JOAN HOLUB

JOAN BIOGRAPHY 1

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR and MULTIPLE AWARD WINNER JOAN HOLUB has written 220+ books for kids ages toddler through middle school. Joan is co-author of the popular Goddess Girls middle grade series of 31 books and the Heroes in Training series of 18 books. Joan’s well-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, her favorites being 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. FART BOY AND REEKY DOG is her newest book and her first graphic novel for kids.

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! However, when I turned ten, my dad’s job began transferring our family of five all around the country every few years. I got used to losing friends and going to new schools. My mom took us kids to the local library wherever we were stationed. And, there, I met my new best friends—books.
I remember being drawn to the famous Eloise picture book. (I saved my allowance and bought that book later on.) Because of Eloise, I decided I wanted to be an artist—more specifically—an illustrator who draws the art in children’s books.
After graduating with an art degree from the University of Texas, I moved to New York where I somehow 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. But as time passed, I fell forever in love with writing, probably because it turns out I’m better at it than I am at drawing!
I still typically draw a dummy—a fake black-and-white stapled “book” with words and pictures—for my picture books and even for my 140-page graphic novels! (See sample pages from my ZERO THE HERO picture book dummy below). I find dummies helpful — they point out words I can eliminate because the art is already explaining that part of my tale.
My author life took an upturn the day I met SUZANNE WILLIAMS at an SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) event in Seattle. 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 together was GODDESS GIRLS, which focused on girl-power, and turned into a 31-book series!
Developing an idea into a story with a beginning, middle, and satisfying end isn’t easy. I often begin with a title. 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 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 write 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, and we’re working on a new series coming soon.
When I’m not writing, you’ll likely find me LINE DANCING. Line dance is where a group of people all dance the same steps to a song while in line formation, all facing the same direction. Everybody does the same movement to a song, but there’s room for each person’s personality to shine. Line dances are usually performed to country music, but also to pop, rock, or hip-hop. I attend various classes, events, and marathons throughout the USA, making new friends and learning new dances along the way. My mom and dad liked to square dance, which is probably what inspired my interest in dancing. Since authors and artists sit a lot, it feels great to get up and move!