Background
Mary Amato was born on January 3, 1961, in Belvidere, Illinois, United States.
Mary Amato
2009
51 Baker St, Maplewood, NJ 07040, United States
Mary Amato reading at Maplewood Library.
2009
Mary Amato with young readers and writers in Illinois.
2009
51 Baker St, Maplewood, NJ 07040, United States
Mary Amato at Maplewood Library.
2009
125 E High St, Jefferson City, MO 65101, United States
Mary Amato at the Downtown Book & Toy.
Mary Amato
2009
51 Baker St, Maplewood, NJ 07040, United States
Mary Amato reading at Maplewood Library.
2009
Mary Amato with young readers and writers in Illinois.
2009
51 Baker St, Maplewood, NJ 07040, United States
Mary Amato at Maplewood Library.
2009
125 E High St, Jefferson City, MO 65101, United States
Mary Amato at the Downtown Book & Toy.
Mary Amato
Mary Amato (rightmost) with her elder sisters.
(Life is miserable for sixth-grader Lerner Chanse at her n...)
Life is miserable for sixth-grader Lerner Chanse at her new school, where the MPOOE (Most Powerful Ones On Earth) Club ruthlessly rules over the SLUGs (Sorry Losers Under Ground). It looks as if Lerner is destined to be a SLUG until she finds a magical worm that eats printed words instead of dirt. If Fip eats a word, that item simply disappears from the world - forever.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A0ZOC4A/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i1
2000
(Riot Brother Rule Number One: Make something exciting hap...)
Riot Brother Rule Number One: Make something exciting happen every day. It's no easy task, but Wilbur and Orville Riot are up to the challenge. Whether it's catching a bank robber, finding hidden treasure while cleaning the house, or overthrowing a wicked king, the Riot brothers are clever, resourceful, and just plain funny. They sing songs, makeup games, and always come out on top in the end... despite a few bumps along the way. The inventive, energetic brothers have a warm sibling relationship (even when they're trying to make each other snarf milk out of their noses), and though they get called into the Principal's office now and then, the trouble they make is always in good fun. Plus, she's their mom, so she always gives them a ride home.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075DGGHRZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i3
2004
(When her father begins a long-distance romance with a Was...)
When her father begins a long-distance romance with a Washington, District of Columbia zookeeper, twelve-year-old Frankie sends fabricated email letters to the zookeeper in an attempt to end the relationship, in this story about family, friendship, and growing up.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A0D5UOI/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i6
2005
(When a teacher leaves a blank book in the Writer’s Corner...)
When a teacher leaves a blank book in the Writer’s Corner for her students to find, with the instructions "Please Write in this Book," she hopes it will encourage her students to talk to one another in its pages. They do, and the result is an epic classroom battle.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0823421384/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i4
2006
(Tomorrow is April Fool's day, the best holiday of all, an...)
Tomorrow is April Fool's day, the best holiday of all, and the Riot Brothers have only one goal: FOOL MOM! This April Fool's day they're determined to finally do it - but Mom isn't an easy mark. If fake rats don't do the trick, what will? And what happens when Mom fools them first? Always inventive and energetic, the Riot Brothers are back and funnier than ever. Can they save a damsel in distress by employing Operation Armpit? And how do you become a mad scientist, anyway? One thing is certain - the Riot Brothers are always up to something, and it's always something great.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076ZSWY24/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2
2007
(Henrietta's two older sisters love to tease her. When the...)
Henrietta's two older sisters love to tease her. When they try to convince her that she's actually a chicken instead of a little girl, it's pretty hard to believe at first. But the evidence is all there: her legs are kind of yellow, and her toes are kind of long. The feathers she finds beside her bed the next morning settle it, and Henrietta heads off to the farm to find her real family. Do the chickens welcome her with open wings and this lovably gullible heroine's joyful acceptance of who she really is will have readers squawking with laughter.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399241965/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i5
2008
(It's the first day of summer vacation, and life is great....)
It's the first day of summer vacation, and life is great... Until the Riot Brothers find out their cousin is coming to visit. How can you complete secret missions and make exciting things happening when you have to drag around a guest? Luckily, it turns out Cousin Amelia is the kind of cousin they like - the fun kind! She's just as great at coming up with cool games and clever sayings as Orville and Wilbur, and she even travels with her very own (fake) pet snake. Riot Brother Rule #24 says kids who are fun can become Riot Brothers, even if they aren't brothers, so obviously, Amelia is in... And together they take on all-new adventures: starting a robot car wash, finding a lost mummy, and solving some mysteries... like why the neighborhood bully is following them around wearing aftershave.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076ZS19TR/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i5
2009
(Are you bored? Do you like exciting and dangerous adventu...)
Are you bored? Do you like exciting and dangerous adventures? Then it's your lucky day because Orville and Wilbur Riot are back with all-new escapades - because, you know, you can't do the same mission twice. (That's Rule #15!) As the brothers say, a bad day is like bad breath... it just gets worse unless you do something about it. So Wilbur and Orville are determined to never be bored... even if that means they have to figure out how to become movie stars or foil a diamond heist. This time even Mom gets in on the fun when the brothers announce a switch day - sorry, a switch say - and take over the house and their school.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075FDPGK2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i6
2009
(If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s making people laugh...)
If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s making people laugh because when I’m standing up I’m what you call a stand-up comedian, and when I’m sitting down, I’m just plain funny. Trevor is just plain funny, and he’s lucky he is. Because this year he needs a sense of humor. Moving to a new home is hard enough - the sign reads Hedley gardens, but everyone calls these projects deadly gardens. And the move to a fancy new school is even harder - all the kids from Deadly Gardens seem to be in the same classes and keep to themselves, but somehow Trevor’s ended up in an advanced science class with kids who seem to have everything and know everything, including how to please their strange new teacher. Someone else might just give up, but Trevor has plans. This is going to be his year. And he is going to use whatever he has, do whatever it takes, to make it at this new school. He may not have what these other kids have, but Trevor knows he’s got some stuff to show. No one is better at juggling in soccer, and he knows he can draw - he calls himself the Graffiti Guy. But Xander, a star in the classroom and on the soccer field, has other plans for Trevor. He doesn’t like anyone trespassing on his turf and begins to sabotage Trevor at every opportunity. Who is going to believe Trevor over the school star? Is there any way that Trevor can achieve his goals against a guy who is as good at bullying as he is at everything else he does?
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/160684010X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i1
2009
(First Slurpy the goldfish gets fish snapped. Then other t...)
First Slurpy the goldfish gets fish snapped. Then other things begin to disappear from Ms. Herschel's classroom. Odder still, the culprit leaves poetry behind. Edgar intends to find the criminal responsible for the help of his notebook. However, he's going to have to beat his rivals, form careful alliances, and make sense of a few surprising discoveries.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DGEPS72/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i3
2010
(On odd days, Tripp uses a school practice room to let loo...)
On odd days, Tripp uses a school practice room to let loose on a borrowed guitar. Eyes closed, strumming that beat-up instrument, Tripp escapes to a world where only the music matters. On even days, Lyla Marks uses the same practice room. To Tripp, she's trying to become even more perfect - she's already a straight-A student and an award-winning cellist. But when Lyla begins leaving notes for him in between the strings of the guitar, his life intersects with hers in a way he never expected. What starts as a series of snippy notes quickly blossoms into the sharing of interests and secrets and dreams, and the forging of a very unlikely friendship. Challenging each other to write songs, they begin to connect, even though circumstances threaten to tear them apart.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IPSGOJY/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i9
2012
(Minerva has been raised by her single mother after her fa...)
Minerva has been raised by her single mother after her father left them. On her 17th birthday, she is shocked to discover that he has been trying to keep in touch and that her mother has been sabotaging his attempts. Furious at her mom, Minerva begins to investigate her dad, a famous marine biologist, only to discover that he has a new family, including a beloved and perfect, stepdaughter - a girl Minerva already knows and despises. As Minerva tries to build her songwriting career, jealousy takes over and threatens to derail her life completely. It is only through the efforts of her best friend, Fin, and the introduction of Hayes, a new young man in her life, that she is able to see clearly who she is and who makes up her family.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IPSGNX6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i0
2014
(When their parents steal a Hollywood star (a white poodle...)
When their parents steal a Hollywood star (a white poodle) to hold it for ransom, our young heroes leap into action. Too bad the spoiled star will not raise a paw to help.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IPSGN90/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i10
2014
(When their parents steal a monkey from the zoo to help th...)
When their parents steal a monkey from the zoo to help them pick pockets, our heroes rush into action and return the wily animal using disguises, inventions, and old-fashioned shoe leather. They also learn what a monkey can do in 11 minutes: 1) Stick his fingers in your right nostril. 2) Lick your eyebrows, pick his teeth, and then wipe his finger on your shirt. Giggles and guffaws will be the result of anyone reading Book One of Good Crooks. Author Mary Amato is a star of state master and children's choice lists and returns to the age category of her popular Riot Brothers chapter book series with this funny, silly new series.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IPSGPCK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i11
2014
(Good Crooks Book Three: Sniff a Skunk! brings back our fa...)
Good Crooks Book Three: Sniff a Skunk! brings back our favorite pair of do-gooder crooks in a hilarious adventure that brings about an odiferous encounter with a skunk.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IPSGSOK/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i0
2015
(Mrs. Penrose has a secret, and Alexander H. Gory, Jr., th...)
Mrs. Penrose has a secret, and Alexander H. Gory, Jr., thinks he knows just what it is. To spread the word, Alexander passes around his notebook, in which he details his proof that their mild-mannered teacher has become a blood-sucking creature of the night. The news spreads like wildfire, and soon the whole class is speculating. Will the librarian be her next victim? Can they protect themselves with garlic necklaces? But when Mrs. Penrose confiscates the notebook, she admits to the class that she does have a secret. She isn't turning into a bat, though - she's going to have a baby. To encourage her students to write, she lets them keep the notebook, which becomes a chronicle of jokes, stories, and - when Mrs. Penrose's baby comes earlier than anyone expected - their fears, frustrations, and hopes for her and her child. Told in the varying voices of an elementary class, with all their unique observations, quirks, and spelling mistakes, Our Teacher Is a Vampire is a celebration of collaboration. Through their shared storytelling, Mrs. Penrose's students support one another through difficult times, improve as writers, and become fast friends. Ideal for aspiring writers, this (not) true story of classroom intrigue will keep readers turning pages, from the first wild rumor to the last, heartfelt letter.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N32M2TZ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i2
2016
(When the coolest girl in the class invites you to her exc...)
When the coolest girl in the class invites you to her exclusive after-school club, how can you say no? Even if it means skipping out on Songwriting Club? Even if she's always been too popular to give you the time of day? Even if she asks you to paint the walls and serve the tea...? Soon Lucy McGee realizes she's been tricked into becoming mean girl Scarlett Tandy's errand girl - she's getting in trouble for skipping her after-school activities. Things get complicated as she tries to balance school, friends, frenemies, songwriting, and family expectations. Clearly Lucy has to strike back! But it turns out that singing and playing your ukulele - and having loads of fun doing it - is the best revenge. In this new series from state-award favorite Mary Amato, a spunky heroine matches wits with a mean girl and learns that middle can be a balancing act - so you can't lose sight of what's important. Features 3 of Lucy's songs and a sneak peek of Book Two, Sing With Me, Lucy McGee!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B2K7XSW/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i8
2018
(When Lacy wakes up dead in Westminster Cemetery, the fina...)
When Lacy wakes up dead in Westminster Cemetery, the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe, she's confused. It's the job of Sam, a young soldier who died in 1865, to teach her the rules of the afterlife and to warn her about Suppression - a punishment worse than death. Lacy desperately wants to leave the cemetery and find out how she died, but every soul is obligated to perform a job. Given the task of providing entertainment, Lacy proposes an open mic, which becomes a chance for the cemetery's residents to express themselves. But Lacy is in for another shock when surprising and long-buried truths begin to emerge.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FFFBBSQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i4
2018
(When a talent show brings out cutthroat tendencies in her...)
When a talent show brings out cutthroat tendencies in her classmates, an aspiring singer, songwriter, and ukulele player Lucy has to fight for what's fair and avoid falling for mean girl Scarlett's ploys yet again in the second book in the generously illustrated Lucy McGee series. Feisty and gullible Lucy McGee has a lot to learn- but will have a blast doing it in this fun-filled chapter book with over 100 illustrations, a sequel to News From Me, Lucy McGee. Lucy and Philip are fuming when they find out that Scarlet is trying to exclude them from the songwriting club's ukulele and singing act at the talent show. Soon Lucy is in the doghouse again after her plan to get back at Scarlet backfires. So, Lucy calls a truce, but Scarlet only pretends to stop her antics. She locks Lucy and her friends in a janitor's closet during the show. It's up to Lucy to help the club members escape yet keep her own integrity.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FZPT1JJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i7
2019
playwright teacher author songwriter poet
Mary Amato was born on January 3, 1961, in Belvidere, Illinois, United States.
Mary Amato studied fiction writing and poetry at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, District of Columbia. As an undergraduate, she studied special education and dance at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Mary Amato started writing at the age of seven when her mother handed her a little spiral notebook and told her to keep a journal of their trip to California.
Although she had been a nonfiction writer, puppeteer at Firefly Shadow Theatre since 2000, and choreographer for some time, in 2000 Mary Amato made her debut as a children’s book writer with The Word Eater, finally realizing a childhood dream. "I always wanted to be a writer, but it took me a long time to believe that I could become one," she told.
Also, Mary is an artistic associate at Charter Theatre since 2007.
Mary does an insane amount of appearances and teaching. Schools and libraries bring her in for large-scale assemblies and classroom workshops. She also teaches grown-ups how to unleash their inner kids. Besides focusing on creative writing, Mary teaches songwriting, ukulele, story inventing, and more and leads workshops and retreats for all ages for a huge number of organizations.
She worked as an editor and has written lots of articles, essays, and poems for magazines and newspapers, including Muse, Cicada, The Washington Post, Parenting and Mothering.
(When a talent show brings out cutthroat tendencies in her...)
2019(When the coolest girl in the class invites you to her exc...)
2018(When her father begins a long-distance romance with a Was...)
2005(When a teacher leaves a blank book in the Writer’s Corner...)
2006(Are you bored? Do you like exciting and dangerous adventu...)
2009(Tomorrow is April Fool's day, the best holiday of all, an...)
2007(When their parents steal a monkey from the zoo to help th...)
2014(Life is miserable for sixth-grader Lerner Chanse at her n...)
2000(If there’s one thing I’m good at it’s making people laugh...)
2009(Good Crooks Book Three: Sniff a Skunk! brings back our fa...)
2015(When their parents steal a Hollywood star (a white poodle...)
2014(When Lacy wakes up dead in Westminster Cemetery, the fina...)
2018(On odd days, Tripp uses a school practice room to let loo...)
2012(Minerva has been raised by her single mother after her fa...)
2014(Riot Brother Rule Number One: Make something exciting hap...)
2004(It's the first day of summer vacation, and life is great....)
2009(Henrietta's two older sisters love to tease her. When the...)
2008(First Slurpy the goldfish gets fish snapped. Then other t...)
2010(Mrs. Penrose has a secret, and Alexander H. Gory, Jr., th...)
2016Quotations: "I believe that stories lift us, heal us, and connect us.""Writing is a way of finding meaning in life, in the ordinary things of life. So when I take the Metro, I take my writer's notebook with me, and something will happen on the Metro that will really feel like an ordinary experience that is somehow extraordinary, and I'll want to capture it... So as a writer, I'm never bored because I'm constantly looking around the world and finding things in it that I think I want to both acknowledge and appreciate."
Mary Amato is married to Ivan Amato. They have two sons.
Andrea Caspari is an artist, anthropologist and program coordinator on migration and community development issues, teacher and coordinator of English as a Second Language program and beekeeper. She currently operates Firefly Shadow Theater out of Princeton, Massachusetts and is delighted to bring shadow theater to diverse audiences in the US as well as Albania, England, Greece, and Macedonia.
