Mary Quattlebaum is the author of more than a dozen award-winning children's books, including Pirate vs. Pirate, Winter Friends, Family Reunion, and the popular Jackson Jones series. She is the recipient of many awards, including the Marguerite de Angeli Prize and the Sugarman Award for Children's Literature. She writes frequently for The Washington Post and children's magazines such as Cricket and Highlights, leads writing workshops, and speaks at conferences.