Maribeth Boelts

As a child

In second grade, Maribeth was certain she would be a writer someday. She hid out in her town library, and filled spiral-bound notebooks with stories and poems. “There were spaces in my childhood – uninterrupted blocks of time that were on the edge of being boring – but the perfect environment for creativity”, Maribeth notes. A large family, with a gang of cousins, neighbours and classmates, helped provide lots of material for story-writing too. Ideas abounded!

As an adult

With a love for children, Maribeth decided to shelve the writing idea and become a teacher. It was a good fit for a time – and working with pre-schoolers while raising pre-schoolers was a busy, challenging and fun adventure in her life. She devoured picture books, and studied the kids and their reactions to each book she read. Later on, after deciding to quit teaching in order to write, she spent many years as a substitute teacher. “In every avenue of life I’ve been surrounded by children, both our own and other people’s children, and it’s been something I truly treasure.”

As an artist

Maribeth has written over 25 picture books in the twelve years she has been writing – from non-fiction books about safety, to early readers, to purely-for-fun books for young children. “I love variety in both the books I read, and the books I write.” A frequent visiting author, one of the biggest thrills of this career, for Maribeth, has been when she meets a child with that spark in their eyes for either writing or illustrating. “To be able to coach and encourage young writers as they discover their own voice has been hugely rewarding.”

Things you didn't know about Maribeth Boelts

1. Maribeth secretly wanted to be a firefighter, but married one instead
2. She went on many fishing trips and once caught a trout with a Cheeto.
3. She loves Spiderman!
4. She is afraid of alligators, crocodiles and sharks.
5. She once ran a half-marathon.
6. Her children are all artists – a musician aged twenty, a landscape designer aged sixteen, and a cartoonist aged ten!
7. Her favourite food is Funnel Cake – frequently found at fairs and carnivals.
8. Maribeth makes a mean kolanche (a Czech pastry).
9. Maribeth adores the children’s book The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes.
10. Someday she would like to walk the Appalachian Trail (or at least half of it!)