By Olivia Barlund Family Hobbies Helen likes to

By Olivia Barlund

� Family � � Hobbies � � � Helen likes to read, hike, cook and knit Awards � She has won over 21 awards for her book “Hooway For Wodney Wat” alone. � Her favorite award she ever won was a North Carolina Children’s Author award. � Howay for Wodney Wat has been the choice of children in 17 states. Book Inspiration � � Husband Robin, who is an educator, historian and novelist. She has two sons Rob and Jamie. Helen taught elementary school for many years and now all her second graders have come back to haunt her! They were all in her classes. Book Theme � Helen’s books have a common theme of behavioral issues with children.

The Wizard, The Fairy, And The Magic Chicken � It Wasn't My Fault � A Porcupine Named Fluffy � Pookins Gets Her Way � Tacky The Penguin � Me First � Three Cheers For Tacky � Listen Buddy � Princess Penelope's Parrot � Tacky In Trouble � Author and Illustrator: A True Story � Hooway For Wodney Wat � Score One For The Sloths �

Tacky And The Emperor � Tackylocks And The Three Bears � Something Might Happen � Hurty Feelings � Tacky And The Winter Games � Wuzzy Takes Off � The Sheep In Wolf's Clothing � Batter Up Wombat � Tacky Goes to Camp � Tacky's Christmas � Wodney Wat's Wobot � All For Me and None For All � Happy Birdday Tacky � The Loch Mess Monster �

� Advice �“Yes, for young writers writing is like doing a maze. I have lots of wonderful ideas. And lots of un-wonderful ideas. So the trick is to keep trying to find your way. And the more you exercise your writing the better you get at solving that maze. ” �“My Books don’t jump out of the computer” “Not all of my stories get published” and “Being edited isn’t fun but it’s good for you. ”

� Helen was partially dyslexic when she was younger but her teacher worked with her by using “Mirror Writing” and that helped her. � She dreamed of being married as a young girl but never becoming an author. � Helen struggled with writing and coming up with book ideas at first but after her first published book in 1979 things got easier for her.

� http: //www. helenlester. com/ � http: //juliekozisek. wikispaces. com/file/vie w/Helen+Lester. pdf � http: //www. houghtonmifflinbooks. com/auth ors/helen_lester/ � http: //en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Helen_Lester � http: //matottma. tripod. com/Lester/