Jane Grant Tentas

It's exciting to open the new year with a new blog, even if the same old desk is still covered with the same old clutter. My name is Jane Tentas and I've been a member of this group and the SCBWI since 2004. My primary career is teaching art to high school students, but I've always had an interest in writing and illustrating. As a child, I enjoyed drawing pictures for my own stories (usually about pioneers), but what I really wanted, was to be Laura Ingalls Wilder. The illustrations, in the "Little House" books, drawn by Garth Williams are still my favorites. My continued fascination with the "olden days" led me to collect stories from my grandmother about her childhood on Block Island, which happily did turn into a children's book.

I am looking forward to collaborating in this new venture with a great group of illustrators who help keep me accountable to my goals.