“She’d always been the weird kid . . .

The kid who couldn’t find a book she wanted to read.”

Kelly Milner Halls

Okay, I’ve played with the doll, now where are the frogs?

When her third-grade teacher in Friendswood, Texas, told Kelly Milner Halls she was a good writer, she didn’t really understand what that meant. She’d always been the weird kid–the kid who asked too many questions, the kid who couldn’t stop talking to her neighbors, the kid who couldn’t find a book she wanted to read. But the thought of being a writer at first drew a complete blank.

     High school in California brought her third-grade teacher’s words back to her, thanks to the high-school newspaper.  Journalism was a forum for questions and conversation, and it turned out that elementary-school teacher was correct.  Kelly could write–up a storm.

     Writing for adults didn’t always pan out. Kelly lacked that “killer” instinct. But writing for kids was ideal. Serious research paired with a whimsical slant was just her cup of tea. Before long, more than 1,500 bylined articles and reviews appeared in publications like Highlights for Children, Ask!, Dig, Teen PEOPLE, Guidepost for Kids, Guideposts for Teens,  the Chicago Tribune KidNews, the Atlanta Journal Constitution News for Kids, the Denver Post, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Washington Post, Writers Digest, Booklist, Book Links, The Book Reporter Network, and dozens of other publications all over the country.

     When editor Tanya Dean Anderson left Guidepost for Teens to help create a publishing house expressly for reluctant readers, a new phase of Kelly’s career was born.  Together, they created six critically acclaimed nonfiction picture books that made being “weird” really cool.

     Kids respond, and Kelly knows it–thanks to school visits all over the country. “I’m living my dream,” she admits. “I’m not just writing fantastic books, I’m helping kids know it’s okay to be whoever they turn out to be. Weird is no longer a bad word once we share a day together. Weird is a destination we share, wherever any of us are headed. Weird is a delightful state of mind.”

About Kelly

Now that’s more like it!

Let’s go exploring. Places to go, weird things to find.

Kelly and kids are a perfect combination! Just ask the kids.