Jean Louise Streufert

Second Grade
St. Paul Lutheran School
Melrose Park, Illinois

When I was a girl, I had two dreams:  I wanted to play major league baseball for the Chicago Cubs AND I wanted write books for kids.

A couple of times each week, I'd bike to and from the Maywood (Illinois) Public Library with my rear baskets loaded with books.  My bicycle would wobble with the weight, making it almost impossible to pedal.

At home, I'd spread the books on the floor and turn on the Cubs game.  I'd read, listen to baseball, and wonder what it would be like to be an author.
 

My Family

Books and baseball were only part of my life. 

I had a Border collie named Luci who used to stand on her doghouse and look into our kitchen window while we were eating. 

I also had an older brother, a younger brother, and a younger sister.  My sister was lots of fun.  Sometimes, we'd fill her red zip-up pajama sleeper with pillows and pretend that she was Santa Claus.
 

Moving to Kansas

When I started high school, my family moved to Lindsborg, Kansas.  This was a big change from my life in suburban Chicago.  In grade school, I looked out of the classroom window and saw traffic.  In Kansas, I saw cows!

In high school, I played clarinet, ran track, and wrote for the school newspaper.  I also took several classes in math and science.  Later, I earned degrees in English from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas.
 

My Life

Now, I live with my family near Mitchell, South Dakota.  I have three children (a daughter and two sons); one husband (a veterinarian); and more animals than I can count, including dogs, cats, cows, horses, a cockatiel, and a noisy donkey named Cactus who likes to escape from his pen.  (I think he climbs the fence.)

My Books

I've written several books for young people, including The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth (the true story of Jackie Mitchell); If I Had a Snowplow (a picture book about a boy who helps his mother with trucks and heavy machinery); Dolley Madison (a biography about a very brave woman); and Cows, Cats, and Kids: A Veterinarian's Family at Work (a photo-essay about my family's life).

I've also written two books about Mount Rushmore:  Who Carved the Mountain? The Story of Mount Rushmore and Face to Face with Mount Rushmore.

My dream of becoming a major league ballplayer hasn't come true.  However, I love being an author and writing books for young people.

 

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