Barbara Brooks Wallace

Who is Barbara Brooks Wallace?

Barbara Brooks Wallace is an award-winning American children's writer, including NLAPW Children's Book Award and International Youth Library "Best of the Best" for Claudia and William Allen White Children's Book Award for Peppermints in the Parlor.

Wallace was born and spent her childhood in China, where she attended Shanghai American School, but came to live in the United States during high school. San Francisco was a port of entry for the family many times. The huge white-pillared mansion on the side of a hill that she lived in became the Sugar Hill Hall mansion which served as the setting for some of her most popular books. She graduated from UCLA where she was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority.

Wallace won two Edgar Allan Poe Awards from the Mystery Writers of America for The Twin in the Tavern and Sparrows in the Scullery. Cousins in The Castle and Ghosts in the Gallery were also nominated for an Edgar Award.

Wallace's books are often compared to Lemony Snicket as well as books by Joan Lowery Nixon, a four-time recipient of the Edgar Award, and Beverly Cleary. She is given high praise by the American Library Association.

In 2009, Wallace tapped the creative development group, Pangea Corporation, to represent and develop her series of books into animated and live action entertainment. The trilogy series, Miss Switch, had previously enjoyed a popular run on the successful TV program, the ABC Weekend Specials, garnering the highest Nielsen ratings of all the episodes. Wallace's Hawkins books were also featured as live action films on the ABC Weekend Specials.