Awards About Visits Home	About myself: I am a children's librarian and a writer. I write books that inspire children to think differently about everyday things. I like to see kids solve problems and ferret out the positive, even in a negative situation. I've always been drawn to the goodnight books because of their comforting and soothing qualities. I have a pile of them next to my bed for when I hear noises and the wind is howling outside. I was born in Spokane Washington, the oldest of four children. I have always loved books and libraries. My mother says that I actually wore out a book because I looked at it so much. I was destined to do something with books. I liked to play library on my bunk bed. I would sit on the upper bunk and check books out to my brothers and sister below. I even made pockets and due date slips for each book I owned, shelving the books immediately when they were returned. In third grade I read all of the Wizard of Oz books. I liked the Moffit books, the Beverly Cleary books and the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Like kids today, if I liked an author I wanted to read all their books. I especially loved a book called The Pink Motel by Carol Ryrie Brink. I read it over and over again. I was intrigued with the story of a family on vacation and how they met and became friends with very different people staying at the Pink Motel. My family never took vacations so I was fascinated with the detailed descriptions and storyline. The Pink Motel helped me to discover something wonderful that I will never forget: Books can feed the hunger for whatever is missing in your life. In sixth grade I talked the school librarian into letting me help in the library rather than go outside for recess. I shelved books and wiped the shelves. I almost floated around the library as I gloried in these duties. The principal would pay me each week with a roll of wild cherry lifesavers. I found it incredulous to be paid for being in the best place on earth...the library! Besides loving books, I wanted to fly. I thought about this a lot. I would stand at the top of the stairs in our house and think "If I could just lean forward and stretch out my arms I could will myself to fly to the bottom of the stairs. Today I work at Provo City Library, which is filled with stairs and where I still think about flying. I graduated from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah with a degree in Humanities: the study of what makes us more human..art, music, literature, history and languages. I love art and art history. I enjoy traveling and visiting art museums whenever possible. I also have a Masters Degree in Library Science. I have worked at Provo City Library since 1979! A long time! One of my career highlights was serving on the Caldecott Committee in 2004. Our committee awarded the Caldecott medal to Mordicai Gerstein for his book The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. My favorite subject is the life of George Washington whom I greatly admire. I have this picture of him in my office. He was intelligent, kind hearted, generous and someone you could trust. I live in Mapleton Utah by Maple Mountain. I have three wonderful children (and a daughter in law) Our family pet is Ralphie. He plays fetch better than a dog and purrs louder than the dishwasher. Carla's favorite quote: I can get through anything if I know there is a good book waiting for me at the end of the day. (Quote by Carla Morris)