Pamela Dell

Pamela Dell is the published author of nearly 60 books for children and young people, with works geared to every age from pre-K through high school. These include numerous biographies, works of historical and contemporary fiction, and books on plants, animals, geography, and history. Her most recent books are Hatshepsut: Egypt’s First Female Pharaoh (2009); Protecting the Planet: Environmental Activism (2009); and Don’t Read This Book! Why Books Get Banned (spring 2010).

Pamela is also the author of the monthly fictional series “Doodlebug & Dandelion” in Spider Magazine (for 6-9-year-olds), part of the respected Cricket Magazine Group. (See a sample "Doodlebug & Dandelion" story at: http://www.spidermagkids.com/doodlebug). Her fiction also appears on the website of the Chicago History Museum as part of its “Great Chicago Stories” project. This project was established to help teach Illinois history in third grade classrooms.

As another aspect of her career, Pamela has written and designed award-winning entertainment and educational computer games for young people, including titles under Scholastic’s Dear America book series license. In the late 1990s, as director of content at Purple Moon Media in San Francisco, she created characters and stories for the company’s acclaimed “Rockett” series of CD-room games, which were subsequently licensed by Scholastic for a fictional book series.

Pamela teaches writing workshops for adults interested in writing for children and she does numerous types of school visits. Two popular presentations include a writing workshop for students and a talk based on her Spider Magazine series, geared to 2nd-4th graders. Titled “Doodlebug & Dandelion: A peek behind the scenes of a fictional series,” this presentation gives kids a step-by-step look at how an author, illustrator, editor, and art director work together to get a “Doodlebug & Dandelion” story ready for each issue. Other presentations can be tailored to specific individual titles, depending on a classroom’s needs. Pamela divides her time between Los Angeles and Chicago, and is usually accompanied by a ravenous little feline creature named Punky—also the name of a mischievous “Doodlebug” character…Which came first?

Contact Information:
Email: pjdell@earthlink.net