Reber, Deborah

Personal

Born in PA; married; husband's name Derin; children: Asher. Education: Pennsylvania State University, B.A. (broadcast and cable), 1991; New School for Social Research (now New School University), M.A. (media studies), 1996. Hobbies and other interests: Running, hiking, playing the piano, gardening, singing, reading.

Addresses

Home—Seattle, WA. E-mail—deborah@deborahreber.com.

Career

Children's book author and television producer. Producer of documentary films and videos, New York, NY, for ten years; former program developer for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, Burbank, CA; freelance writer, beginning 2003. Member of advisory board, WriteGirl; volunteer running coach for Girls on the Run; member of board of directors, Seattle Girls School.

Awards, Honors

Voice of Youth Advocates Nonfiction Honor designation, 2007, for Chill; Amelia Bloomer Project Recommended Feminist Books for Young Readers listee, and New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age selection, both 2008, both for In Their Shoes.

Writings

Run for Your Life: A Book for Beginning Women Runners, foreword by Freddi Carlip, Berkeley Publishing (New York, NY), 2002.

(Coauthor with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen) Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal: Friends: Best, Worst, Old, New, Lost, False, True, and More, Health Communications (Deerfield Beach, FL), 2005.

(Coauthor with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen) Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal: School: Cliques, Classes, Clubs, and More, Health Communications (Deerfield Beach, FL), 2005.

(Coauthor with Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen) Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: The Real Deal: Challenges: Stories about Disses, Losses, Messes, Stresses, and More, Health Communications (Deerfield Beach, FL), 2006.

In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2007.

Chill: Stress-reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2008.

Contributor to periodicals, including Career World, Nick Jr., Family, and Discovery Girls. Columnist for SIX78th.

"BLUE'S CLUES" SERIES; BASED ON THE TELEVISION SERIES

Weather Games with Blue! (board book), illustrated by Soo Kyung Kim, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 1999.

Magenta and Me (pre-reader), illustrated by Don Bishop, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2000.

Blue's Valentine's Day (with stickers), illustrated by Jenine Pontillo, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2000.

My Favorite Letters (pre-reader), illustrated by Karen Craig, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2001.

Meet My Family (pre-reader), illustrated by Victoria Miller, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2001.

My Pet Turtle (pre-reader), illustrated by David Cutting, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2001.

Blue's Egg Hunt (pre-reader), illustrated by Carolyn Norden, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2001.

Blue's Memory Scrapbook (with stickers), illustrated by Victoria Miller, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2001.

Blue's ABC Detective Game (pre-reader), illustrated by Kren Craig, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2002.

Guess Who Loves Blue! (pre-reader), illustrated by Chani Yammer, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2002.

Magenta Gets Glasses (pre-reader), illustrated by Troy Dugas, Simon Spotlight (New York, NY), 2002.

Sidelights

Motivated by her love of writing and a rather adventurous streak, Deborah Reber left a career in television production in 2003 to follow her passion for writing. She had already prepared an ample base for her new career, however: In addition to writing over a dozen children's book texts during her stint at Nickelodeon, Reber sold her first book, a sports guide titled Run for Your Life: A Book for Beginning Women Runners, two years before making her switch to freelance writing. Inspired by wide-ranging interests and a desire to inspire her readers, Reber has produced the books In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers and Chill: Stress-reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You, in addition to contributing to Jack Canfield's phenomenally popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series.

In Their Shoes mixes what Booklist critic Gillian Engberg described as Reber's "upbeat, inspirational tone" with solid facts about what it is like to pursue a wide range of careers. From marine biologist and firefighter to attorney, television writer, and professional athlete, Reber interviews forty-nine women who have pursued their vocations with success. The information each shares will help readers weigh the skills, challenges, working environment, and other characteristics of each unique job. Engberg predicted that Reber's well-organized and "compelling" text "will motivate girls to explore possibilities and their own talents," while in Kliatt Mary Ellen Snodgrass praised the inclusion of "workbook exercises" that help readers organize "talents and goals and to frame a positive outlook toward finding satisfaction in work." "Even though the subjects are all women, the material is not female-focused," Carol Fazioli observed, adding in her School Library Journal review that In Their Shoes is a "fun, accessible" reference for young adults considering their futures.

In Chill Reber takes aim at the stress that many multitasking teens and twenty-somethings deal with on a daily basis as school, family, friends, work, actualization efforts, and socio-political issues compete for attention. In School Library Journal, Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo called the book a "helpful resource" that, with "just the right combination of smart wit, know-it-all bravado, and advice from a pseudo big sister," will have a broad appeal among readers. In Kirkus Reviews a contributor praised Chill as "sweet, zesty and armed to the teeth with tools to deal with stress and gain composure."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, April 1, 2007, Gillian Engberg, review of In Their Shoes: Extraordinary Women Describe Their Amazing Careers, p. 38.

Kirkus Reviews, May, 2008, review of Chill: Stress-reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You.

Kliatt, May, 2007, Mary Ellen Snodgrass, review of In Their Shoes, p. 36.

School Library Journal, May, 2007, Carol Fazioli, review of In Their Shoes, p. 162; May 1, 2008, Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo, review of Chill.

Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2007, Kim Zach, review of In Their Shoes, p. 176.

ONLINE

Deborah Reber Home Page,http://www.deborahreber.com (May 13, 2008).

Deborah Reber Web log,http://www.smartgirlsknow.com (May 13, 2008).