About The Author
I am a Peruvian-American writer sharing nature’s wonders with young readers. I write stories to empower children with hope for the future and tools to build a better environment.
I grew up on an island in Florida where I swam with dolphins, trekked through mangroves, and rescued lost baby sea turtles. When my family moved to Peru, I hiked up Machu Picchu and flew to the Amazon jungle seated on a giant pumpkin in the hold of a cargo plane .
After studying Spanish Literature at Colgate University and receiving my Master’s in Bilingual Elementary Education from Boston University, I taught in schools in Lima and the USA. As the recipient of several large grants for science education, I built a school nature garden, ran a school weather station, and tagged migrating monarch butterflies with my students. I also wrote newsletters and curriculum, and had the honor of representing my school district as Teacher of the Year.
My picture book biography, CRACKING THE CORAL CODE, received the Houston SCBWI Joan Lowery Nixon Award, and WHO’S IN THE MANGROVES? was chosen as a finalist in this year’s JLN Award competition. I am thrilled to be working with Patricia Valdez, author of JOAN PROCTOR, DRAGON DOCTOR, as her 2020 #PBChat Mentee and am actively seeking representation.
I live with my husband in Cypress, TX. When I am not swimming in blue holes or picnicking in a park, you can usually find me checking out local wildlife with Elsa, our Schnauzer rescue.
Carmela McCain Simmons 