What if you learned you were half-human and half-dragon—and the dragon side was winning out? Author Jude Mandell explores this dilemma in her “Princess Dragonblood,” (Scholastic) which Publisher's Weekly described as " . . . engaging . . . lyric."
 
Jude Mandell’s first love is writing for children. Winner of the Golden Heart Award from Romance Writers of America, her works encompass fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and film media. She's currently working on a pop-up book with talented paper-engineer/artist, Gene Rosner.

Jude’s school presentations/workshops are high-energy and interactive, thanks to experience as an educator, TV performer, and writer/actor/singer with Chicago's famed Second City children's productions. She involves students, teachers, even principals!--into celebrating their creativity. Jude also provides classes, seminars and individual writing coaching for writers of varied ages and expertise.

Jude is one of a handful of authors chosen by juried competition for the 2007-2008 Sierra Nevada SCBWI Mentorship program. Working with her mentor, acclaimed Random House novelist, poet and speaker, Susan Hart Lindquist, she will complete a novel-in-poems for young adults. Noted SCBWI author/poet Ellen Hopkins, whose celebrated YA verse novels for Simon & Schuster appear on NY Times Best Seller lists, will provide collaborative consultation for this work-in-progress. 

JUDE’S MOST POPULAR WORKS:

• “BALLAD OF A PRODIGY,” in WHAT A SONG CAN DO, YA stories edited by award-winning author, Jennifer Armstrong (Knopf)


• "A Thoroughly Modern Rapunzel, or How I Outsmarted the Witch," in NEWFANGLED FAIRY TALES, Book #2 (Meadowbrook Press) 


• Super Sports Star Gary Payton, middle-grade biography (Enslow)


• "Princess Dragonblood," in Half-Human, middle-grade/YA fantasy stories, edited by award-winning author, Bruce Coville (Scholastic)

SAMPLE PRESENTATIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS 
(Visit http://www.judemandell.com for more!)

• SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A BOOK!
• CHARACTERS, CHARACTERS, CHARACTERS!
• THE PLOT THICKENS!
• RAPPIN' 'ROUND RHYMES!