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 or Madeleine L’Engle.

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 theoretical future dog—yet to be adopted. 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. I also have an essay in the anthology Coming of Age at the End of Nature, which you can check out on the Books page.

I’m a proud member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) and received the 2020 Becky Mabry “Go For It” Scholarship from the Illinois chapter. Currently, I’m working on a fantasy novel for middle grade readers. My interests tend toward anything with magic, adventure, and whimsy (think: Kate DiCamillo or Neil Gaiman). I’m proud to be represented by Rachel Letofsky at CookeMcDermid (no relation on the Cooke side), and I can’t wait to share my stories with the world!