Hello there. My name is Lizzie Cooke and I’m a children’s writer with a love of trees, ice cream, and, of course, books.

I grew up among the forests and fields of southern Wisconsin, where I spent most of my time with my nose in a book—preferably while sitting in a tree. A few of my favorites included Bridge to Terabithia, the Redwall series, and anything by Mildred D. Taylor. I also have a deep and abiding love for Caddie Woodlawn (my pick over Laura Ingalls Wilder).

As an avid reader, it wasn’t long before I started penning stories of my own. One of my earliest manuscripts featured a dog named Sparky who was kidnapped by a traveling circus troupe—but don’t worry! It had a happy ending. Sparky was reunited with his family and even learned a few circus tricks along the way.

Today I live in Chicago with my husband, Michael, and our adopted dog, Luna (as in, Lovegood). My poem Pebbles was published in Cicada, a literary magazine for teens, and my novel The Word We Don’t Say was a runner-up in the 2018 Helen Sheehan YA Book Prize contest from Elephant Rock Books. My narrative nonfiction essay Why Haiti? was published in an environmental anthology, which you can check out on the Books page.

Currently, I’m working on two standalone novels for middle grade readers. My interests tend toward anything with magic, adventure, and whimsy (think: Kate DiCamillo or Neil Gaiman). I can’t wait to share my stories with the world!

Feel free to get in touch on the Contact page, or come find me on Twitter and Instagram. Thanks for stopping by!