Kelly Starling Lyons began her journey to become a children’s book author in her hometown of Pittsburgh.

She learned the art of storytelling from her mom who took her to productions at a children’s playhouse, wrote Christian plays and made up bedtime tales with Lyons and her younger brother as the stars. Her grandparents, who showed their imagination through cooking and gardening, taught her to honor the magic of history and home. Surrounded by creativity, Lyons began to write.

She curled up near the radiator behind her bedroom door and allowed her pen to take her to other worlds. A canopy of trees transformed into a make-believe fortress, backyards hid treasure and tunnels to faraway lands, bridges that crossed the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers spanned distance and time.
At Syracuse University, where Lyons majored in African-American Studies, her work became steeped in black culture. She wrote essays, poems and short stories that gave voice to struggles and celebrated heritage. Lyons began her professional career as a reporter for the Syracuse Herald-Journal. She dedicated herself to finding untold feature stories that spoke to the heart.

Lyons took her writing to a national stage when she became an associate editor of Ebony magazine. There, she covered important stories such as the Million Woman March, first black mayor of Stone Mountain, Ga. and the issue of black women and rape. Along with writing feature stories, she coordinated the Bookshelf column. Lyons sorted through dozens of titles each month but became captivated by the children’s books that spoke to the experiences of black children. She knew right then that one day she would add her voice.

Lyons wrote her debut children’s book, NEATE: Eddie’s Ordeal (Just Us Books), in 2004. Book #4 in the NEATE series created by Wade Hudson, her chapter book won praise for its portrayal of the relationship between a 13-year-old student-athlete and his civil rights veteran father. A major plot point was inspired by a civil rights tour she took as a features reporter for The News & Observer.

Lyons, a freelance writer who lives with her husband and daughter in Raleigh, NC, says her mission is to transform memories, moments and history into stories of discovery. A master’s graduate of Syracuse University’s magazine journalism program, she has won awards for her feature writing. Whether creating first-person essays for books such as Chicken Soup for the African American Woman’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating Mothers and Daughters or working on what she calls one of her greatest joys -- creating stories for children -- Lyons works to empower and entertain. Her first picture book, One Million Men and Me (Just Us Books), will debut fall 2007. Her second picture book, Ellen’s Broom will be published by G.P. Putnam in Spring 2009. For more about Lyons, please visit her website: http://www.kellystarlinglyons.com. .