Claudette Hegel grew up on a farm in North Dakota. Her father was barely able to read at all and her mother rarely read a book. That didn't stop Claudette from learning to enjoy reading, researching, writing, and collecting books. Most of Claudette's many publications, including eight books, are for children or about children's literature. She has collected all of the approximately 700 Newbery and Caldecott Award books, including all honor books. Claudette lives in Bloomington, Minnesota, with her cat, Mewsic, named after her book about music.
