JOAN BIOGRAPHY 1
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR and MULTIPLE AWARD WINNER JOAN HOLUB has written 220+ books for kids ages 2 to 13. Joan is co-author of the popular Goddess Girls middle grade series of 31 books and the Heroes in Training series of 18 books. Her best-known picture books include Zero the Hero, Little Red Writing, and I Am the Shark. She has written ten of the popular Who Was? series books, including Who Was Babe Ruth? and What is the Statue of Liberty? She’s the author of the This Little Trailblazer series of 10+ board books. Joan’s books have been named Junior Library Guild Selections and Bank Street College’s Best Children’s Books of the Year among many other accolades. Her first graphic novel, FART BOY AND REEKY DOG, has garnered a starred review from Publishers Weekly, among other awards.
JOAN BIOGRAPHY 2
How to say my name: JOAN (rhymes with phone) HOLUB (HAH! lubb).
I was born in Texas, where my best friend’s mom was a scout leader. We girls bonded as brownie scouts and, later, girl scouts. I loved the friendship, the “official” uniforms, and the thrill of earning badges. And the cookies!
My mom took us kids to the local library wherever we were stationed. I remember being drawn to the famous Eloise picture book. It was the catalyst for my interest in creating children’s books.
After graduating with an art degree from the University of Texas, I moved to NYC where I became an art director, designing books and working with editors and illustrators. I author-illustrated five published books (Ivy Green Cootie Queen and Boo Hoo A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book, etc). Then, one day, an editor told me she liked my writing, but my art not so much. Was it okay if others illustrated my books? she asked. Sure, I didn’t mind. Okay, yes I DID mind! This was an arrow through my artist heart. Luckily, as time passed, I fell forever in love with writing.
I still typically draw a dummy—a black-and-white stapled “book” with words and pictures—for most of my picture books and even for my 140-page graphic novels! (See my ZERO THE HERO picture book dummy pages below).
My author life took an upturn the day I met SUZANNE WILLIAMS at an SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) event. We began hanging out, and soon built a solid friendship. One day, I asked if she’d like to try to write a book series together. She was surprised, but said yes. The first series we wrote was GODDESS GIRLS, which focused on girl-power. It turned into a 31-book series!
Developing an idea into a story with a beginning, middle, and satisfying end isn’t easy. With GODDESS GIRLS, I thought: What could a series with that title be about? What myth-based problems and exciting adventures could immortal 8-13-year-old ancient Greek kids have? How would they overcome those problems? What funny stuff could happen to them?
We simultaneously wrote Athena the Brain and Persephone the Phony—our first books in the Goddess Girls series set at Mount Olympus Academy, a middle school where Zeus is the principal. We wrote two books at a time, one for each of us. In all, we’ve co-authored 6 book series: Goddess Girls, Heroes in Training, Grimmtastic Girls, Thunder Girls, Little Goddess Girls, School For Magical Monsters.
When I’m not writing, you’ll likely find me LINE DANCING to country, pop, rock, or hip-hop songs. I dance at various events and marathons, making new friends as I learn new dances. My mom and dad liked to square dance, which is probably what inspired my dancing interest. Since authors and artists sit a lot, it feels great to get up and move!
