Lee Wardlaw swears that her first spoken word was 'kitty'. Since then, she's shared her life with 30 cats (not all at the same time!) and published 30 award-winning books for young readers, ranging from picture books to young adult novels, including WON TON - A CAT TALE TOLD IN HAIKU (illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, Holt BFYR) and 101 WAYS TO BUG YOUR PARENTS (fiction, Dial/Penguin).

Lee has a B.A. in Education from Cal Poly, SLO, and an AMI-Primary Diploma from the Montessori Institute of San Diego. She is finishing her M.Ed. at Loyola University, Maryland. She was the Director/Head Teacher of a preschool for two years, and taught elementary grades for three years before deciding to write full-time. She still enjoys teaching, and has 40+ years experience working with children of all ages. Lee does numerous on-site and online workshops and presentations each year for students, teachers, parents, librarians, and writers.

Lee is actively involved in the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, the California Reading Association, the Children’s Literature Council of Southern California, the Authors Guild, the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association, Association Montessori Internationale, and, yes, even the Cat Writers’ Association!

Most recently, Lee created the Purrfect Page-Turner Award©, which is given annually to the most outstanding, cat-themed book for children published the previous year. The author and illustrator each receive an award plaque and a cash prize of $500.

Lee lives in Santa Barbara, CA, with her family, which includes, of course, two former shelter cats.