A.A. Milne grew up in a school his parents ran Henley House in Kilburn, for young boys but never intended to be a children's writer. Pooh he saw as a pleasant sideline to his main career as a playwright and regular scribe for the satirical literary magazine, Punch. Observations of little Christopher led Milne to produce a book of children's poetry, When We Were Very Young, in 1924, and in 1926 the seminal Winnie-the-Pooh.

More poems followed in Now We Are Six (1927) and Pooh returned in The House at Pooh Corner (1928). After that, in spite of enthusiastic demand, Milne declined to write any more children's stories as he felt that, with his son growing up, they would now only be copies based on a memory.

In one way, Christopher Robin turned out to be more famous than his father, though he became uncomfortable with his fame as he got older, preferring to avoid the literary limelight and run a bookshop in Dartmouth. Nevertheless, he published three volumes of his reminiscences before his death in 1996.

Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up.Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger.

She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born!Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.

For several decades Judy Blume has been winning legions of fans around the world with her stories.

More than eighty-two million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-two languages. She receives thousands of letters every month from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her.

Her much-loved books include Tiger Eyes, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, as well as adult novels Wifey, Smart Women and In the Unlikely Event. Judy lives in Key West, Florida, and New York City with her husband.

Syd Hoff was born and raised in New York City. He studied at the National Academy of Design and sold his first cartoon to The New Yorker when he was eighteen. He eventually became one of the most original and beloved authors and illustrators of children's books. Mr. Hoff wrote more than fifty books for children, including the I Can Read titles Danny and the Dinosaur, Oliver, and Sammy the Seal.