Barbara Kerley

Barbara Kerley is an award-winning author of children’s biographies, informational books with National Geographic, and middle grades novels.  Some of her most highly accoladed biographies include The Extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy), Those Rebels John & Tom, and What to do about Alice?  Edwin Fotheringham is the artist/illustrator for each of these award-winning books.  Her biographies have received the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children, and the Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People’s award list.  Barbara served in the Peace Corps as a teacher in Nepal and also taught at the University of Guam before becoming a full time writer.  When she’s not writing in a Portland (Oregon) coffee shop, Barbara likes riding her bike, practicing yoga, and walking her dog, Abby. To learn more about Barbara, visit https://barbarakerley.com/.

Barbara's Process

Watch the Interview Video to learn about the author’s and illustrator’s research and composing processes:
  • Barbara’s Research Process: Using primary and secondary sources [4:35]
  • Drawing upon non-print artifacts and resources in the research process [16:00]
    • The FDR Library’s Digital Collection and its photographs of Eleanor Roosevelt [16:40]
    • Traveling to do research [17:48]
    • Following a feeling to create a visual metaphor [21:30-27:30]
  • Creating a flash draft (a quick draft) to get a sense of the whole [22:50]
  • The role of an editor and art director in the creative process [28:10]
  • Depicting Eleanor Roosevelt as a First Lady [33:40]
  • Creating the backmatter of the book [35:30]
    • The photo scrapbook and timeline [36:28]
    • Ideas for taking action [37:30]
  • Deciding what to leave out of the writing [38:35]

Barbara's Books

Other Interviews and Resources about Barbara