Hallie's Horrible Handwriting

At Valerie Tripp's elementary school, there was a wonderful teacher named Miss Pearl Sparks. Valerie Tripp wrote the books about Hopscotch Hill School to thank teachers like Miss Sparks-teachers who know that learning to be independent, observant, persevering, and kind is as important to children as reading, writing, and arithmetic. Valerie Tripp, author of many books in The American Girls CollectionR, majored in child psychology at Yale University and earned her M.Ed. at Harvard University with a concentration in reading instruction. She lives in Maryland with her husband, who is a teacher, and her daughter, who loved to play school when she was younger. Joy Allen loves to draw children and animals and bring them to life on the page. She is the illustrator of several picture books, including Being Friends and Exploding Gravy. Her illustrations in Mud Pie Annie received a Silver Angel Award from Excellence in Media. She has been profiled in Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market and has been chosen as Editor's Choice in Art Gallery magazine. Joy is the mother of four grown children and the grandma of two. She lives in Northern California, where you will usually find her with her pencil in hand, illustrating fun, new creations.Tripp, Valerie is the author of 'Hallie's Horrible Handwriting' with ISBN 9781584857648 and ISBN 1584857641.