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

I grew up among the rolling hills of southwestern 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 writing my own stories. One of my earliest 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 dog, Tilly. My first publication, at age 17, was a poem in Cicada, a literary magazine for teens formerly published by Cricket Media. My young adult contemporary manuscript The Word We Don’t Say was a runner-up in the 2018 Helen Sheehan YA Book Prize contest from the independent press Elephant Rock Books. My writing is also featured in the nonfiction anthology Coming of Age at the End of Nature, published in 2016 by Trinity University Press (learn more on my Books page). Most recently, in October 2023, The Rising Phoenix Review published two of my poems, which you can read here and here.

I am a longtime 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 writing fiction for middle grade readers, with a particular interest in books featuring magic, adventure, and whimsy (think: Kate DiCamillo or Neil Gaiman).

I can’t wait to share my stories with you!