Biography

Alison McGhee's first 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 in 2003, and for it Alison was named a City Pages Artist of the Year.

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, won second place in the Friends of the American Library Competition, and was an alternate selection of the Children's Book of the Month Club.

Her first middle grades novel, Snap, was published in 2004, as was her second picture book, Mrs. Watson Wants Your Teeth. Mrs. Watson was a 2004 ALA Best Children's Pick, a Booksense 76 pick, a Junior Literary Guild Selection, and a Parents Choice Award winner. Alison's third picture book, A Very Brave Witch, has just been published. Child Magazine named it one of the best four picture books of October, 2006.

Another novel, All Rivers Flow to the Sea, was published in the fall of 2005. It was a Borders Original Voices Pick, a Junior Literary Guild selection, a New York Public Library Teen Pick, and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults. All Rivers Flow to the Sea also won the Minnesota Book Award.

Falling Boy is a Talking Volumes pick for March, 2007.

Forthcoming picture books over the next three years include: A Very Brave Witch; Percy, Dog of Destiny; Song of Middle C; Bink Golly; Big Bed or No Bed; Someday.

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