Janet Riehecky received her B.A. in English Education from Illinois Wesleyan University, an M.A. in Communication from Illinois State University, and an M.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University. She has held a variety of jobs, including teacher and editor, but has always found time to write. In 1988 she published her first book, Sharing, and has gone on to publish many popular titles, including her twenty-four volume series on Dinosaurs, which won the Summit Award for Best Children's Nonfiction, and the Red Door Detective Club Mystery Series for intermediate readers. She is also a popular speaker in elementary schools, where she does two presentations, one that includes tips… for kids on writing and one about Dinosaurs. Since 1998, she has been the National Coordinator of "Kids Love A Mystery," a literacy outreach of Mystery Writers of America. She is also a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, The Dinosaur Society, and the Society of American Magicians.