Piper Reed, Rodeo Star - Piper Reed

Brief Description: After bidding goodbye to her friends Michael and Nicole, who are moving away, Piper and her sisters spend winter break with their two sets of grandparents in Piney Woods, Louisiana, where Piper learns that the best adventures are the unexpected ones. Biographical Note: Kimberly Willis Holt is the author of the Piper Reed series, including "Piper Reed, Navy Brat," "Piper Reed, Clubhouse Queen," and "Piper Reed, Rodeo Star." She has written many award-winning novels, including "The Water Seeker" and "My Louisiana Sky," as well as the picture books "Waiting for Gregory" and "Skinny Brown Dog." A former Navy brat herself, Holt was born in Pensacola, Florida, and lived all over the U. S. and the world--from Paris to Norfolk to Guam to New Orleans. Holt long dreamed of being a writer, but first worked as a radio news director, marketed a water park, and was an interior decorator, among other jobs. A few years after she started writing, her third book, "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town," won a National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She resides in West Texas with her family. Christine Davenier has illustrated numerous children's books, and won a "New York Times" Best Illustrated Award for "The First Thing My Mama Told Me." She lives in Paris, France. Publisher Marketing: Piper's parents are going on vacation to France and not taking the whole family. What rotten luck! Still, Piper always looks on the bright side. The Reed sisters will be visiting their two sets of grandparents in Piney Woods, and Piper is determined to have four adventures. By working in a grocery store, listening to Tori's scary stories, and lassoing a calf, Piper almost reaches her quota. But sometimes the best adventures are the most unexpected ones.

Contributor Bio:  Holt, Kimberly Willis Kimberly Willis Holt is the author of the Piper Reed series, including "Piper Reed, Navy Brat", "Piper Reed, Clubhouse Queen", and "Piper Reed, Rodeo Star". She has written many award-winning novels, including "The Water Seeker" and "My Louisiana Sky", as well as the picture books "Waiting for Gregory" and "Skinny Brown Dog". A former Navy brat herself, Holt was born in Pensacola, Florida, and lived all over the U. S. and the world--from Paris to Norfolk to Guam to New Orleans. Holt long dreamed of being a writer, but first worked as a radio news director, marketed a water park, and was an interior decorator, among other jobs. A few years after she started writing, her third book, "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town", won a National Book Award for Young People's Literature. She resides in West Texas with her family. Contributor Bio:  Holt Peggy Holt, of Missoula, Montana, literally dreamed up the spineless feather design featured in the book. Contributor Bio:  Davenier, Christine As a young girl growing up in Tours, France, Christine Davenier loved listening to her older sister read fairy tales aloud. But she frequently found herself wondering, "What does the princess's beautiful dress look like? "or "How exquisite are her jewels? "Christine was left to her own imagination, for the books had few illustrations. So it comes as little surprise that today, Christine embraces her career as an illustrator. "I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to create the illustrations I dreamed about seeing as a child," she says. When Christine was fourteen, she received her first box of watercolor paints, a gift from her grandmother. That was the beginning of many afternoons spent painting together in her grandmother's garden. "My grandmother was an extraordinary woman," Christine says. "Even though she worked in an office all her life, she was an artist through and through. She shared everything she knew about color--in painting and in life. Her wisdom and talent still inspire me today." She has illustrated many picture books, including "Sally Jean, the Bicycle Queen" by Cari Best. She lives in Paris, France.