.  According to Dave, once his belly was full, the little guy made his way back to the tank he called his own, leaving his keepers mystified.  What happened to those fish?  A videocampera finally helped them solve the mystery.  Hey Dave, if you're out there, drop me an email.


Before I was a writer...

...I was a mom -- of two girls; Kerry, my eldest, and Vanessa, pictured here at three.  Holding Mrs. Black, her favorite chicken, she represents exactly the reason I write for kids.  Look at the joy and curiosity in her face.  Look at the trust and possibililities visible in her eyes.  That's why I write for kids.  Look deep enough, and you'll see those things in the eyes of all kids, assuming they haven't been taught to hide them away.  I write for kids because I respect their magic so very much.  It's an honor, doing the work I do.  Thanks kids -- especially my own.


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