Happy dances should be required to join. MEET Kim AKA @kim_pid, Our New Crew Member
Tell everyone a little bit about yourself.
I was an educator of middle grade children for twenty years. I currently serve as the Co-Director for Youth Programs at the Ozark Writing Project and as the Assistant Regional Advisor for the Missouri Chapter of SCBWI, an international organization for writers & illustrators of children’s literature. My novel Momma Don't Own a Machine Gun won first place in the Pike's Peak Writer's Fiction Contest, Children’s Category under the title The Summer of 1925. I am a member of ALAN and several local writing groups, The Springfield Writers’ Guild and The Ozark Writers League. To learn more about me, visit www.kimpiddington.com.
Who are some of your favorite authors? Books?
Since I just retired from teaching, I feel like all I’ve read for the past 20 years is MG & YA. Love Gary Schmidt (The Wednesday Wars) Neil Shusterman (Unwind) Mathew Quick (Boy 21)
Susan Pfeffer ( Last Survivors Series) Donna Jo Napoli (Stones in Water) I could go on & on & on & on…
On the adult side, The Griffen & Sabine series from Nick Bantock, John Irving (A Prayer for Owen Meany)
What are your favorite genres of books to read?
“The Classics” (I was an English major-enough said) Dystopian, historical fiction, anything MG or YA. LOVE picture books. Not a big fan of hard core horror (cause if the author does their job right, I can’t sleep at night) or romance.
Besides reading, what other talents or hobbies do you have?
I write, garden, horseback ride, and bake up a storm.
How excited are you to be a part of the Masquerade Crew?
I did a prolonged version of Gray’s 30 second happy dance!
Happy dances should be required to join, I think. Welcome to the Crew, Kim!
