Jennifer L. Holm

Jennifer L. Holm (born June 16, 1968) is an American children's writer, and recipient of three Newbery Honors and the Eisner Award.

Biography

Holm was born in 1968 in San Diego, California. She spent her early life living on Whidbey Island on the Puget Sound in Washington state, before her family relocated to Audubon, Pennsylvania, with her four brothers. She attended Methacton High School for four years. After graduating from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, she worked in television and later began to write. Our Only May Amelia, the story of a 12-year-old girl living in late-19th century in coastal southwestern Washington state, inspired by a diary written by her great aunt, became her first published novel and was a 2000 Newbery Honor Book. Holm also has written a series featuring Jane Peck, a young woman living in the 1850s (Boston Jane: An Adventure, Boston Jane: Wilderness Days and Boston Jane: The Claim); The Creek, a horror thriller; Babymouse and Squish, series of graphic novels for children illustrated by her brother Matthew; and The Stink Files, a series co-written with her husband Jonathan Hamel featuring James Edward Bristlefur, a cat raised by a British secret agent who is adopted by an American family and renamed Mr. Stink after his owner is murdered. Penny from Heaven, a story set in the 1950s featuring an 11-year-old Italian-American girl, was a 2007 Newbery Honor recipient. Turtle in Paradise, which is set in the Great Depression in Key West, Florida, was a 2011 Newbery Honor recipient. Babymouse for President won the 2013 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7). Our Only May Amelia has been adapted for the stage by John Olive. The River Theater in Astoria, Oregon, performed it for its 2006 summer run, in conjunction with FinnFest USA '06. The events of the play (and book) were set just north of Astoria in Naselle, Washington.

Personal life

As of 2013, Holm lives in Foster City, California, with her husband and two children.

Works

Standalone novels

The Fourteenth Goldfish series

Sunny series

Graphic novels, illustrated by Matthew Holm and colored by Lark Pien

May Amelia series

Our Only May Amelia can be found in the Newbery Great Girls Boxed Set (1999) along with three other Newbery Winners.

Boston Jane novel series

Key West series

Ginny Davis series

Illustrated by Elicia Castaldi

The Stink Files series

In collaboration with Jonathan Hamel, illustrated by Brad Weinman

Babymouse series

Graphic novels, in collaboration with Matthew Holm Compilations:

Babymouse Tales From the Locker series

Illustrated by Matthew Holm

Little Babymouse

Picture book, illustrated by Matthew Holm

Squish series

Graphic novels, in collaboration with Matthew Holm

My First Comics