Where do you live?

I live in Toronto, Ontario, but I have lived in Montreal, New York City, and Boston. I spend a lot of time in Lexington, Michigan. too.

What made me want to write?

I always had an overactive imagination. In elementary school I gave names and voices to all the items in my pencil case. Seriously. I would sit in the back of the class and hope no one would notice the theatrics on my desk. I wrote my first picture book in elementary school and my first YA romance in middle school. I tried to get both published, and alas, both were rejected. Clearly, I had a lot more work to do.

What else have I done?

I've written for kids and parents online, on-air and in print. I started my career working at Nickelodeon with a crew of hugely talented people who are all doing amazing things today, like producing and writing for Emmy-award-winning TV shows, writing best-selling books, and performing in live comedy shows. I learned so much from their humor and creativity. I also consulted with a mad-genius puppeteer who was obsessed with this one brand of multigrain bread. (Once, he sent three interns out to scour the city because there wasn't any left in our office kitchen.) All the people he worked with had the coolest voices.

Do you have any pets?

My Official Bio:

Shari Becker is a critically acclaimed novelist and picture book author who has been writing and creating content for children and teens for over 25 years. She holds an MA from NYU and kicked off her career developing branded content for Nickelodeon, for Disney-owned properties, and an Emmy Award–winning puppeteer. 

These days you’ll find Shari writing fiction and non-fiction, with a particular passion for adventure stories. She is drawn to subjects that reflect the challenges facing our world today: climate change, social justice, and the growing antisemitism in North America.

Shari’s books include Sprouting Wings which she co-authored,The Stellow Project and Maxwell’s Mountain. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild Selections as well as a Bank Street Best Books. Her work has received a starred School Library Journal Review and has even been turned into an interactive outdoor, nature exhibit.

In 2018, Shari co-founded Whale Rock Literary Workshops, a master-level writing education company for kid-lit authors. When she is not writing or organizing workshops, you can find Shari hanging out with her family, exploring, exercising, enjoying the theater, baking gluten free goodies, and playing with her dogs.

Shari is represented by Miranda Paul, Erin Murphy Literary Agency