After she graduated from New York’s Colgate University, she found a job working in New York City for a literary agency. Smith got started in the publishing world soon after graduation. She would end up winning a creative writing contest held by her school and got a confidence boost for her writing skills.įor her win, she got to travel to a writing workshop held at the University of Illinois, which is where she really caught the writing bug. Her first ever piece of writing was when she penned a short story about a horse and a girl when she was in the fourth grade. Still writing s something that she would still have loved doing even if she never got published. During her childhood, she thought growing up and becoming a professional author was as likely as becoming an astronaut or ballerina.Īs such, she is incredibly lucky to find herself a professional author. For as long as she can remember, she has loved telling stories that she would scribble in notebooks and journals.įrom very early on, she knew she wanted to pursue writing even if she never considered it a proper career. Smith is a children’s fiction and young adult author that is best known for her “This is What Happy Looks Like” series of novels.įor Jennifer, writing is something she cannot remember not doing.

'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title.Jennifer E. Helquist’s illustrations were not available for review. Smith’s wise choice to tell the story through Ruby adds layers of poignancy, and though some of the mechanics bog down, this is miles away from most magical fare, and is therefore a real breath of fresh air. Their appearances set into motion a battle for Simon, whose weather-creating mood swings suggest he might become the most powerful Storm Maker of all. Enter two strange figures: a kindly old man named Otis and a wolfish fellow named London, both of whom are associated with MOSS-Makers of Storm Society. But the worst drought in 100 years is killing the crops, and Smith expertly conjures the dusty feel of a Midwest where hope itself is baking away. Twelve-year-old twins Ruby and Simon are adjusting to a new life on a Wisconsin farm. Following the pleasingly predictable YA romance The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (2012) comes this total change-up from Smith: a fablelike middle-grade slice of Americana about Storm Makers-those with the power to manipulate weather.

The Storm Makers by Jennifer E. Smith