Illustration by Xavier Bonet

Tina is the author of Oscar and the Amazing Gravity Repellent, a middle-grade chapter book published by Capstone in the U.S. and Raintree in the U.K. Like her main character, Tina has been fighting gravity her whole life. She was never any good at making balls go where she wanted them to on the playground, and she skinned her knees a lot. Her favorite classes were English and Science, but she couldn't stand Gym.

Also like Oscar, Tina knows what it's like to be stared at for something embarrassing that you can't control, as she had to wear a helmet at school for the first few weeks of first grade. It's a long story involving a fast sled and a tree.

Tina first had the idea for Oscar's tale many years ago, when she saw a municipal truck labeled 'Gravity Services' out in front of her dad's house. "Dad," she laughed, "did you forget to pay the gravity bill?" She never did figure out what that truck was doing. But ever since that day, her imagination has played with the idea of turning gravity off, even if only for a little while.

Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Tina lives in Texas with her husband. Her favorite children's authors are Roald Dahl, E.B. White, Judy Blume, and L.M. Montgomery.

She has a Ph.D. in mass media and communication from Temple University, and she serves on the Leadership Council of the National Association for Media Literacy Education.

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