CLARE VANDERPOOL loves to read, research, and travel. Writing Navigating Early gave her the opportunity to do all three. On a research trip to Maine, Clare explored lighthouses, walked on sandy beaches, visited a boarding school, and even took her own trek on the Appalachian Trail. Unfortunately, she did not run into any bears. That would have been some research!
Clare started reading at age five and writing at age six, when her first poem was published in the school newspaper. Her first novel, Moon Over Manifest, was awarded the John Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
Clare lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband and their four children.