B. 1952

Bill Dodds is an acclaimed children’s poet and novelist whose work has been published in such popular children’s anthologies as Miles of Smiles (1998). His novel My Sister Annie (1997) told the story of sixth-grader Charlie and his struggle to accept his older sister’s Down syndrome. Publishers Weekly stated that Dodds’s “discussion of difficult family dynamics generates not only interest but sympathy.” A member of the Authors In Schools program, Dodds leads poetry workshops for elementary and middle-school children around the country.

A long-time resident of Seattle, Dodd is also a columnist, with his wife, Monica, for the Catholic News Service and Columbia, the Knights of Columbus magazine. Noted for his humorous children’s poetry, Dodds has commented, “Almost all my books have humor in them, the kind that doesn't make fun of anyone in a mean way. I really like making people laugh, especially kids.”