It’s the birthday of bestselling children’s book author Marcia Thornton Jones (b. 1958) and also the first full day of our family vacation at the cabin, so this week and next I’ll be posting as able.

Jones was born in Joliet, Indiana, and grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. She studied at the University of Kentucky and Georgetown College and became an elementary school teacher. Jones was interested in writing for children, and she began to collaborate with Debbie Dadey, the school librarian. One day Jones was complaining about the children’s bad behavior in her classroom. “I’d have to grow ten feet tall, sprout horns, and blow smoke out my nose just to get their attention,” she said, and thus the character Mrs. Jeepers in Vampires Don’t Wear Polka Dots (1990) was born (https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/marcia-thornton-jones/). The first book in their bestselling series The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids, Vampires was chosen for “Children’s Top 100 Books” by the National Education Association.

Jones still looks like a sweet little elementary school teacher but is now a full-time formidable writing machine, having authored or co-authored more than 135 children’s chapter books, picture books, and middle grade novels. She lives in Lexington with her husband and their two cats and travels frequently for school visits nationally and even internationally. Her favorite of her own books are Vampires, Champ (2007), and Santa Claus Doesn’t Mop Floors (1991).

Jones’ favorite colors are sea-blue, green, and the red and yellow of a sunset. (And that’s what I love about children’s book authors’ websites: you can find interesting, urgently important information like the authors’ favorite colors. What if you want to know Ann Patchett’s favorite color? Or Colum McCann’s? You’re out of luck, that’s what. Ten life points to anyone who can tell me Ann Patchett’s favorite color.)

Have a splendid Monday sitting around the deck watching the boats go by and stay scrupulously honest to the data.