lison McGhee is the New York Times bestselling author of A Very Brave Witch, illustrated by Harry Bliss (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster, 2006). Her first children's picture book, Countdown to Kindergarten, came out in August 2002. It won the 2003 Minnesota Book Award, was a Booksense 76 pick, won the Oppenheim Gold Toy Portfolio Award, and was an alternate selection of the Children's Book of the Month Club. Her second picture book, Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth, also illustrated by Harry Bliss, was published by Harcourt in 2004, and was named a Booksense 76 pick, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, a Minnesota Book Award finalist, and it won the Oppenheim Gold Toy Portfolio Best Book Award. Her first young adult novel, Snap, also named a 2004 Booksense Kids' Pick and Minnesota Book Award finalist, was published by Candlewick Press, followed by her second young adult novel, All Rivers Flow to the Sea, in 2005, which was named a Borders Original Voices Pick, a Junior Library Guild selection, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, and the winner of the Minnesota Book Award.

Alison McGhee's first adult novel, Rainlight, won the GLCA National Fiction Award, the 1999 Minnesota Book Award, was listed by Library Journal as one of the best first novels of 1998, and was a Borders Original Voices pick in both hardcover and paperback. Her second novel, Shadow Baby, was a 2001 Minnesota Book Award winner, was listed by Kirkus Reviews as one of the eight best novels of 2000, was a Borders Original Voices pick in both hardcover and paperback, a Booksense 76 pick, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, and the August 2003 Today Show Book Club Selection. Her third novel, Was It Beautiful?, was published by Shaye Areheart Books in February, 2003, and came out in paperback in January, 2004.

Alison's upcoming projects include the picture books, Someday, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds (Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, 2007), Good-bye Crib, Hello Big Bed, illustrated by Ross MacDonald (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon & Schuster), and Song of Middle C, illustrated by Scott Menchin (Candlewick Press).

Alison McGhee is a professor of creative writing at Metropolitan State University, where she coordinates the creative writing program. She is also a founding member of Hamline University's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults.