The author, Mary Coffman, is a licensed counselor who has been involved in bibliotherapy research for years. She previously assisted with research studies on nighttime fears such as fear of the dark at the University of West Florida and Virginia Tech. She also contributed to a study in Europe on Uncle Lightfoot, Flip That Switch. She held a number of positions in the fields of mental health and family counseling and was an adjunct psychology instructor at several colleges in the South and Midwest. At one point in her career she directed a family learning center that provided parenting and literacy programs (e.g., Motheread; Even Start; Parents As Teachers). One of her favorite activities in both mental health and education was to teach parenting classes. She remains convinced that parents are potentially their child's best teachers! Having lived much of her life in Florida and South Carolina, she now lives in Minnesota with her husband, George.