In elementary school, Sara’s favorite place was the children’s room at the public library. Books fed her imagination. She tried to get to Narnia through the back of her closet. She wrote a series of mysteries featuring Inspector Toenail…who was, in fact, a giant toenail. And while reading Judy Blume’s Blubber, she saw herself in the flawed main character and vowed to be kinder.
Books changed her, and she has since seen other children embrace stories, and their life-changing potential, better than any other audience. She is honored to write for them.
Sara made her picture book debut with Heading to the Wedding (Red Rock Press). Just So Willow (Sterling/Union Square) followed. Fascinated by science, Sara also enjoys writing nonfiction. She has contributed pieces to ASK: Arts and Sciences for Kids, Highlights for Children, Click, YES Mag: Canada’s Science Magazine for Kids, World Book, and Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. In addition, she served as a contributing editor for both ASK and World Book. Occasionally she dabbles in personal narratives for adult audiences— her work has appeared in three anthologies, as well as in Chicago Parent Magazine.
An avid lover of the kidlit world, Sara spent nine years as Assistant Regional Advisor for the Illinois chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Teaching is Sara’s other passion. After earning her B.A. in English and psychology from Tufts University, followed by an M.S. in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University, she spent ten years as a high school English teacher. She took a break after the birth of her twin boys. But once they started their own school journeys, Sara dove back into education via author school visits. She loves watching kids learn and laugh during her presentations. Recently, she had the great fun of being a kindergarten teaching assistant – a job both joyful and hilarious.
Her volunteer life centers around fighting climate change and bridging our country’s political divide. Connection is key if we are to solve the pressing issues in our world.
It’s this theme of connection that echoes in Sara’s debut novel from Fitzroy Books: Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign. Georgia’s rallying cry is essential: at the most fundamental level, we are all much more alike than we are different. Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign is everything Sara loves – a heartfelt friendship tale, a scientific exploration, and a call for understanding and compassion.
Visit Sara at http://sarafshacter.com.
Regal House Publishing is delighted to bring you Sara Shacter’s Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign in the Fall of 2025.
