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MARGARET MEAD
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Who I am...

I've authored over 30 books for children and teens. You may not know my name because I've written many nonfiction educational texts. In my free time, I enjoy being with my family. My husband, Carl, and I have 13 grandchildren. I knit a lot, walk my feisty little pooch (from the Humane Society), travel, and, of course, read and write. I am contributing editor to Children's Book Insider newsletter, belong to the Children's Book Guild of Washington, DC, and work part-time with the Johns Hopkins School of Education, Center for Technology in Education (CTE).

My latest book…The Leakeys: A Biography

"It's increasingly important to know that we as humans have a common ancestor and it's even more important to know that we have an African origin."    Louise Leakey, WHUT interview (2003)

"Koobi Fora - scorching hot, stark, barren, forbidding, bleak, arid. This landscape is pierced by Lake Turkana, the world's largest permanent desert lake, whose water simmers with shades of jade." (The Leakeys: A Biography, p. 77)

Evolution happens…

The first humans diverged from the Great Apes 6 to 8 million years ago (mya) and walked out of Africa about 1.8 mya. The Leakeys: A Biography tells how this family, amid personal and professional controversy and contention, have spent almost a century teasing fossils that support our human story from the hot harsh soil of east Africa. Beginning with the first digs of Louis and Mary Leakey in the 1930s, through the efforts of middle son Richard and wife Meave, to today's work by Louise and her team of young Kenyans, the Leakey family epitomizes the lure of bones turned into stone.

About some more of my books...

Two picture books, Busy Fingers and Busy Toes, co-authored with Wendie Old under the pen name C. W. Bowie, are popular with young children in both English and Spanish. One of my best-known books was my first. I Hate School: How to Hang In & When to Drop Out (Harper & Row, 1987) was named by the American Library Association on its lists "Best Books for Young Adults-1986" and "Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers-1987" and by the National Council of Teachers of English in Books for You (recommended under "Self-Help" and "Easy Reading" categories). Are You My Type? introduces teens to the concept of temperament typing and is now available in Arabic.

What's on these web pages...

For Students: Middle and high school students will find articles on how to give a speech, deal with the police, be an active listener in class, check their temperament type, and say the right thing when they're in a hot spot.

For Parents: An article about temperament type can help parents better understand their teenagers.

For Teachers: A unit, How U.S. Society Changed During the 1920s, as Reflected in the Life of Margaret Mead, was developed for use in high school classrooms. It includes a variety of support materials from which teachers can pick and choose to differentiate instruction. Teachers of preschool and early elementary grades will find Readers Theatre scripts for the books Busy Fingers and Busy Toes and A Day in the Life of a Police Officer, a script that fits into a community helpers unit.

Whether you are a student, parent, or teacher - browse this site and you'll find something included for you.