Shelba grew up outside a small, quiet town in Missouri. An only child for nine years, she learned to find her own entertainment. Most often, her nose was “buried in a book.” When her mother reminded her of chores or bedtime, she would plead, “Please, just one more chapter.”

While in college in Illinois, she met her future husband and prepared to teach elementary school which she did for more than three decades mostly in Iowa.  Shelba wanted each student who left her classroom to have a love for science and reading.

A portion of the summers were spent relaxing and traveling with her husband and daughter. They set out to discover wonderful places all over the United States. Shelba, always with a camera slung around her neck, snapped photos to inspire her students to come to know and love our beautiful country. Some of those pictures became part of her first book. Eventually, the traveling group expanded to include a son-in-law and three grandchildren.

Shelba was honored during those teaching years with two awards. She was presented with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST) in Washington, DC and was chosen to attend a NASA Educational Workshop for Elementary Science Teachers (NEWEST) at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.

Through the years, Shelba’s interest in writing led her to take several writing courses, but the projects were laid aside until after retirement. When she held her first book, Roadtrip: Discovering Weird and Wonderful Places, in her hands, it was the fulfillment of a dream and the beginning of a new journey. Through her books, she hopes to inspire children of all ages to love books and learning.

Shelba and her husband still live in the Des Moines, Iowa area. When not writing, she enjoys walking, traveling, working jigsaw puzzles, being with family, and propping her feet up with a good book and a hot cappuccino!