was born and raised in rural Indiana and has lived his adult life in West Virginia. For many years he was a grade school teacher in a three-room country school. His eleven children’s books include THE STORM, a Smithsonian Notable Book and Parent’s Choice Award winner. His third chapterbook of poems, LOCAL JOURNEYS, was published in 2004. He holds degrees from Bethany College, Yale Divinity School, and the University of Pittsburgh. He now lives in a quiet neighborhood in Wheeling, West Virginia with his wife, Cheryl Ryan, and daughter, Sarah. www.marcharshman.com