Jennifer L Holm

Biography

Holm, born in 1968, in California was raised in Audubon, Pennsylvania with her four brothers. After graduating from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, she worked in television and later began to write. Our Only May Amelia, the story of a 12-year-old girl living in the late 19th century, inspired by a diary written by her great aunt, became her first published novel and was a 2000 Newbery Honor Book. Holm also has written a series featuring Jane Peck, a young woman living in the 1850s (Boston Jane: An Adventure, Boston Jane: Wilderness Days and Boston Jane: The Claim); The Creek, a horror thriller; Babymouse and Squish, series of graphic novels for children illustrated by her brother Matthew; and The Stink Files, a series co-written with her husband Jonathan Hamel featuring James Edward Bristlefur, a cat raised by a British secret agent who is adopted by an American family and renamed Mr. Stink after his owner is murdered. Penny from Heaven, a story set in the 1950s featuring an 11-year-old Italian-American girl, was a 2007 Newbery Honor recipient. Turtle in Paradise, which is set in the Great Depression in Key West, Florida, was a 2011 Newbery Honor recipient. Babymouse for President won the 2013 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7).

Our Only May Amelia has been adapted for the stage by John Olive. The River Theater in Astoria, Oregon performed it for its 2006 summer run, in conjunction with FinnFest USA '06. The events of the play (and book) were set just north of Astoria in Naselle, Washington.

Personal life

As of 2013, Holm lives in Foster City, California with her husband and two children.

Standalone novels

May Amelia series

Our Only May Amelia can be found in the Newbery Great Girls Boxed Set (1999) along with three other Newbery Winners.

Boston Jane novel series

1. Boston Jane: An Adventure (2001)
2. Wilderness Days (2002)
3. The Claim (2004)

Key West

Ginny Davis series

Illustrated by Elicit Castaldi

1. Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff (2007)
2. Eighth Grade is Making Me Sick: Ginny Davis's Year In Stuff (2012)

The Stink Files series

In collaboration with Jonathan Hamel, Illustrated by Brad Weinman

Babymouse series

Graphic novels, in collaboration with Matthew Holm

1. Queen of the World! (2005)
2. Our Hero (2005)
3. Beach Babe (2006)
4. Rock Star (2006)
5. Heartbreaker (2006)
6. Camp Babymouse (2007)
7. Skater Girl (2007)
8. Puppy Love (2007)
9. Monster Mash (2008)
10. Babymouse: The Musical (2009)
11. Dragonslayer (2009)
12. Babymouse Burns Rubber (2010)
13. Cupcake Tycoon (2010)
14. Mad Scientist (2011)
15. A Very Babymouse Christmas (2011)
16. Babymouse for President (2012)
17. Extreme Babymouse (2013)
18. Happy Birthday, Babymouse (2014)
19. Bad Babysitter (2015)
20. Babymouse Goes for the Gold (2016)

Compilations:

Little Babymouse

Graphic novels, illustrated by Matthew Holm

Squish series

Graphic novels, in collaboration with Matthew Holm

1. Squish: Super Ameoba (2011)
2. Squish: Brave New Pond (2011)
3. Squish: The Power Of The Parasite (2012)
4. Squish: Captain Disaster (2012)
5. Squish: Game On! (2013)
6. Squish: Fear the Amoeba (2014)
7. Squish: Deadly Disease of Doom (2015)
8. Squish: Pod vs. Pod (2016)

My First Comics

Illustrated by Matthew Holm

Comic book anthology

Anthology contributions

Book introductions

Selected awards and honors