Frances Schoonmaker is the award-winning author of The Last Crystal Trilogy. Book three of the trilogy, The Last Crystal, won the 2019 Agatha Award for Best Middle Grade/Young Adult Mystery. Schoonmaker spent her early school years in Western Oklahoma and graduated from high school in Washington state. After teaching in elementary school for a dozen plus years, she joined the faculty of Teachers College, Columbia University where she was Professor in the College's historic Department of Curriculum and Teaching. She retired in 2009 and was granted the title Professor Emerita. When she isn't writing, she enjoys making school visits to meet with girls and boys, traveling, reading, walking, her garden, and three mischief-making cats. She divides her time between Baltimore, Maryland and Stratford-upon-Avon in England. You may contact her at her website: https://fschoonmaker.com where you will find more about her and her books.