SORENSON, Margo 1946-

(Marcie Kremer)

PERSONAL: Born 1946; married James Sorenson (a retired investment manager); children: Jane, Jill. Education: University of California—Los Angeles, B.A.,1967. Religion: Lutheran. Hobbies and other interests: Golf, reading, travel.

ADDRESSES: Home and office—56-895 Jack Nicklaus Blvd., La Quinta, CA 92253. E-mail—MSorensoaol.com.

CAREER: Teacher in California and Hawaii, 1967-85; writer. Johns Hopkins University, fellow, beginning 1988. A Better Chance (ABC) Foundation, volunteer tutor.

MEMBER: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Junior League of Minneapolis.

AWARDS, HONORS: Excellence in Teaching Award, Center for Academically Talented Youth, Johns Hopkins University, 1988, 1994; California Educator of the Year Award, Milken Family Foundation and California State Department of Education, 1991; Global Teaching Award, Xerox Corp., Allstate, Anheuser-Busch Co., and Immaculate Heart College Center for International and Multicultural Studies, 1992.

WRITINGS:

children's books

(Under pseudonym Marcie Kremer) Aloha, Love (romance novel), Bantam (New York, NY), 1995.

Danger Canyon (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

The Hidden Dagger (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

Soccer Blaster (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

Kimo and the Secret Waves (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

Nothing Is for Free (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

The Gotcha Plot (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

Firewatch (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

Time Trap (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

Who Stole the Bases? (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

Don't Bug Me (novel), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1996.

Tsunami! (nonfiction), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1997.

Hurricane (nonfiction), Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1997.

Fight in the Fields: The Story of Cesar Chavez, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1998.

Leap into the Unknown: The Story of Albert Einstein, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1998.

Danger Marches to the Palace: The Story of Queen Lili'uokalani, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1998.

Death of Lies: The Story of Socrates, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1998.

Shatter with Words: The Story of Langston Hughes, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 1998.

Clubhouse Threat, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 2001.

Funny Man, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 2002.

Tori and the Sleigh of Midnight Blue, North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies, North Dakota State University Press (Fargo, ND), 2002.

Soccer Battle, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 2002.

Secret Heroes, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), 2003.

Armando's Backpack, Brookfield Reader (Sterling, VA), 2004.

Funny Man Gets Rolling, Perfection Learning (Logan, IA), in press.

Work represented in anthologies, including The Will to Survive, Steck-Vaughn (Austin, TX), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS: Margo Sorenson once commented to CA: "Most kids today would rather turn on the television or a video game than read a book. The competition for readers is tough, and I try to keep that in mind when I write. For my ideas, I draw on my experiences from teaching middle school for many years, from raising my own family, and from author visits in schools. I hope in this way I can 'hook' kids into reading by packing in lots of action that will keep them turning the pages and, even more important, by tapping into feelings and emotions they really know about."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

online

Aloha! Dear Readers. Margo Sorenson, Author of Books for Young Readers, http://www.members.aol.com/msorenso/sorenson.html/ (April 8, 2004).