Ellen Schecter’s first novel The Big Idea (published by Hyperion), won the Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature. Her Family Haggadah (Viking) was a Book of The Month and Jewish Book Club selection. She has written or collaborated on many multi-award-winning TV series for children and families, including Reading Rainbow, The Magic School Bus, and Allegra’s Window. Her memoir, Fierce Joy, will be published by Greenpoint Press on June 1, 2012.