Nate the Great and the Monster Mess

Born in Portland, Maine, in 1928, Marjorie Weinman Sharmat dreamed of becoming a writer. Little did she know that she would be the author of more than 130 books for children of all ages, which have been translated into 17 languages. Another of her childhood dreams, that of becoming a detective, has also been realized in her most popular Nate the Great series, begun in 1972. Many of Sharmat’s books have been Literary Guild selections and chosen as Books of the Year by the Library of Congress. Several have been made into films for television, including Nate the Great Goes Undercover, winner of the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Award. Nate the Great Saves the King of Sweden has been named one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.

Martha Weston was a colorblind illustrator and children’s author who has more than 60 books to her name. Of her work, Weston said, “the best part of writing and illustrating is creating a world of my own—generally a goofy one—and feeling like I am stepping into it.” She passed away at the age of 56.