Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Stephanie Tolan: Making Magic
Many authors believe that they entertain their readers. Some believe that they write to give information. Stephanie Tolan believes she makes magic. She says, "It still seems to me magical that the human brain can imagine whole worlds and people and stories, turn them into little marks on paper and then other brains can translate those marks on paper into images, into worlds and people and stories." At an early age, she realized that she could make that magic.
Stephanie Tolan was born on October 25, 1942. She was born in Ohio. Most of her childhood was spent in Wisconsin. Her favorite childhood memories include books. She was an active reader. She often read at night under her covers with a flashlight when she was supposed to be sleeping.
Stephanie wrote her first story in fourth grade. Her teacher was the first teacher that asked her to write a short story. Stephanie wrote about a baby volcano. The volcano started the first Fourth of July celebration. She still has the story, which is written in ink. This is where Stephanie's magic began.
Throughout the years, Stephanie became interested in many things. Writing was always one of them. She graduated from high school and went to college. She attended Purdue University in Indiana. She majored in creative writing. She earned a master's degree in English.
Soon after graduating from college, Stephanie got married. Her family grew instantly. She became a wife and a mom to three stepsons. Later, Stephanie had another son. Her husband had a career in theater. His job moved the family around the country. With the busy life that a family can bring, there was not much time for writing. Stephanie tried to write whenever she could. She wrote poetry and plays.
