Elly’s childhood was a happy one with many laughs, family dinners, and crooked birthday cakes.
Elly Swartz loves writing for kids, Twizzlers, and anything with her family. She grew up in Yardley, Pennsylvania, studied psychology at Boston University, and received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.
Elly grew up in Yardley, a small town in Pennsylvania. At the time, there were many cornfields and cows. Boredom was a popular sport. She lived in a red, brick house on Queens Drive with my mom, dad, two older brothers who picked on her regularly as a kid (less so as a grown-up) and dogs (first Missy and later Sam). Her childhood was a happy one with many laughs, family dinners and crooked birthday cakes.
She loves writing for children, but didn’t take a direct path to that career. She weaved and bobbed through many unique opportunities on her way to becoming a writer. She studied psychology at Boston University and got her JD at Georgetown University School of Law. She was a ride operator at Sesame Place, spent time working in a furniture store, was a messenger, law library assistant, legal author, litigator, legal research and writing professor and college essay adviser.
Not long after she began writing, she got the first sign that, indeed, this was the right path for her. She opened a piece of Bazooka Joe gum and wrapped around the sugary, pink delight was a fortune that read, “You have the ability to become outstanding in literature.”
She keeps this fortune tacked to the bulletin board next to her desk.
In her office are also her writing companions, a beagle named Lucy and a new puppy named Baxter Bean. Her family also includes her awesome husband and two amazing grown sons, s daughter-in-law, and now a beautiful grandson! Over the years, other family members included: a pygmy hedgehog, gerbils, hamster, fish and a few other dogs.
You can connect with Elly on her site at ellyswartz.com, on Twitter @ellyswartz, on Instagram @ellyswartzbooks or on her webseries #BooksintheKitchen with author Victoria J. Coe.
She has an affinity for words and phrases that make her sound a bit like her gram (or so she’s been told). A few of her favorites – pickle (as in, she’s in a pickle), hullaballoo, and cockeyed.
She loves a good book, crossword puzzles, the color green, the seasons (fall in particular), and a great pair of boots.
In February 2017, She was honored to be selected by School Library Connection as Author of the Month.
