Courtney Sheinmel facts for kids

Courtney Sheinmel is a popular author who writes many books for kids and teenagers. She was born in 1977 in Palo Alto, California. Today, she lives in New York City.

About Courtney Sheinmel

Courtney Sheinmel has a sister, Alyssa Sheinmel, who also writes books for young adults. Courtney also has three stepsiblings.

Courtney's Education and Early Career

Courtney went to Barnard College, which is part of Columbia University. She also studied at Fordham School of Law. After finishing her studies, Courtney worked as a lawyer for several years.

While working as a lawyer, she spent her weekends writing her first book for middle schoolers. This book was called My So-Called Family and came out in 2008. People really liked it because it showed what makes a family special. After this book was published, Courtney stopped working as a lawyer and became a full-time writer.

Books by Courtney Sheinmel

Courtney's second book, Positively (2009), was about a teenager living with HIV. Courtney was inspired by her work with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. This foundation helps children with HIV/AIDS.

She continued to write about different family situations in books like All the Things You Are (2011) and Edgewater (2015). Courtney has also written several book series for young readers. These include the Stella Batts series and The Kindness Club series. She also helped write the Agnes & Clarabelle series for kids who are just starting to read.

Courtney's Work Beyond Writing

Besides writing her own books, Courtney has helped other young writers. She was a judge for the national Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. She also received an award for her teaching at Writopia Lab. This is a non-profit group that helps kids aged 8 to 18 learn how to write.