Mary Boone writer author

About

Mary Boone has hung out backstage with a boy band, DNA-tested salmon, and baked dozens of cricket cookies – all in the interest of research for her books and magazine articles. She’s written 70+ nonfiction books for young readers. Mary's most recent books include UNFATHOMABLE: Twenty Wild But True Stories About the Ocean (Bright Matter/Random House Kids, 2026), PEDAL PUSHER (Henry Holt & Co., 2025), SCHOOL OF FISH (Albert Whitman & Co., 2024) and BUGS FOR BREAKFAST: How Eating Insects Could Help Save the World (Chicago Review Press, 2021). Her picture book biography THE FLYING FEMINIST (Andersen Press) is set for release in July 2026.

Mary grew up in rural Iowa. Prior to becoming an author, she reported and edited for several daily newspapers.

She now lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband, Mitch. Mary loves being outdoors, reading, and hanging out with her very stubborn Airedale Terrier, Ruthie Bader.

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Fun Facts

This makes me all kinds of happy!
I’m so pleased to be part of the team that brought Annie Cohen Kopchovsky’s story to life.
#kidlit #picturebook #booksforkids #nonfictionforkids #strongwomen

Book celebration at my childhood library? Yes, please!
It was fun to share stories with so many folks at the Manchester Public Library today. I’m especially grateful to my friends and family for venturing out in the middle of a storm and to the librarians who hosted me. What a great day!
#library #authorvisit #bookstagram #writingcommunity #kidlit

In the words of writer Dave Barry: “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you’ve been missing the whole point of the ocean. Staying on the surface all the time is like going to the circus and staring at the outside of the tent.”

Dive in. Enjoy the adventure.

#worldoceansday #ocean #stembooks #middlegradebooks #nonfictionforkids

Catch me this month in Manchester, Iowa, or Vancouver or Walla Walla, Washington!
#authorevents #kidlit #bookevents #bookstagram #writing

May was a BIG book month for me. Many of these were audiobooks because – WOW – I spent a lot of time in the car and on trains! My favorites of the month?

RUN FOR THE HILLS by Kevin Wilson. Full disclosure: I love pretty much everything this man has ever written. This story follows a Tennessee farmer named Mad who embarks on a cross-country road trip with her newly discovered half-brother Rube. Their mission: To track down their other half siblings and the father who abandoned all his families.

ENORMOUS WINGS by Laurie Frankel. Wild! This is the story of a 70-something woman in a Texas retirement home whose life is upended when she discovers she’s PREGNANT. It’s both funny and poignant, and raises great questions about family, aging, and autonomy.

GO GENTLE and THIS BOOK MADE ME THINK OF YOU were also top-notch reads.

MAKE BELIEVE? Well, this book simply made me sad. Mac Barnett is the National Ambassador for Children’s Literature, but he’s chosen to use his platform to malign his fellow kidlit creators. Lots of folks in children’s literature got worked up over a couple quotes from this book, so I decided to read the whole thing. Disappointing. The whole thing is disappointing.

Thanks to @librofm for providing advance listening copies of several of these books.
Read on!

#bookstagram #whatiread #booklover #reader #readersgonnaread

Sunday reset at one of my favorite spots. Plus SO MANY sea anemones!

#sundayvibes #sunday #pugetsound #wastate #anenome

So many great questions during this Spring’s school visits. These questions (and many others) kept me on my toes.
Enjoy!

#authorvisit #kidlit #schoolvisit #curiousity #kidlit

Celebrating connections through Tacoma Public Schools’ Next Move Internship Program.
This was my second year having an intern, a learning experience for both of us. Rasheed helped me research comp titles, track down marketing contacts, prep for a book launch, assist at a school visit, organize registration materials for a writing conference, and more. We talked about the publishing business, critiqued his writing, and met with Jeff at Grit City Books to better understand how bookstores work with authors.
This morning’s celebration was well deserved for all involved.

#internship #writersofinstagram #kidlit #mentoring #alwayslearning

Get yourself a librarian friend who cares about reading and kids and curiosity as much as Mountainview Elementary’s Candace Ranney does. She’s a gem and it’s always a pleasure to talk with her young book-loving friends!

Intellectual Freedom!
It was my honor to join with Shelton Timberland librarians Kristine and Sean to speak with the Mason County (WA) League of Women Voters about book bans and challenges. As a former journalist and current kidlit author, this topic really matters to me. I am glad for the opportunity to be in conversation with others who are passionate about the freedom to read.
#kidlit #bookban #freedomtoread #bookstagram #booklover

Looking for books to add to your home or classroom library? These are some of my favorites. I think you might like them, too.
#picturebooks #booksilove #beanambassador #booksforkids #writingforchildren

Are we nearly two weeks into May and I’m just getting around to posting my April reads? Yes. April was a lot. But I need to share these if only so I can keep a record of what I’ve read!

I love Rainbow Rowell. Seriously. If you haven’t ever picked up one of her books, what are you waiting for. This new one, CHERRY BABY, was my favorite book of the month. It’s all about Cherry, who’s ex-husband is getting rich and famous in Hollywood thanks to his webcomic that’s being made into a movie – starring his plus-sized ex-wife. Messy. And heartfelt and funny. Another winner, for sure.

Theo of Golden? Count me among its fans. I put off reading this book for ages. No idea why. But it is a warm hug at a time when society dictates that many of us could use all the hugs we can get.

Those were my big winners of the month, but I also really liked the Judy Blume biography, The Perfect Hosts, and The Golden Boy, too.
Still turning pages …

#bookstagram #readersgonnaread #audiobookstagram #whatiread #booklover

Well, that was fun!
I got to meet my agent, A.J. Van Belle, and agency mate, Emily Smiley, in real life. We had a great evening, talking books and publishing and life in general. It feels great to have good people on my team.
#writersofinstagram #writer #kidlit #literaryagent #bookstagram

Portfolios, presentations, panels, and PEOPLE!
SCBWI Western Washington’s Together in Story Conference was exactly what my soul needed.
#scbwiww #kidlit #scbwiconference #writingcommunity #writingforkids

Surround yourself with people who believe in the impossible and who are willing to work their arses off to bring those wild ideas to life.
The SCBWI Western Washington Conference is happening tomorrow because @elaynecrain and @ruthienicklaus are as stubborn as I am. Can’t wait to celebrate that tenacity alongside 250 other KidLit creators. CAN. NOT. WAIT.
#scbwiww #kidlit #writingcommunity #booksforkids #writingforchildren

I’m not sure it’s possible to smile more than I did Monday at Ridgetop Middle School.
For starters, librarian Stacey McCracken is an absolute rock star. The sixth graders I met with were curious, smart, and respectful. It was a real treat to talk with a group of students who had read UNFATHOMABLE as a class (their thank you notes melted my heart!)
Special thanks to Liberty Bay Books for helping to arrange this literary joy fest!

I’m the level of TIRED you can only achieve at a state library conference.
I’m the level of HAPPY that’s commonly seen after spending a couple jam-packed days presenting, networking, hanging out with author and bookseller friends, and signing books.
Also pictured: JLG socks = favorite swag ever, plus a review of one of my presentations that melted my heart.
Thanks Washington Library Association!
#librarians #booklover #bookstagram #libraries #bookpeople

You’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. Author Kimberly Delude saw it.
Even young children are deeply immersed in technology. That knowledge, contrasted with students who were learning about fairytales, created the spark behind Kim’s new book, Digital Red. To learn more from Kim, follow the link in my bio.
#kidlit #picturebook #writingforchildren #booksforkids #writersofinstagram

I made this!
Is it perfect? Absolutely not, but it was so fun attending the Northwest Basket Weavers’ Coil Convergence. I learned some basic skills, I met some really nice people, and I left inspired to dig a little deeper into the world of basket making.

#basketweaving #crafting #weekendvibes #imadethis #diditmyself

Hanging out with @wildpeachesbooks was one of the best parts of my visit to @themeridianschool
Of course I loved talking with students about curiosity, research, sources and sensory detail. I really truly enjoyed that! But the time in between those sessions, when Super Librarian Kris and I got to talk about what we’re reading, what we’re writing, book bans, library funding, maintaining a relevant collection… those talks inspire in a whole other way.
I’m thankful for it all!
#authorvisit #booksforkids #schoolvisit #kidlit #librariansmatter

A great reading month!
Maybe it was because February’s books were a little lackluster, but this month really shined. My favorites?
Check out We Don’t Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry. It’s the story of a journalist who discovers she had an aunt she didn’t ever know existed. The aunt was one of six young black women who disappeared from a North Carolina town in the 1960s. It’s a mystery the niece sets out to solve.
I also can’t stop thinking about The Lake Effect. I jumped into this one thinking it was a romance. It’s not. Rather, it’s a book about love and all the messy forms it takes at all the stages of life. Really poignant.
Read on!
Thanks to @librofm for providing advance listening copies of some of these books.
#bookstagram #booksiread #reader #readersgonnaread #booklover

Suzanne Elson’s teaching experience gave her a greater understanding of what kids want to read — it’s also helped make her comfortable on school visits!
She stopped by my Six Questions to talk about what’s happening in her creative life.
#6questionsblog #kidlit #picturebooks #booksforkids #dinosaurbooks

That feeling when your globetrotting son finds your new picture book in a Dublin bookstore. ❤️
It feels extra special because this book from Andersen Press released first in the UK. You can look for it in the states in May!
#picturebook #bookstagram #kidlit #nonfictionforkids #bestsongever

Thank you Hansen Elementary!
It was my pleasure and honor to participate in your school’s Reading Night — what a joyful celebration of reading, writing, and curiosity.
#books #bookstagram #kidlit #authorvisit #booksforkids

Insider’s view.
That’s what we’re getting on today’s Six Questions blog. Max Temescu, illustrator of UNFATHOMABLE: 20 Wild (but true) Stories about the Ocean, stopped by to talk about his process and inspiration. Don’t miss it!
Link in my bio.
#kidlitillustration #kidlitart #booksforkids #nonfictionforkids #middlegradebooks

You know what’s fun?
Getting to share ocean stories with @noranickumbooks. Many thanks to @thirdplacebooks for hosting and to @ncascades and @thesalishseaschool for sponsoring!

#kidlit #bookevent #ocean #middlegradebooks #nonfictionforkids

Thanks to @tacomaschools for allowing me to connect with students in such a meaningful way. Double thanks for sharing this story.
🔗 in my bio!
#tacomawa #middlegradebooks #kidlit #nonfictionforkids #writer

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ABOUT

MARY BOONE

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