Teresa Bateman is an American writer and librarian in the Federal Way School District in Washington. She also is a regular contributor to Cricket Magazine, contributes reviews to the Puget Sound Council and School Library Journal.
Background
Teresa was born on December 6, 1957 in Moscow, Idaho, United States. She is the daughter of Donald S. (a financial consultant) and Peggy L. (a homemaker) Bateman. They moved to Washington when Teresa was three. She grew up in Issaquah, Washington.
Education
Teresa studied at Ricks College and got her Associate of Arts and Sciences in 1978. She also studied at Brigham Young University and received a Bachelor of Science in 1982. She finished the University of Washington with a Master of Arts (Library and Information Science) in 1987.
Career
Teresa Bateman worked as a librarian at Federal Way School District, Federal Way during 1987-1999.
Bateman’s first book, The Ring of Truth: An Original Irish Tale, is the story of Patrick O’Kelly, a peddler who tells impressive tales as a way to keep people buying his wares. A Kirkus Reviews critic wrote, “Bateman’s first book is a beautifully layered, consistently sprightly take on the notion that truth is stranger than fiction,” while a Publishers Weekly critic noted, “Epitomizing the best of Irish storytelling, this blithe debut pokes fun at its own blustery genre.” Beth Tegart, writing for School Library Journal, concluded, “This is a well-crafted tale told with a storyteller’s touch; the language flows, and the story satisfies.”
Leprechaun Gold is Bateman’s story of Donald O’Dell, a kindhearted handyman who rescues a leprechaun from drowning. April Judge, in a review for Booklist, declared, “This well-crafted story is told in a robust, lively manner ... a top-notch candidate for reading aloud.” A critic for Kirkus Reviews stated, “This charming tale has an Irish lilt that would certainly withstand an energetic reading out loud - and not just on St. Patrick’s Day.”
Views
Quotations:
''I write because I love to write. I’d still write even if none of my stories ever got published. Writing is as much a part of me as breathing. I write each day, without fail. Some days I write a lot. Some days I write a little, but I write EVERY day.''
“Writing is so much a part of me that I cannot imagine my life without it. Most important, however, writing is fun for me. It’s often hard work, but it’s still a lot of fun.”
“One of the things I enjoy most is doing research for non-fiction articles and books. To me, research is a blast. I love going to the University of Washington Seseli library and pulling out microfilm, or prowling through stacks of old books. I find the strangest things that way - odd facts that tickle my fancy. Doing the research is often just as much fun as doing the writing! Being a librarian also helps. I’m surrounded by books and children every day. It’s a great combination.”
Membership
Teresa Bateman is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Washington Educators Association, Washington Library Media Association.