Mary Boone’s book research has taken her places many people have never been … chest deep in the Union River to count salmon, inside a cricket barn, exploring the ruins of a concrete ship, and (perhaps most daring of all) the front row of a Justin Bieber concert surrounded by screaming teen-age girls.

 

Mary has written more than 70 nonfiction books for young readers, many for the library market. Her most recent titles are The Flying Feminist, Unfathomable: 20 (Wild but True) Stories about the Ocean (a Junior Library Gold Selection), Pedal Pusher: How One Women’s Bicycle Adventure Helped Change the World (a Bank Street College Best Book of 2026 Honoree), School of Fish, and Bugs for Breakfast: How Eating Insects Could Help Save the World (long-listed for the Green Earth Book Award).

 

Mary grew up in rural Iowa. Prior to becoming an author, she reported and edited for several daily newspapers. ​She and her family now live in Tacoma, Washington, with an Airedale Terrier named Ruthie Bader.