I remember desperately wanting to learn how to read when I was young, but it took me a while to figure out how to do it. When I was in third grade, I found Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary, and that book turned me into a real reader! I read every Beverly Cleary book I could find and then moved on to other authors. I love children's books so much that I eventually became a children's librarian so I could keep reading kids books, and then introduce them to boys and girls at the library.

I started writing for fun when I was in eighth grade. I liked thinking up silly stories and inventing goofy character names. And I was always making up my own words to popular songs that I heard on the radio. This turned out to be a useful skill as a children's librarian, because I have written lots of songs to use in storytimes. Although I had been writing children's stories for several years, it took a long time for me to break into the children's book market. Meanwhile, I published several library resource books which you can read about on this web site.

I grew up in New Bedford, Massachusetts. My parents owned a small store, Dotty's Variety (named after my mother) which had a penny candy counter, back when you could actually buy Bazooka bubble gum and red licorice for a penny. My brother and I often helped out at the store during the 18 years that my parents owned it. Perhaps I was thinking of the store when I wrote my first Toyshop book, The Dreidel That Wouldn't Spin: A Toyshop Tale of Hanukkah, published in 2014 by Wisdom Tales, and Esther's Gragger: A Toyshop Tale of Purim (2019).

My husband and I have four adult children. My first picture book, What NOT to Get Your Mom on Mother's Day (2013) is dedicated to my them - Paul, Rose, Nick, and Shayna. My latest book, A Ring For a King: A Tale of King Solomon (2025), is dedicated to my husband, John. Look for a new Hanukkah books coming in the Fall of 2026!

See my website Bio for more information about my library career and other news. www.Martha-Seif-Simpson.com